Braid

[fishypaul]

I know we are going over old ground,but i am considering trying braid on my beachcasting multiplyers next time i change the line.
the questions i am looking for answers are these:

What is it like for casting ?

How long can it be used for,does it rot or weaken with age ?

Do i have to dry it after use ?

Do you still have to use a shock-leader ?

Does it come in different breaking strains ?


I have read about the benefits of using braid , but i dont want to buy it and find its not right for me.

any of you guys have a view ?

[JuanPablo]

I will address each point in the order that you typed them mate.
These are just my opinions - i dont use braid a lot for beachcasting and so Im sure there are others on here who can go more in-depth.

1) Casting is different to say the least. Braid is a lot lighter than standard mono and so when using braid in strong winds and not very much weight on the end certain braids seem more prone to wind knots caused by the braid kinking in flight and tying itself in a knot - impossible to undo but this would only happen when beachcasting if for instance you got a birdsnest and had lots of loose line off the reel blowing round everywhere! Dynabraid is apparently a pain for this as are most 'soft' feeling braids. However Firewire does not do this because it is more wirey and stiff. Due to the lower diameter of braid your casting distance will increase - possibly 5-10%

2) Cant speak for all braids but Firewire alarmingly sheds its smoke colour when it gets wet - after a few sessions the braid is drastically lighter in colour. In my experience this happens with all spools and doesnt seem to affect the braids performance or strength so I believe it is harmless. Some braids have no outer coating of colour and you wont experience the same issue. Braid also fades in sunlight and looks old fairly quickly but to be honest it is a tough material and when used over average / clean ground I find its reel-life is roughly 2yrs tops. Not bad, but over rough ground you need to check the line after every session - very easy to spot snagged braid as it normally fluffs up into bits of tiny hairs (bit like snagged wool i guess)

3) Simply care for braid the same as mono. Quick wash of the reel under freshwater and a towel dry. Again you may notice colour residue on the towel from the braid but this is just colouring - it will cease once the braid is faded after a few sessions. I believe all brands of braid have been tempered for saltwater use and will not rot as long as basic care is taken. Dont leave your reel on the windowsill for a few weeks between trips because constant sunlight does no good over very long periods of time. (Though you will be alright with our weather mate!)

4) Yes braid is strong but a shockleader will prove very neccesary for three reasons - you try wrapping your thumb round a wet spool of razor-thin braid then propelling a 6oz lead to the horizon - you will end up with the most painful deep cut in your thumb that will take weeks to heal!!! Take my word for that! Also theres the safety factor to those around you - the rules still apply when using braid - roughly 10lb breaking strain for every 1oz of lead I believe. So 60lb - 70lb shock is a must - tapered is fine and i believe someone on here can show how how to tie braid to a mono shockleader - i 'think' a different knot is used - will look into this for you unless anyone knows?
And the other reason is because braid has no stretch - if you strike a bite even at 100yds you risk ripping the hook totally away from the fish or right outta its mouth!!! The shockleader offers that absorbsion that we are all used to and allows you to strike - but only a little strike is necessary. Incidentally you will notice bites much more easily as the tip is more in-contact with the end-tackle.

5) 25lb firewire is the equivalent diameter to 15lb monofilament! So whilst you would normally use 15lb on a clean beach you can use 25lb braid which will naturally combat weed and rocks and allow you to fish clean through to rough ground all with the same reel! It really is strong stuff. If you snag up do not use your hand to pull outta the snag - braid will cut through skin like a knife through butter. Fish fighting is more fun and the stuff rips through kelp with ease. Downside is the cost - but it does outlast mono.

Takes some getting used to but if you can afford a spool (£25 for 300yds of firewire) go for it! You will probably need to back up your reel with some mono as 300yds of low diameter braid once its bedded in leaves your reel seriously underfilled - less birdnests but a lot less distance!

Hope this helps you decide - I think you should try it!

[Simon TorbayFishing]

Very nice post!

[JuanPablo]

cheers si
forgot to properly answer question five - it doesnt only come in 25lb - most braids are available from 4lb right up to 60lb. Once you start looking above 40lb braid the price goes up another tenner! If you are a boat angler the 60lb braid will bully congers away from the wreck but if on the drift you will have a much different speed through the water to those using mono which will end up in you getting tangled and losing expensive braid! The anglers who use it for conger do still use a mono leader - its still very sensitive but not over the top resulting in missed bites.

[DownSouth]

JP, top post.

I have tried it for beachcasting and it was diabolical. More birdies than Tiger Woods on a good day. Fished 3 or 4 session with it then wound it on to one of my boat reels.

Now there is a different story. For boat fishing - great stuff.

But for every bad experience like mine there will be a good experience from someone else. Basically it comes down to, do you want to spend £25 notes to experiement?

[Ben]

might not be as bad on a fs reel rather than a multi

[fishypaul]

thanks a lot jp,all the info i needed,i think perhaps i will keep to mono for a while.

downsouth your input was vital,i will possibly think about it in the future.

[JuanPablo]

the problem with using braid on a big deep-spooled beachcasting fixed spool is that you need at least 150yrds of mono taped off and then get exactly the right amount of braid so its about 0.5inch from the lip of the spool (also compensating for shockleader! - its a tricky feat in anyones eyes to get it just right - if a fixed spool is underfilled you will lose a lot of distance -

[Ben]

i cant quite remember how i worked out how much mono to put on my new boat reel before adding braid n then shock leader but i used maths to do with the thickness of the line, n i managed to get it pritty dam close, maybe another 20yrds on mono n it would have been too much