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Fishing Line - Braid

Braided fishing line has completely different characteristics than monofilament line.

Braid is manufactured by weaving man-made filaments of material such as Spectra® or Micro-Dyneema® into a single strand of braid.

Unlike monofilament line, braided line does not stretch. This makes it a perfect choice for feeder fishing, where every nudge and bump on the line will be transferred to the rod tip. But this same lack of stretch makes it much more difficult to play a large fish, as all the "give" will now have to be provided by the rod.

Braided line is extremely strong for its diameter, so strong that if you get snagged in weed or bushes you will probably have to cut the line and lose your end tackle, as the line is very difficult to break.

Braid is much more visible to fish than is monofilament and may spook the fish you are trying to catch, especially in clear water.

There is much controversy concerning braided line and some fisheries ban its use. Misguidedly in my opinion. I think that one of the problems concerning braid is simply one of misconception. That is, because braid is abrasion resistant it is thought, by some, to be abrasive and as such will damage the mouth parts of fish that are hooked with a braid hooklength.

In fact, braid is "kinder" to the fish than is monofilament. Try a simple experiment: bend a piece of braided line around the top of your finger and notice that the braid flattens out, giving a wider surface area. This is exactly the same as would happen if a fish pulls against the braid. Because of this I suggest that monofilament is more likely to cut into a fish than is braid. In my opinion the fishery bans on braid are mistaken and have not been thought through.

Braided lines can be used as hooklength material together with a monofilament mainline.

The controversy continues.