Monofilament fishing line

Monofilament line is a thin string made from a single fiber. Most fishing line is made from monofilament because of its strength, availability in all pound-test kinds, and low cost. It also comes in many different colors such as white, green, blue, clear, and fluorescent. Monofilament is made by melting and mixing polymers and then extruding through tiny holes, forming strands of line, which is then spun into spools of various thicknesses. The extrusion process controls not only the thickness of the line but also the pound test of the line.

Monofilament is not advisable for deepwater fishing since it can absorb water resulting in loose knots, and its sensitivity can decrease when it is wet. Monofilament degrades with time and can weaken when exposed to heat and sunlight. When stored on a spool for a long time, it may come off the fishing reel in coils or loops. It is advisable to change monofilament line at regular intervals to prevent degradation.

Monofilament is also used in medicine to test the sense of touch. It can be used in jewelry making to create 'floating' or 'illusion' beaded necklaces. Because it is difficult to see, it has often been used in movies for special effects where objects need to look like they are floating in thin air.

Discarded monofilament lines can present serious environmental problems. These lines are extremely difficult to spot when submerged in water, and fish, birds, and other marine life can easily become entangled. Monofilament lines also present a risk to swimmers and scuba divers.

History

DuPont made public in 1938 that their company had invented nylon. This new invention was the first synthetic fiber, fabrics that are commonly used in textiles today. In 1939, DuPont began marketing nylon monofilament fishing lines; however, braided Dacron lines remained the most used and popular fishing line for the next two decades, as early monofilament line was very stiff or "wiry", and difficult to handle and cast. Its two saving graces - good knot strength and very low visibility to the fish - gave it a small but loyal following, and then in 1959 DuPont introduced Stren, a thinner and much softer monofilament line that could be used in a large range of reels, including newly introduced spinning and spin casting tackle. Stren's monofilament lines soon became a favorite with many fishermen because of its overall ease of use and it spawned a whole host of imitators.

New materials, e.g. Spectra or Dyneema, are finding growing usage as fishing lines. Polyvinylidene fluoride sold as fluorocarbon is very much like nylon monofilament, but has several advantages. Optical density is lower which makes the line less easily discernable. The surface is harder so it is more resistant to sharp fish teeth and wear. Furthermore PVDF doesn't take up water and it is resistant to UV-light. It is denser than nylon too which makes it sink faster and it will not float on the water surface.

Dyneema is also becoming very popular and it is much stronger but it is mostly used as a braided line. Because the elastic stretching is only a fraction of that of nylon monofilament the contact with fish or bait is more direct. It is often used for deep water fishing from boats because lower diameters are used which give less resistance to currents and the low stretch makes bites easily detectable.

See also

• Braided line
• Multifilament line
• Ghost net

External links

• Line Test Compares most of the major brands of Nylon Monofilament fishing line available in the United States.
• MRRP Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program