Recommend me a line for the tidal Trent.

[Graham Elliott]

I prefer the GT80 to the GR60 in 12lb on the non tidal and the River Wye and Severn but on the Trent you need something tough. I find it slightly less springy.
It does the job. Both are a bit springy but you get use to it easy enough and a benefit can be less hook pulls than a lost stretch line.

The Addrena line has a multi brown fleck and is also very good and tough. I use it sometimes on the WA when over gravel.

 

[Dave Brooksbank]

Two seasons ago switched from Green GR60 to White to take advantage of the higher breaking strain for the same diameter.

 

[Richard Isaacs]

The maxima chameleon in 6lb BS was the ultimate chub fishing line. Great stuff it is.
now it certainly has the properties for a great barbel line but for one reason or another it was never popular with carp anglers.
whether we like to hear it or not as barbel anglers most of us follow the carp fishing trend with tackle.
main lines are no exception to this. If it’s on a bulk spool and popular among the carp boys then it’s going to spark the attention of the barbel guys. Maxima never gets much of a look in but in reality it’s probably perfect for the job.

 

[Steve Walker]

ESP synchro XT in 15lb as standard - been reliable for me both on the river & still waters for the carp. It's very tough, good diameter and does not lose strength via a well tied knot.

And another vote for ESP synchro XT in 15lb

 

[Simon Archer]

The maxima chameleon in 6lb BS was the ultimate chub fishing line. Great stuff it is.
now it certainly has the properties for a great barbel line but for one reason or another it was never popular with carp anglers.
whether we like to hear it or not as barbel anglers most of us follow the carp fishing trend with tackle.
main lines are no exception to this. If it’s on a bulk spool and popular among the carp boys then it’s going to spark the attention of the barbel guys. Maxima never gets much of a look in but in reality it’s probably perfect for the job.

Interestingly, there is a thread over on the Carp Forum at this moment about main line. Most peoples favorite.......GR60.

 

[Paul Richardson]

I’ve always been a big game fan and still am but I really rate the daiwa sensor for chub and barbel fishing
The 15lb is incredibly strong and even with more powerful rods and very tight clutches I have more confidence in this line that any other to hang on, trust it and let the rod so it’s work

 

[Richard Isaacs]

Interestingly, there is a thread over on the Carp Forum at this moment about main line. Most peoples favorite.......GR60.

Yep. Doesn’t surprise me. And it’s probably the most popular barbel line too.
In fairness it’s proven itself in specimen fishing probably more so then any other main line in recent times and it’s as tough as they come. Berkley big game is another. That stuff could pull trees out the floor for it’s given breaking strain but again the trade off is it’s not as supple. I like the fox Exocet because it presents itself well and has very little cast or helix memory. Just need to step up the breaking strain on more supple lower diameter lines to ensure you get the strength and abrasion resistance you need. Barbel ain’t known to be tackle shy so there is no need to worry about low diameters and sensitive rigs. Present a bait well on strong, reliable, proven gear and they’ll have it.

 

[Simon Kitcher]

This is a useful reference regarding line choices in various applications.

 

[Terry Simner]

Going by above table the Gardner GT in 15lbs (@14.3lb) is weaker than their GT in 12lbs (@15.29lb) !!

....and take note of the braid breaking strains and diameters. Look at the much vaunted PowerPro! They mirror what I've previously found. Scary stuff, braid-wise.

 

[Dave Brooksbank]

This is a useful reference regarding line choices in various applications.

Years old
Be Great if it was Updated.

 

[Simon Kitcher]

A couple more reference guides. The mono test focuses primarily on game fishing, but Maxima and Stroft (a brand I use for fly fishing and can recommend) are tested. The braid test provides a useful addition to the Tackle Box test.

 

[Richard Parsons]

Going by above table the Gardner GT in 15lbs (@14.3lb) is weaker than their GT in 12lbs (@15.29lb) !!

....and take note of the braid breaking strains and diameters. Look at the much vaunted PowerPro! They mirror what I've previously found. Scary stuff, braid-wise.

Only one version of power-pro is tested, Terry (66lb). And no tests on the super slik. Look at the comparative breaking strain of braid, for diameter, against mono. Quite a bit higher. I agree that the stated bs is far less accurate than that with mono, however.

 

[Terry Simner]

Only one version of power-pro is tested, Terry (66lb). And no tests on the super slik. Look at the comparative breaking strain of braid, for diameter, against mono. Quite a bit higher. I agree that the stated bs is far less accurate than that with mono, however.

I agree Richard, but I'd suggest that anyone using braid should physically check its breaking strain. Quoted diameter can be way off, and so can breaking strain.
Re. breaking strain of braid vs mono/fluoro ... any comparison here is complicated by the issue of knot strength, which is much less of a factor with braid, as braid doesn't crimp in the way mono/fluoro is apt to do.

 

[Simon Archer]

Not long after I started Barbel fishing, I lost a couple of fish to Braid hooklengths breaking. It snapped in the middle of the length, not at either knotted end. It was 15lbs Fox braid. I did a little basic test at home with it later, and it broke at 7lbs. I repeated the test, and it was the same result.

I tested all the hooklengths I was using at the time, Korda, Kryston, Drennan, and most were as stated. The Fox braid got binned. The Drennan Double strength stretched a long way before it broke, but didn't break below it's stated BS.

 

[Terry Simner]

Not long after I started Barbel fishing, I lost a couple of fish to Braid hooklengths breaking. It snapped in the middle of the length, not at either knotted end. It was 15lbs Fox braid. I did a little basic test at home with it later, and it broke at 7lbs. I repeated the test, and it was the same result.

I tested all the hooklengths I was using at the time, Korda, Kryston, Drennan, and most were as stated. The Fox braid got binned. The Drennan Double strength stretched a long way before it broke, but didn't break below it's stated BS.

Appears we've had similar experiences Simon. The obvious conclusion to jump to re. your braid snapping between knots is that that is where it was abraded, but from testing the strength of braid I've found that, without any abrasion at all, it will snap anywhere along its length. Surprisingly it actually appears more likely to break between knots than at knots, which is the opposite to what usually happens with mono/fluoro.
Re. 'Double strength' line ... this type of line is (almost) invariably 'pre-stretched', so its diameter becomes lower for its breaking strain (so they call it 'stronger'). Whilst its breaking strain for diameter may seem great, its 'snap resistance' will be much less than line that hasn't been pre-stretched. That is, pre-stretched line cannot withstand 'shock' as well as normal line, as it has no 'give' (there's no 'cushioning effect') ... but 'shock resistance' is virtually impossible for us to measure. Unfortunately, we just find out about the shortcoming of pre-stretched line when we're on the bank.
So pre-stretched is great for hook-lengths, for not so good as a main line (IMO). I suppose the worst possible combination would be : braid mainline and pre-stretched hooklength, as there'd be very little stretch in that system.

 

[Simon Kitcher]

This is an interesting article, providing a thorough description of the methods and mechanics of how the lines (mono) are tested. All useful stuff.

 

[Simon Archer]

Appears we've had similar experiences Simon. The obvious conclusion to jump to re. your braid snapping between knots is that that is where it was abraded, but from testing the strength of braid I've found that, without any abrasion at all, it will snap anywhere along its length. Surprisingly it actually appears more likely to break between knots than at knots, which is the opposite to what usually happens with mono/fluoro.
Re. 'Double strength' line ... this type of line is (almost) invariably 'pre-stretched', so its diameter becomes lower for its breaking strain (so they call it 'stronger'). Whilst its breaking strain for diameter may seem great, its 'snap resistance' will be much less than line that hasn't been pre-stretched. That is, pre-stretched line cannot withstand 'shock' as well as normal line, as it has no 'give' (there's no 'cushioning effect') ... but 'shock resistance' is virtually impossible for us to measure. Unfortunately, we just find out about the shortcoming of pre-stretched line when we're on the bank.
So pre-stretched is great for hook-lengths, for not so good as a main line (IMO). I suppose the worst possible combination would be : braid mainline and pre-stretched hooklength, as there'd be very little stretch in that system.

No abrasion on the hooklength Terry, first thing I looked for, and I didn't feel anything either. The braid just went mid-length as the fish went on a run. I thought it could have been cut on a snag so gave it another go, after losing a second fish, I chucked it away.

I've only ever used braid as a mainline when I'm distance Bream fishing and then I use a mono shockleader. I also find "Pre-stretched" hooklengths twist up badly when reeling in from a distance, even with a small swivel attached. So I tend to use "Normal" mono hooklenghts and mount any Maggots I'm using back to back.

 

[Steven Hodges]

I have tried all the main lines in the past with different success and have been let down by some of those previously mentioned so like everyone we all have our favourites. The reel line I have used for the last 2 years is Varivas Sport green in 15 & 18 lbs BS available from VEALS Mail Order: https://www.veals.co.uk/acatalog/varivas-sport-503.html#SID=119 . For hooklengths I use Amnesia clear in 12 & 15 lbs BS which is a memory free line: https://www.veals.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh0...nset-amnesia-memory-free-line-1421.html#SID=9 . Both are tough lines and have never let me down.

 

[Jason Murray]

Years old
Be Great if it was Updated.

Last updated 5-02-2021 Dave

 

[Jon Young]

Are there any options on line colour? I use clear line in the hope that it is less visible to the fish. Do any of you use coloured lines and think that it makes no difference?

I used to use red line after picking some red ice up from a fishing show once and really liked it to be fair. The only reason I stopped using it was cause I couldn’t get the size I wanted when I needed a new spool so opted for gr60. It never affected catch rate and I liked the fact that it was easier to see where your line was going into the water as the light started to fade