All,

I know this has been asked before, but can't seem to find a good answer.

But, is there any reason that I can't use braid rather than fluorocarbon as a leader? I only ask after my 8lb leader snapped yesterday whilst fishing at Lechlade, wondered whether it'd be worth trying a similar diameter braid there (30+lbs)?

Thanks

John

1. It's incredibly limp and you may well have issues with presentation.
2. Do you not think it's a touch 'visible'? It's not as if it's anchored to the bottom to present a pop up boilie is it.
3. Even when spinning with braid it's advisable to use a rod length of mono between the lure and the braid.

Best establish why your 8lb leader material 'snapped' first. At a knot, wind knot, was it kinked or damaged from a tangle etc etc.

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might pay to go up a diameter or two in fluorocarbon.
or steer clear and use some reliable mono, which tends to be a bit more forgiving.
i use braid for plugging and other types of fishing. i don't think its the answer for trout. a few wind knots would have it snapping like cotton.
green or clear maxima would be a good start.

cheers , dave

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I'd go along with Lighthouse there.

Remember, the section of mono is included as a breaking point, otherwise when hooked in a tree or something, when you pull for a break, your line ( about 25lb breaking strain ) may well snap before your 30lb+ braid.

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Hi John, your 8lb flouro probably broke at a knot. It'd be very unlikely that anything in Lechlade could break 8lb test leader on a single handed rod, unless you pointed the rod at the fish. I fish 6-7lb there and have never been snapped off unless by my own stupidity. I now usually fish with fulling mill 7lb flouro and you could tow a boat with it!

Cheers
Alex

Okay - thanks for the advice, I'm just a bit intrigued as I've never tried braid for any type of fishing and it sounds too good to be true.

I know why my line snapped yesterday, it was because of the birds-nest that I was desperately trying to untangle (not easy with a 10lb+ fish hooked) - obviously immediately untangled itself when the fish had gone.

12lb fluoro it is then. Although I might still have a go at some point.

Cheers

As the world should know by now ( I've been banging on about it for long enough , you'd think ) I got so sick of my customers repeatedly coming in the shop with the ' Gord , I hooked a big fish yeaterday but the line broke during the fight!' That I no longer stock fluorocarbon at all not anybodys !

This costs me sales but my customers catch more trout .

Braid isn't that bad but even I think trout might just see it .

If you can source me some 6lb clear in ordinary mono ( tho I think you'll have a job ! ) I'll try selling that - except like all braids ( and specifically due to the nature of shear force reactions - I warn you it will break around 4lb ! ) ( I used to run braiders btw ! )

Just use ordinary clear Bayer mono - cheap as chips I sell it

Best wishes

Steve P

It broke at the braided loop, so probably was the knot. My own fault for trying to play the fish on the drag on the reel, should have just done it by hand. I'll know next time.

That place is seriously addictive, and only marginally cheaper and less damaging than class A drugs. J

John, please please please leave the 12lb mono at home! you really don't need it. you said yourself that the line snapped while you had a bird's nest. had you been using 12lb test you'd probably have ripped the hook or straightened the line rather that snapping it, but you'd have had the same result. 12lb line is also thicker, leading to a far more heavy handed presentation, and you won't be able to get it through the eye of more delicate flies, and you can forget about buzzers. Stick with 6-8lb quality line, trust me you can EASILY land big fish with it. I've had a lot of trout over 18lb and never on more than 8lb line.

---------- Post added at 12:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:50 PM ----------


I look forward to fishing it with you one day! - BTW stick with fighting the fish off the reel, much more sensible on big fish than having coils lying around the place, and that's what the drag's for!

Someone hasn't seen my casting!

---------- Post added at 12:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:54 PM ----------

Looking forward to it too, someone's got to teach me how to catch there!

I thought exactly the same about the drag, just had it set a bit low when the fish took off! Looked like my first attempts with a multiplier.