Braid advice and which knots to use?

[Mike Hodgkiss]

Jon just fish straight through with some decent nylon monofilament, then you only have one knot to think about ,namely the one holding your hook on .I would suggest grinner knot but make sure you lubricate the knot [ saliva] and pull together gently .As this thread illustrates using braid is too much faf in my opinion

 

[Paul Collins]

Thanks Derek I think . I'll leave the home made float bit then for a bit.
I thought it was fairly simple what knot and braid recommendation. Yeah John using through action rods 2lb barbel

Home made float. perfect for that method.
1, buy 1 or more Peacock feathers.
2, pull off the pretty fluffy bits.
3, cut off a suitable length and diameter.
4, attach float rubber to bottom end on line.
5, check float loading to suit.
6. fish.

As a rough guide 6" of quill supports 1 possibly 2 swanshot, depending on thickness. Cut shorter or longer lengths to suit your situation.
Natural quill, no treatment necessary, colour whiteish.

 

[Jon Kennard]

Paul awesome thank you. Already got a job lot of stripped peacock quill. The question I have is if I leave the ends cut will water not get in a ruin the quill? Do I not need to seal ends? Got loads of vanishes from fly tying around. Thanks j

 

[Chris Jones]

Jon, I'm not entirely convinced that your rationale for using braid is entirely valid anyway. Using the increased breaking strain (yet retaining minimal diameter) is all well and good. However, if this is just to facilitate applying more pressure to keep fish away from snags, it might not work quite the way you anticipate. Sometimes you just have to accept that a swim is just too snaggy to extract a fish safely or without inflicting mouth damage (or worse). My own use of braid in certain circumstances suggests to me that you may actually experience more hook pulls, even when applying no greater pressure on the fish. I found that I ended up using different rods when using braid. That was easier than trying to modify an ingrained playing style.

There are a few reasons where I will consider the use of braid mainline.
A) Trotting. Braid floating like a top is the big advantage here. The lack of stretch also allows an elevated level of control and feel. The downsides are twofold. Without using an excessive breaking strain, braid can be too light to deal with wind well. You also have the problem of some rods (that are otherwise fine) feeling awful with braid. The wrong action will see more bumped fish than you'd experience with mono.

B) Big river legering. The fine diameter compared to breaking strain can allow longer casts. Lighter leads can also be used yet still hold bottom. The significant downside is on rocky rivers. Braid generally offers poor abrasion resistance compared to the mono it may be substituted for. Going for a much higher breaking strain may limit the problem, but eventually you negate the diameter advantage by doing so.

C) Long distance stillwater legering. Braid can offer increased casting distance and improved bite detection at range.

D) Carping on weedy venues. On large weedy (but not snaggy) venues, braid can cut through the softer weed types.

E) Spod and Marker work.

F) Lure fishing. Not something I do much, but the lack of stretch in braid is a distinct advantage.

I have used braid for all of those in the past. However, the reality is that I have stripped it off the majority of my reels. It's still on a spod/marker reel, a couple of big river barbel reels/mini big pit reels and on a trotting reel. None of them have seen any use in at least a year.

 

[Paul Collins]

Paul awesome thank you. Already got a job lot of stripped peacock quill. The question I have is if I leave the ends cut will water not get in a ruin the quill? Do I not need to seal ends? Got loads of vanishes from fly tying around. Thanks j

No need to seal the ends at all. It's a sort of closed cell material, like Ethafoam used in making booby nymphs.
With reference to the above post and your wanting to keep fish out of snags it's the non stretch properties that I find so beneficial with braid. Nylon will stretch roughly 10%, possibly more and even with only 30' of line out that 3' of stretch can easily be the difference between a snagged fish and a landed fish.
Incidentally I can understand wanting to use nylon from the float down to the weights, from a visibility point of view, don't be concerned, the fish don't mind the braid, I use it trotting and laying on and catch plenty. Bulk shot above the swivel, dropper shots on the hooklink. For Barbel I often use a shortish hooklink, 6-8" with a feeder running down to the hooklink, bright yellow braid. It may help by being so visible that the Barbel can see it easily so don't spook off it when they're surprised by touching it.

 

[Jon Kennard]

Thanks Chris that's some great advice. On reflection I think the low angle of the rod die to the nature of the bushes and swim hasn't helped. I'd like to give the braid a go anyway even if touch leggering.
Thanks Paul got loads of peacock quill stripped and at the ready. Can't wait to catch on my own float. Love this sport of ours

 

[Jon Kennard]

Thought I'd just put closure on this post. The pictures do iy no justice an absolutely stunning ghost went like an express train. Braid with home made float

 

[Alex Dalton]

Single grinner with a good swivel, use the smaller sea fishing ones for strength .