Terminal Tackles - Part 4 Lines & Leaders

Fishing line is what separates us, Anglers with other forms of catching fish. Most often, beginner anglers usually starts with mono filament lines, then they gradually move over to braided lines & subsequently, other more capable fishing lines as the need arise. Generally in the market, the most widely available & cost effective fishing lines are mono filament or mono for short while braided lines is catching up.

Monofilament

This is the cheapest among lines to be used for angling. They are made from a single strand of plastic. Depending on the quality, some lines are stiffer & thicker while other premium mono lines are softer, more supple & thinner. They come in many colors but the most popular coloration are transparent lines which is popular among bait/pole fishing anglers for finesse presentations. Mono lines also cuts water better due to their roundness. Mono has it's drawbacks too. It stretches when pulled which can be a problem when cast over a distance, the angler won't know there is a bite until the fish starts running with your bait. Another problem is memory. Mono lines tends to retain memory if stored on a reel over time. Ever notice when fishing with old mono lines, when you cast out, there will be a lot of curls formed?. This will hamper casting distance & accuracy as the curls create friction on the guides.

Braided

As the name implies, braided fishing lines are made by braiding 4 to 8 strands of fibers into a single line. Braided lines are usually made from plastic fibres, dyneema or spectra materials with dyneema being the more popular material. Braided lines are also very thin, retains no memory & almost zero stretch. This is important for casting lures where the angler would feel the slightest movements on their bait or lures. One drawback of braided line is it's underwater high visibility. Braided line is also not abrasion resistant so they will easily cut when subjected to trashing on sharp objects & chaffing. To counter both problems, anglers tie a length of mono leader to make the line less visible & better abrasion resistant. Braided lines also tend to float due to the braiding process of storing pockets of air. This can hamper presentation of baits when pole fishing.

There are also some new type of lines such as fluorocarbon, nanofil, fused & multifilament (superlines) which are also popular with the high end market but generally, most anglers would use mono or braided lines for majority of fishing needs.

Why The Need For Leader?

Leaders generally serve 3 purpose, 

Ready made trace wire leader

(A) Abrasion - it functions as an abrasion resistant joint on the line. Most fish when hooked would perform all sorts of dirty tricks & maneuvers at the bottom to try to escape. During this stage, lines are subjected to abuse due to abrasion on rocks, corals, logs & weeds. Using a short length of leader, which is usually thick stiff mono, the joint between hook & line has less chance of breaking. A strong tough leader also protects the line from being bitten off by toothy fishes. In situations where you are expecting large toothy fishes, I would recommend using trace wire leaders for ultimate abrasion resistant & toughness.

Fluorocarbon Shock Leader

(B) Visibility - Those who favors braided or superlines normally tie a length of between 2 to 4feet of transparent mono leader to make their bait/lure less visible to the fish. Although fish is not intelligent by any means, they do have survival instincts & would avoid lines if seen clearly. This means there will be no bites as well as spooking fishes away. In some fishing situations, especially among surf casting anglers, they would tie 15 to 20ft leader. Some modern anglers have begun utilizing 100% Flurocarbon leaders which is almost invisible underwater.

(C) Presentation - A thicker & heavier poundage leader helps to sink rigs faster without the use of additional sinkers. This is crucial for finesse presentations.

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