Monofilament fishing line

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A tangle of monofilament fishing line. The most common colorless variety can be seen. Filet de peche DSC00632.JPG
A tangle of monofilament fishing line. The most common colorless variety can be seen.

Monofilament fishing line (shortened to just mono) is fishing line made from a single fiber of plastic material, as opposed to multifilament or braided fishing lines constructed from multiple strands of fibers. Most fishing lines are now nylon monofilament because they are cheap to manufacture and can be produced in a range of diameters which have different tensile strengths (called "tests" after the process of tensile testing, or possibly as a portmanteau of "tensile" and "strength"). Monofilament line is also available in different colors, such as clear, white, green, blue, red, and fluorescent.

Contents

Monofilament is made by melting and mixing polymers and then extruding the mixture 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 its test as well.

History

DuPont made public in 1938 that their company had invented nylon. [1] This new invention was the first synthetic fiber, fabrics that are commonly used in textiles today. [2] 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. Early monofilament did, however, have good knot strength and very low visibility to the fish, creating a small loyal following among fishermen. 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 (also sold as fluorocarbon or PVDF) is very much like nylon monofilament, but has several advantages. Optical density is lower, which makes the line less easily discernible. The surface is harder so it is more resistant to sharp fish teeth and wear. Furthermore, PVDF does not take up water and it is resistant to UV-light. It is denser than nylon, too, which makes it sink faster.

Dyneema is also becoming very popular and it is much stronger, but it is used mostly as a braided fishing 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.

Specialty lines

Fluorocarbon line

Some modern monofilament lines are made from polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), a fluoropolymer often marketed as fluorocarbon. Fluorocarbon lines or "fluoro lines" are valued for their similar refractive index to that of water, making it less visible to fish, which may not swallow the bait if it sees the line. Fluorocarbon lines have greater surface hardness than nylon lines and are more abrasion-resistant against underwater rocks and snags, yet are more shock-resilient than braided lines when fighting fish, thus making them ideal to use as leader lines especially when the mainline is braided. They also have less memory, stretch and moisture expansion than nylon lines, making it easier to keep the line taut and transmit vibrations, which is essential in lure fishing where the angler is very reliant on tactile sensitivity. PVDF is also a denser material and therefore not nearly as buoyant as nylon monofilament, and anglers often utilize fluorocarbon lines when they need lighter baits/lures to sink more quickly and stay deeper below the surface without using heavy sinkers.

Copolymer line

A newer type of modern monofilament lines are composite lines that are fused from at least two different substrates via a process known as copolymerization. Most copolymer lines are nylon-based polymer blends fusing a blend of nylon with another higher-density one, although recently "tripolymer" lines that fuse three different blends of nylon have also appeared on the market. Compared to conventional single-blend ("plain") monofilament lines, copolymer lines have much higher test weight (strength) especially for small diameters, have less stretch, and are more abrasion-resistant. They are stronger than fluorocarbon lines per diameter but also less rigid, which makes them more shock-resilient and knot-friendly, although also more susceptible to wind-knotting (random entanglement of loose line loops). Like plain monofilament lines, copolymer lines tend to sink slowly in water, and are better suited for lure fishing near the surface (e.g. dry fly fishing).

Some copolymer lines are additionally coated with fluoropolymer (trademarked as "FluoroKote") to give more fluorocarbon-like surface property and to change the refractive index, as well as to also allow faster sinking as the added fluoropolymers are generally denser than nylon.

Use

Monofilament fishing line is used in a huge variety of fishing applications.

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, sunlight, and/or saltwater. 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 the monofilament line at regular intervals to prevent degradation. [3]

Non-fishing uses

Monofilament fishing line is sometimes used in medicine as a pricking tool to examine the dermatomal fine touch. [4]

The transparency of monofilament fishing line makes it desirable for special effects where objects need to look like they are floating unsupported. [5]

It has also been used for string trimmers, musical instrument strings, sewing thread and bent in the shape of a staple for use as a septum piercing retainer.

Environmental impact

A bird entangled in monofilament line. It appears as though some of the line may have been ingested. Sterna maxima and fishing line 2.jpg
A bird entangled in monofilament line. It appears as though some of the line may have been ingested.

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, causing starvation, amputation, and death. Ingestion is also a serious threat to wildlife. Monofilament lines also present a risk to swimmers and scuba divers. The breakdown of lines, especially in string trimmers, leads to microplastics which may cause starvation or poisoning of organisms in soil or water.

For these reasons, programs have been started to recycle fishing line, to keep it out of the environment. Specialized containers have been designed to collect fishing line for recycling.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing line</span> String or line intended for angling

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thermoplastic</span> Plastic that softens with heat and hardens on cooling

A thermoplastic, or thermosoftening plastic, is any plastic polymer material that becomes pliable or moldable at a certain elevated temperature and solidifies upon cooling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fly fishing</span> Angling technique

Fly fishing is an angling technique that uses an ultra-lightweight lure called an artificial fly, which typically mimics small invertebrates such as flying and aquatic insects to attract and catch fish. Because the mass of the fly lure is insufficient to overcome air resistance, it cannot be launched far using conventional gears and techniques, so specialized tackles are used instead and the casting techniques are significantly different from other forms of angling. It is also very common for the angler to wear waders, carry a hand net, and stand in the water when fishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rope</span> Length of braided strands

A rope is a group of yarns, plies, fibres, or strands that are twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have tensile strength and so can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger than similarly constructed cord, string, and twine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Webbing</span> Strong fabric woven as a flat strip or tube used instead of rope

Webbing is a strong fabric woven as a flat strip or tube of varying width and fibres, often used in place of rope. It is a versatile component used in climbing, slacklining, furniture manufacturing, automobile safety, auto racing, towing, parachuting, military apparel, load securing, and many other fields.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polyvinylidene fluoride</span> Non-reactive thermoplastic fluoropolymer

Polyvinylidene fluoride or polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) is a highly non-reactive thermoplastic fluoropolymer produced by the polymerization of vinylidene difluoride. Its chemical formula is (C2H2F2)n.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing net</span> Net used for fishing

A fishing net is a net used for fishing. Some fishing nets are also called fish traps, for example fyke nets. Fishing nets are usually meshes formed by knotting a relatively thin thread. Early nets were woven from grasses, flaxes and other fibrous plant material. Later cotton was used. Modern nets are usually made of artificial polyamides like nylon, although nets of organic polyamides such as wool or silk thread were common until recently and are still used.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eye splice</span> Method of creating a loop in the end of a rope

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nail knot</span> Type of knot used in fishing

The nail knot, also known as the tube knot or gryp knot, is mostly used in carp and fly-fishing. The nail knot was named because a nail was inserted as a guide when threading the line. Today, it is easier to use a small straw. The nail knot is an important fishing knot used to join two lines of different diameters and allows for line diameters to diminish down to the fly. I.E., it is useful for attaching your backing to the fly line, and your fly line to the leader, or tippet. The knot can be tied in multiple ways and is uniform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing tackle</span> Equipment used for fishing

Fishing tackle is the equipment used by anglers when fishing. Almost any equipment or gear used in fishing can be called fishing tackle, examples being hooks, lines, baits/lures, rods, reels, floats, sinkers/feeders, nets, spears, gaffs and traps, as well as wires, snaps, beads, spoons, blades, spinners, clevises and tools that make it easy to tie knots.

Braided line was one of the earliest types of fishing line, and in its modern incarnations it is still very popular in some situations because of its high knot strength, lack of stretch, and great overall power in relation to its diameter.

Multifilament line, also referred to as The Super Lines, is a type of fishing line. It is a braided line which is made up of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), a specialty polyethylene polymer that makes an extremely thin line for its strength. By weight, UHMWPE strands are five to ten times sturdier than steel. Multifilament line is similar to braided dacron in terms of sensitivity but a diameter about one-third that of the ubiquitous nylon monofilament line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surgical suture</span> Medical device used to hold body tissues together

A surgical suture, also known as a stitch or stitches, is a medical device used to hold body tissues together and approximate wound edges after an injury or surgery. Application generally involves using a needle with an attached length of thread. There are numerous types of suture which differ by needle shape and size as well as thread material and characteristics. Selection of surgical suture should be determined by the characteristics and location of the wound or the specific body tissues being approximated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kite line</span>

In kiting, a line is the string or thin cord made of cotton, nylon, silk, or wire, which connects the kite to the person operating it or an anchor. Kites have a set of wings, a set of anchors, and a set of lines coupling the wings with the anchors. Kite lines perform various roles: bridle, control, tug, or special duty.

Fly fishing tackle comprises the fishing tackle or equipment typically used by fly anglers. Fly fishing tackle includes:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uni knot</span> Fishing knot

The uni knot is a multi-purpose fishing knot used in angling that can be used for attaching the fishing line to the spool of a reel, for joining main line to leader/backing lines, and for attaching lures, swivels and snaps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tenkara fishing</span> Style of fishing

Tenkara fishing is a type of simple rod angling traditionally practiced in Japan. Primarily used for mountain stream trout fishing, tenkara is still a fairly rare method even among freshwater anglers in Japan, and was largely unknown outside Japan until 2009, when the company Tenkara USA, founded by Daniel Galhardo, introduced and popularized tenkara outside Japan.

A furled leader is a type of knotless tapered fly fishing leader. It is known for high performance, low memory, and soft artificial fly presentation when casting. These attributes are due to the way these leaders are constructed which is similar to creating rope. The big difference is that furled leaders are created with a taper. The twisted style of construction and being made from many filaments leads to a flexible leader with low to no memory like a section of rope.

References

  1. ↑ History of Nylon Archived 21 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine US Patent 2,130,523 'Linear polyamides suitable for spinning into strong pliable fibers', U.S. Patent 2,130,947 'Diamine dicarboxylic acid salt' and U.S. Patent 2,130,948 'Synthetic fibers', all issued 20 September 1938
  2. ↑ "Dupont Heritage, 1935:Nylon". Archived from the original on 30 December 2007. Retrieved 31 December 2007.
  3. ↑ Types of Fishing Lines Archived 3 April 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ Medicalmonofilament.com Archived 12 May 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ Creating Special Effects for 2001: A Space Odyssey
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