Having a look at lines and leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Justin Willmer

Loading bobbins ready for braiding.

Made here for here. Lubin Pfeiffer with a Murray cod on Platypus 50lb braid and 60lb Hard Armour Tough leader.

I THOUGHT I would look at why we have different types of lines and leaders available to us as anglers.

Platypus Fishing lines have been Australian owned, operated and manufactured since 1898, making them Australia’s longest running fishing tackle brand.

Each spool of Platypus line is touched by about eight Aussie workers before it has even reached the couriers and then our favourite tackle store.

Let’s break down braided lines, monofilament lines and leaders. Braided lines

Advantages with braided lines include almost zero stretch for increased feel and hook setting power, finer diameter for increased line capacity and reduced drag in the air for longer casts.

Reduced drag in the water means that lures can run deeper, plus we can now get our presentations down deep in stronger current.

Making braided line is a slow process.

The selection of raw material and setting up the machine will give you the characteristics of the raw finished braid, then additional processes and coatings can fine tune the performance of the braid and enhance specific characteristics of that braid.

Apart from these individual characteristics, we commonly have the option of 4, 8 or 9-carrier braid.

So, what’s the difference and what’s the best option for my fishing?

Carrier refers to a single strand, which is in fact made up of many tiny fibres, so a 4-carrier braid is made up of four strands, and four bobbins criss-crossing to create the finished braid.

A set breaking strain of braid will require four larger strands or eight smaller strands, and this basically defines the differences between 4 and 8-carrier braids.

You will find that 4-carrier braid is often cheaper to buy because for starters larger raw material strands can be low cost and it’s generally faster and econimcal to make as there are less strand breakages during manufacturing.

The four larger strands generally create a thicker diameter and a coarser feel, with some fishers such as finesse anglers preferring the rounder and smoother profile created by eight finer strands.

Though the four larger strands have their advantages, including increased shock strength and increased abrasion resistance, which sees them favoured at times by anglers fishing structure – cutting through weed and lilies while better standing up to timber and other structure.

As mentioned, 8-carrier braid with its eight finer strands has a smoother and rounder profile and a finer diameter that sees it favoured by anglers requiring increased line capacity and longer casts, especially with lighter lures.

In open water away from heavy structure, there is no doubt that the finer diameter and smoother finish is advantageous to anglers, with many investing in a quality 8-carrier braid.

A less common option is a 9-carrier braid which basically consists of an 8-carrier braid with an additional centre strand that runs up the middle during the braiding process.

This gives the braid an engineered round profile, even under extreme fishing conditions and the pressure of large predatory species.

Hopefully this assists when you’re selecting braided lines. Monofilament lines

Nylon monofilament lines are generally cheaper than braided lines and they have other advantages over braid including increased abrasion resistance, a higher degree of stretch – which is often preferred in bait fishing, trolling for offshore game fish and other applications – along with simpler knot tying and rigging characteristics.

Angus James chasing jewfish off the beach with 20lb Platypus Super 100.

Operating the spooling machines to transfer line from bulk to retail spools.

The mono extruder manufacture process.

Walking along the nylon monofilament production line is even more fascinating than the braiding machines, with an incredible collection of processes that extend well over 30m in length.

It starts with an ingredient list of raw materials that are placed in a large hopper, melted and extruded into water.

A recipe in the form of a bunch of processes later and we have a bulk spool of monofilament that rests for a period before being spooled onto smaller spools, labelled and packaged.

Again, raw materials are part of the secret to a good line, along with the processes used in the creation of the line.

We have possibly all experienced cheap nylon monofilament lines that have a lot of memory and coil off the reel, similar to a slinky, while also featuring thick and inconsistent diameters and inconsistent breaking strains due to poor quality materials and manufacturing processes.

Nylon monofilament lines are cheaper than braided lines and it’s worth investing in a quality monofilament as it will make your fishing more enjoyable and more productive.

By adjusting the raw materials and the recipe or manufacturing process, we can create nylon monofilament lines with varying characteristics that may make them better suited to your target species, location or fishing technique.

This can be as simple as line clarity, colour or hi-visibility through to the suppleness of the line, its abrasion resistant qualities, diameter and percentage of stretch.

Platypus has two inhouse line technicians with over 65 years of combined fishing line design, development and manufacturing experience, and over time they have developed and updated many monofilament lines with specific characteristics to suit different angling applications.

A few examples would include Pulse Mono with its super fine diameter and Ghost Clear colouration, Lo-Stretch with its reduced percentage of stretch to combine the benefits of braid and mono, along with the IGFA rated Pre-Test with its higher percentage of stretch for sustained battles with big fish on lighter line ratings and its three breaking strain tests every 1000m – with the highest break recorded on the spool. Leaders

A leader generally runs from your mainline to your lure or terminal tackle and is used with braid as a shock absorber, as well as for decreased visibility and increased abrasion resistance.

When fishing monofilament, some anglers will use their mainline as their leader line while others will employ a specific leader for the required breaking strain, decreased visibility or abrasion resistance.

The above applies to fluorocarbon and nylon monofilament leaders, with multi-strand or single strand wire also an option.

Wire is often a last resort for anglers, however it can at times be essential for target species such as spanish mackerel.

Fluorocarbon leaders offer advantages over nylon monofilament leaders, including the same light refraction qualities as water – making them virtually

* from P30 invisible – along with excellent abrasion resistance and a density that sees them sink, assisting anglers to stay in touch with their lure and bait presentations as they sink naturally.

Fluorocarbon leaders cannot be manufactured in Australia due to the manufacturing processes, however Platypus offer a Japanese-made fluorocarbon based on requests from anglers.

The downsides of fluorocarbon include price and the stiffness of the material that sees it difficult to knot and rig effectively in larger breaking strains.

Fluorocarbon is extremely popular to 20lb, with anglers commonly fishing it through to 4050lb, however from 40lb up you will find nylon monofilament leaders dominate.

As the target species and angler presentations become larger, the invisibility and sink factor also become less significant.

Nylon monofilament leaders are produced through the same production line as nylon monofilament mainline, with the ingredients and recipe adjusted to suit the characteristics required of the leader, such as abrasion resistance, strength and knot strength.

You will often find a supple version of a nylon leader, which is limper for rigging and maximum lure action, along with a tough version that is generally harder, stiffer and all about maximum abrasion resistance.

Also, nylon monofilament leaders are often preferred when fishing topwater lures because the sink factor of fluorocarbon can pull the nose of the presentation under the water and ruin the action.

I hope this gives a bit of an insight into the manufacturing and characteristics of different lines and assists when it comes to spooling your next reel.

If you haven’t checked out the range of Australian-made Platypus lines, you can check them out at tackletactics.com.au

Made here, for here.

See you on the water…

Sean Bekkers spinning tuna with Platypus Bionic Braid X9 and Hard Armour Leader.

Eight strands becoming one Australian-made braided line.