Back in the day we fished with Zebco 202's and monofilament line, and we caught a respectable stringer of fish, not to mention a good time. But we missed a lot of fish, too by setting the hook and not getting a good catch on the fish. Cheap line twisted around the pole or birdnested coming out of the reel. But you know what they say “A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work”.
There has been some real technology in fishing line just like everything else. If you go shopping at the supercenter now you'll see several kinds of line but no explanation of why they are different. Let's start out by looking at the types of lines that have replaced good old monofilament fishing line.
The monofilament line we all grew up with is still a fine choice. If you have to fill a lot of reels, it's cheap. It's also quite transparent in clear water. It does have lots of stretch which can hurt you when setting the hook or feeling the bottom while fishing.
Braided line has zero stretch and is much thinner than mono. It's become popular lately because it's stronger, but if you want braided you should up the test you are used to. This way it won't take miles of line to fill your reel. Since it's more responsive you'll feel hits much easier. Fluorocarbon is dense, heavy and disappears under water. Because of the density you have less slack in the line. Fluorocarbon has less memory than monofilament. It tends to be straighter, so there's less line in the water between the angler and the lure. On the downside, at the end of a cast, fluorocarbon can continue to shoot off the reel, causing a bird's nest of line. Fluorocarbon is less stretchy; it feels more sensitive. Berkley makes a product called Nanofil that creates an even higher degree of sensitivity. It's like braided line, but not braided – it that makes any sense. Nanofil is ultra-thin. The 6-pound-test has a sewing-thread diameter of .005 inches, and the 12-pound-test is only slightly thicker at .008 inches. Friction of the line rubbing against itself causes it to fail if it is tied while dry, so spit on it before tying your knot. It just sails off a spinning reel, making it great for these Ozark streams.
So now let's take a look at the different breeds of fly line, because they can be confusing, too.
The main kinds of fly fishing line are Weight Forward, Double Taper and Level. For most applications in the Ozarks a Weight Forward line is best because it provides superior casting. There are also Floating, Sinking, and Sink-Tip. Within those types you have specific fly lines such as weight forward tapered floating lines with a special taper to allow more distance in your cast, sink-tip lines that only allow the front portion to sink below the surface, and sinking lines with a super fast sinking rate to reach those fish down deep in lakes and rivers.
When it comes to fly line there is an art and science to it. But then, that's what makes fly fisherpersons a special breed.
I never used a wire leader until I went north to fish, but it seems like up there most fish have teeth. If you'll be fishing for walleye or pike be sure to stock up on wire leader before you go.
Wire leaders help you get the fish in that would otherwise cut your line with their teeth. I got in a big pike that left the leader curled like a pigtail.
Fishing line isn't as simple as it used to be, but that's a good thing. More choices are always better.
