• You need to be a registered member of Barbel Fishing World to post on these forums. Some of the forums are hidden from non-members. Please refer to the instructions on the ‘Register’ page for details of how to join the new incarnation of BFW...

What reel line should i use?

I

Iain Clark

Member
Hi, I want to put some new line on my reels and wondered what you guys would recommend, I'm looking for 8-10lb and recently tried 10lb Drennan supplex and am not happy with it to be honest its had little use and full of kinks and doesn't feel or look right at all. I have ordered some Diawa Tournament ST at 8lb and am going to give that a go when it arrives. what other lines should i be looking into for barbel?

Also what are the advantages of low stretch and high stretch line as i see the vary from 10% up to 35% and im a little confused, are some better in certain situations or is it just a personal preferance

Thanks
 
Hello Iain - Line is very much a personal choice. I use different manufacturers lines for pole, running line float, and feeder fishing. Over the years, like most anglers, I've used a vast array of different kinds of line. For barbel fishing I currently use Ultima Power Plus in 10 and 12lb and am very happy with it. I can guarantee that anglers answering your query will inform you of their particular favourite lines and at the end of the day, it's you who will have to decide what suits your needs - I can also guarantee that several years on, you will no doubt be using a different line. Low stretch, high tech lines are in my opinion not suitable for barbel fishing. I've lost count of anglers that I speak to who have been snapped off using such lines - they just won't withstand the shock loads that barbel can apply. Preston Powerline is one that I see some anglers using and losing lots of barbel. That's not to say that it's bad line though - I use it on all my pole rigs, it's perfect when used in conjunction with elastic.
 
Pretty good post Roger.
I'm pretty sure that Supplex is meant more as a Match Style line and aimed at float fishing ? Although I could be getting confused with another line.
For Barbel fishing mainline, go for something tough and 'Traditional Monos' tend to suit this category better.
My personal favourite is Berkeley Big Game Clear in 10lbs BS. You can get it in 8lbs, but tends to be hard to come by. It's tough as old boots and tbh I've used pretty much nothing else for Barbel fishing for the last 8-10 years.
You will get a million answers as everyone has their own personal fave and style of fishing.
 
GT80 / GR60 from Gardener or Adrena-Lline from Korda.

All tough and good. The fact that the Korda line is variated browns in colour is good on gravel / silt bottoms.

Graham
 
Big Game clear 10lb - cheap as chips on a bulk spool, breaks at 12-13lb and tough as old boots (.28mm I believe)
 
12lb Sensor for me. You can't prat about with big barbel at this time of year with a line that you don't know about. I know that 12lb Sensor, knotted, breaks at 17lb.
 
I've used Korda Subline for a couple of seasons with no issues. I would be interested to hear opinions on this line as I've got to re-spool some reels for winter and am thinking of using Sensor instead (it's a lot cheaper and has a lot of fans)
 
another vote for gr60 put onto it by someone on here who was on next swim on the trent cheers Phil
 
Thanks for the input guys Im going to try the Big game clear at 10lb and have also ordered some 8lb from the US.

I think the problem I had with the Drennan supplex is from fishing close to snags, I hooked into one and had to walk up the bank to break free and when i eventually got out of the snag the line didn't return to normal and was kinked, guess this would be a big problem with high stretch lines like maxima, supplex etc if im fishing in snaggy swims
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top