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Braid choice for hooklinks

Have a look at Guru N-Gauge supernatural Fluoro Mark . Its diameter is low and it's very strong .

As for Dennan braid floating I've never seen it floating ... I only use a couple of inches on a combi so no chance of that . On a gin clear Warks Avon I'd go Fluoro all the way 😎
 
My go to hooklength material .... jury is out on the acolyte Fluoro at the min as a lost a fish on the 10lb version .

The Gardner Fluoro is my No1 choice !!👍😎🎣
 

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Mark Evans 2 said:
Hi all,

What's everyone's choice for braid when it comes to hooklinks?

I've tried the following: Korda Supernatural in 25lb (18lb was out of stock) Korda Basix, Drennan Gravel braid, Korum micro braid.

The Supernatural seemed quite thick? And when cut it frays quite easy, the Gravel braid and Basix feel like that have a much tighter weave or some sort of a waxy coating? They cut really clean. Korum stuff I barely used.

What's your opinion on these if you have used them? What braids so you find sink the best but are still supple?

Would you consider a Tungsten coated braid even in clear water?

I like the idea of a mono hooklink for camouflage in clear water but I don't like the way a hook kicks off when used with a knot less kno, braid seems better.
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Have a look at the thread on combi links. Drennan Gravel braid is good and reliable. It is thin though I'm not convinced that's always a good idea where you have lots of rocks etc. The Bank tackle 15lb braid I have also used without problems and is thicker but supple in 15lb. Not the one that includes kevlar which is much stiffer.
 
The best Fluoro out there is probably still ‘Soft plus’.

It is reassuringly expensive; but it is very good stuff.

If, and that is a big if, I actually used it for barbel fishing I would start at 13lb and work up from there.
 
ESP Anchor braid is heavy / soft and supple . . . also like the Drennan Gravel braid when using smaller hooks as you can double it up for a quick mini hooklink change without struggling to get a whipping knot back through the eye . . .

Theres only one Fluro hooklink worth using IMO - Rigmarole CamH20 . . . shame they stopped producing it in 10lb but I have a large stash!
 
I have some of that Guru Supernatural mono in the tackle pouch.

Will be switching to just mono or Fluoro hooklinks, long lengths of braid I'm not confident are sitting tight to the bottom.
 
Tim Marks said:
The best Fluoro out there is probably still ‘Soft plus’.

It is reassuringly expensive; but it is very good stuff.

If, and that is a big if, I actually used it for barbel fishing I would start at 13lb and work up from there.
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Have you tried the seaguar grand max, better abrasion resistance and thinner for its breaking strain.
I used soft plus for years for match barbel fishing, but then tried the grand max and found it even better..
 
For me - the best is usually the cheapest. Anything coated braid 15lb or more is fine, as long as it's not too stiff. A little tungsten will pin it down sufficiently.
 
By far my favourite coated braid for barbel is the Gardner ultra skin super soft. I haven’t bought the esp stuff for years but never found it sat as smoothly as I would have liked, without steaming anyway. It does seem very popular though. I also like the Thinking Anglers tungskin but it only comes in black.

Uncoated braid I don’t seem to use very often anymore as I had a few hook links go on bedrock. I tend to just use mainline or some sort of Seaguar if not using the coated braid. If I was fishing somewhere more benign again then I’d use any old uncoated braid, I did like the Gardner trickster heavy though.
 
Quite an interesting thread lads... for combilinks I have for a few years used Korda supernatural in 18 and 25lb. Knots really well and very smooth when tightening up. I have always used Sunline FC Sniper in 20lb to attach my braid combilink to 0.37mm. I always cover the knot in tungsten tubing as imo will help turning the hook.
As an upgrade to this i have started to use korda fluorocarbon boom in 20lb, I attach my 4inch braid hooklink to an ESP Ronnie clip which is attached via a crimp to my leader, which is 2 to 4ft long. It's now so much easier it i get a burred hook etc, just pull back the Ronnie clip and fit another 4 inch hooklink on. The FC boom is quite stiff and very abrasive resistant and imo a bit of a jump ahead.
 

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Mark Evans 2 said:
I have some of that Guru Supernatural mono in the tackle pouch.

Will be switching to just mono or Fluoro hooklinks, long lengths of braid I'm not confident are sitting tight to the bottom.
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Mark,

Just some food for though with fluorocarbon. Watching barbel feeding they nose through weed, sticks, reeds, without a care, I believe this is because they can see it and its natural to the environment. Watch a barbel catch a flourcarbon rig line (or mainline) and more often than not they spook. Imagine how you would react when someone in front of you, that you can see, taps you on the shoulder? Then image how you react if someone behind you that you do not know is there, taps you on the shoulder? From my years on the Warks Avon I can safely say I've caught more barbel on 15lb Drennan carp dacron, which is a thick brown monstrosity of a braid compared to the current offerings, than I have on any other material, including mono's, flouro's and combi's. That said because I generally back lead at least 2ft behind my lead which is a pallatrax stonze, and use 18"-2ft of braid as a hook length, I'm in effect using a 4ft combi rig???? Obviously I've not conducted some sort of rigorous study into this, its just thoughts based on information and experience relating to summer Avon conditions.
 
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