Coated Braid Hooklinks.

[John Cook]

Hi Everyone,

Any of you using a coated braid for your hooklink? Whats the advantages of them please and what one would you reccomend? Was looking at that Gardner Target Speciskin range? Your thoughts and advice please...

 

[John Walker]

hi john, i use either the korda range or stealthskin which is my favourite on the right coloured bottom or weedy stretches as its imo a real life weedy green and also a lot thinner than most coated braids, all have good knot strength too

 

[Luke Agacy]

John. As per another recent thread on here .......

Korda N-Trap or Fox Camotex.

Strip the last inch or so before the hook to allow it move move more naturally.

Myself and a couple of mates have been trying different hook-length materials whilst fishing the Loddon and have found that coated braid is picking up more fish than fluoro or uncoated. I think it helps to stop tangles, helps the hook-length to fall between any streamer weed and generally pins the line down better.

This is all in my opinion of course and could be coincidence, but over the last couple of seasons the coated braid has picked us up more fish.

 

[Peter Robinson]

I'm in my 5th season using coated braid, for the reasons previously stated together with the added protection of the hooklink when fishing rocky venues, which I mainly do. Again, I strip back sufficient coating to allow a hinged presentation, and have favoured Atomic Jellywire for the last few years as have found it to be thinner than other brands I've used, which makes hair rigging a smaller hook using this material, much easier, or in some cases, possible.

 

[Derek Funcks]

John. As per another recent thread on here .......

Korda N-Trap or Fox Camotex.

Strip the last inch or so before the hook to allow it move move more naturally.

Myself and a couple of mates have been trying different hook-length materials whilst fishing the Loddon and have found that coated braid is picking up more fish than fluoro or uncoated. I think it helps to stop tangles, helps the hook-length to fall between any streamer weed and generally pins the line down better.

This is all in my opinion of course and could be coincidence, but over the last couple of seasons the coated braid has picked us up more fish.

Hi Luke, as someone who's never tried using coated braid as a hooklink, and sometimes struggled to get mono twice through the eye of the hook. How do you get coated braid through twice ( which i assume would be thicker, or is that just me ) to create a knotless knot hair rig ?

 

[Peter Robinson]

Hi Derek,
The twice through the eye difficulty is the reason I've stuck with Jellywire over the last few seasons due to its thinness. However to get the hinged rig effect, I strip off enough coating to tie the knotless knot, so that both coated and uncoated pass through the eye of the hook. Most of my baits are superglued so don't have the bother of tying a hair loop.

 

[Stuart Prescott]

Got this last week



First impressions are very good , for 20lb it's very very limp and soft , absolutely no springiness off the spool

Abrasion resistance has yet to be tested but so far so good

 

[Keith Rimington]

Hi Luke, as someone who's never tried using coated braid as a hooklink, and sometimes struggled to get mono twice through the eye of the hook. How do you get coated braid through twice ( which i assume would be thicker, or is that just me ) to create a knotless knot hair rig ?

Strip back six inches of the braided hook length tie a loop for the hair then continue with the knot less knot, this works well for me using 10s and 12s

 

[Mike Thompson]

Sorry perhaps I am out of touch. I believed coated braids were designed to fool crafty carp on clean lake beds, when they were wary of normal bait presentations. These fish are often captured several times a season and learn to be cautious.
Surely this is not generally the case with barbel or river fish in general.
My concern is getting snagged and breaking the main line, leaving a fish attached to hook, heavy braid and link. I know with barbless hooks it may get rid of the rig, but I do not like the thought of potentially tethering a fish to a slow death.
Hence I use hook lengths of lower breaking strain.
Your thoughts gents ?
Mike

 

[Mike Hodgkiss]

In my view , unless you are trying to catch spooky fish in very clear conditions using this , or any other fancy hook length, is not really required , simple is best with barbel , they aren't exactly hard to catch once you have found them , indeed finding them is the hardest bit

 

[Mark Gaskell]

good gear

been using that for months stu think its very good does what it says

 

[Luke Agacy]

Hi Luke, as someone who's never tried using coated braid as a hooklink, and sometimes struggled to get mono twice through the eye of the hook. How do you get coated braid through twice ( which i assume would be thicker, or is that just me ) to create a knotless knot hair rig ?

I suppose it depends on the hook itself - some have a larger diameter eye than others and of course the larger the hook - the larger the eye. I usually use a size 8 Korda hook and have never had a problem getting the coated section through the eye twice, sometimes even with a size 10. Cutting the coated braid at an angle makes it easier to get through too.

 

[Stephen Whyte]

I have never used coated braid for hooklinks but i have used standard braid (usually gardener). I always like to think i keep an open mind with new idea's but was wondering how do you remove the coating from braid without damaging the actual braid if you know what i mean? I'm thinking along the lines of, when you cut the coating to tie your knot and leave a hinged effect, how do you do this without nicking the braid and leaving say a 20lb braid that may end up 12lb for example? Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

Stephen

Sorry, a long winded way of asking how do you cut the coating without damaging the braid

 

[Neil Smart]

In my view , unless you are trying to catch spooky fish in very clear conditions using this , or any other fancy hook length, is not really required , simple is best with barbel , they aren't exactly hard to catch once you have found them , indeed finding them is the hardest bit

Wise words Mike, wise words.

 

[Dave Taylor]

I

Sorry, a long winded way of asking how do you cut the coating without damaging the braid

I bet there are better methods of stripping the coating off Stephen,...but I just start it with my finger nails and use a small pair of smooth long nosed pliers to strip around 6" off.
I only use it if I'm fishing a snaggy swim with a few boulders and rocks in.
I prefer "gravel sink braids" for most of my fishing,.. and if I need to use an even more subtle braid I pass the hook length through some " drop 'em" except for the last inch near the hook.
Never had a coated hook link fail on me yet,...asking for trouble now !

 

[Luke Agacy]

Use a braid stripper tool. Several companies do one....

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjmq_LZsIfOAhVMK8AKHWIGBHEQtwIIMTAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D5SMlXQ9mFOc&usg=AFQjCNFJ816YW_h9pJqvYd2quymVj7ZzVw&sig2=WNOedCmm4G1AqiDl5YwtUQ&bvm=bv.127521224,d.ZGg]

The idea is to strip 6 inches or so of the coating first, tie your loop for the hair (in the uncoated end), and then tie your knotless knot as usual and hope that you have "judged it" right and have around an inch or so of the uncoated part left above the eye of the hook to act as a hinge and help the bait and, more importantly the hook, move around easily in the mouth where it will hopefully stick in somewhere.

It's trial and error really and how much you initially strip back will depend on the length that you want the hair and the size of the hook.

Well that's my take on it anyway......

 

[David Gauntlett]

In my view , unless you are trying to catch spooky fish in very clear conditions using this , or any other fancy hook length, is not really required , simple is best with barbel , they aren't exactly hard to catch once you have found them , indeed finding them is the hardest bit

As usual, I agree in many ways with your thoughts Mike. However, I would make the point that unless you are fishing water which is clear and/or shallow enough to see the fish, then the only way you will ever know if you've 'found' them or not....is if you catch one. That being so, you will never actually be certain whether or not you would have caught sooner, or more than you did, or suffered less blanks, if you had used the new fangled stuff

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Stephen Whyte]

Thanks for your reply's guy's. I like the little tool that takes the coating off and for about £5, might be worth buying if i decide to try the stuff.

Thanks

Stephen

 

[John Newman]

Another vote for Gardner Target Speciskin. It comes in 10lb BS so I match that with 12lb mainline meaning the hooklength is the weakest link. As above strip back 6-8ins with your finger nail, tie loop and knotless knot cut to length and finish other end with a figure of eight loop. The Gardner Target Specimen books are well suited are very strong and even a size 12 had a big enough eye.

 

[Stuart Prescott]

double post