Carp Fishing

Many anglers pay great attention to rigs, rods and so on, and perhaps do not attach as much importance as they should to line. It's all very nice having the best gear on the bank and the latest super rig, but if your line isn't up to the job then your tackle is worthless as you'll never land fish. You should always buy the best line you can for the type of fishing you do, as not all lines are the same and some are designed with a specific purpose in mind (for example long-distance low-diameter casting lines or thicker abrasion-resistant snag lines). There are two main types of line and these are braided and mono. In the main, most lines used today are nylon monofilament, but for extra strength and less stretch, braided lines have become popular. Nylon is a man-made substance and monofilament means 'one strand'.

Pre-Stretched Mono

Nylon line is by its nature very stretchy and therefore some people prefer a line that has had all the stretch taken out of it. This is done by pulling each end of the section of line by machine, thus making the line thinner and at the same time more brittle due to the lack of stretch. An example of a pre-stretched line is Drennan Double Strength. This is favored for ultra line-shy fish in clear waters or at some of the heavily pressured waters where the fish have become accustomed to angler's lines. It is also excellent for long-range casting as it flies through the rings a lot more easily, but we wouldn't use it for extreme range.

Unstretched Mono

The direct opposite of a pre-stretched line is line which has not been stretched at all. This is a bit thicker in diameter, and when a fish starts to pull the mono will stretch slightly. This has the plus point of acting as a shock absorber when playing fish. An example of such a line is Berkley Big Game, which is also a tough, abrasive line well recommended for using in snags.

Part-Stretched Mono

In between the two extremes mentioned above is part-stretched line. This has the advantage of being a bit thinner than the unstretched line but still retains a bit of the shock absorbing quality (an example is Sabreline). These lines are favored for all-round type carping and come in many different breaking strains.

Braided Lines

Braided lines have become a favorite in recent years for those anglers fishing amongst sunken tree roots such as on the big reservoirs. Such lines have no stretch whatsoever and are very good for long-range fishing as they enable anglers to be in direct control of fish. Our favorite braided line is that marketed by Rod Hutchinson Fishing Developments and known as Sabrebraid Dyneema.