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Home > Take Me Fishing Blog > March 2021 > There Are Many Benefits to Using Braided Fishing Line
The term “braided fishing line” (or simply “braided line”) refers to a modern product made from woven synthetic material and which has great strength with low diameter. They were first called “superlines” because they came from incredibly strong yet thin gel-spun polyethylene fibers. A century or more ago there were braided fishing lines made from woven cotton or linen; they were bulky, hard to use, deteriorated easily, and immediately became virtual relics when nylon fishing line was introduced. The latter were called monofilament (single strand), as opposed to the multi-filament construction of braided fishing lines.
These lines are far thinner than other comparable-strength monofilament lines.
Braided fishing lines have little to no stretch, unlike monofilament lines, which can vary significantly in the amount of stretch that occurs under severe pressure.
These fishing lines are supple, not wiry, and don’t have retained memory like nylon products.
A one-time monofilament-only line user, I now do roughly 70 percent of my fishing with braided fishing lines because of the benefits noted. There are some minor drawbacks (they’re more expensive, harder to cut, may produce wind knots, and are prone to rod-tip fouling), and types of fishing where other lines are more appropriate. Nevertheless, braided fishing lines do help anglers be more productive.
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Ken Schultz was a longtime staff writer for Field & Stream magazine and is the former Fishing Editor of ESPNoutdoors.com. He’s written and photographed nineteen books on sportfishing topics, plus an annual fishing tips calendar, and his writing has appeared on various websites for more than two decades. His author website is kenschultz.com
The largemouth bass is the most popular freshwater game fish in the U.S. Learn more about how you can identify a largemouth bass, where to catch it and what bait and lures to use.
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