How To Choose Fishing Lines For Trout As with any type of fishing, there are many different types of "lines" to choose from. For trout, I find clear monofilament lines work best. There are three types of line material- monofilament, fluorocarbon and braided. Each has it's benefits that should be considered when choosing which one to use. Monofilament line is the most widely used and preferred material for trout fishing. However, since it's introduction many years ago, competing lines have come on the market and anglers now have a choice of monofilaments, fluorocarbon and braided lines. For starters:
What Is Fluoro?
Fluorocarbon lines are made from a type of polymer that has fluorine atoms incorporated into the molecular structure. One major benefit of fluoro is it's refractive index and light absorbing qualities which make it invisible under water, unlike mono-filament line. It also sinks, making presentation easy. Mono filament on the other hand floats and requires some form of weight to get it to sink. However, fluoro has similar diameter as mono-filament lines and the line is denser than mono-filament which results in fluoro having more stretch than monofilament. So if you are into catch and release trout fishing, or just want to play it safe based on personal preference, then you should consider fluorocarbon especially for anglers targeting larger trout.
What Is Braid?
Braid is made from Dyneema, which is a type of polyethylene fiber with extremely high strength and low stretch. Because of it's high density, braid sinks very fast and works well for moving water applications or fishing deep water where fish are holding in the bottom of a lake. Braid is also very abrasion resistant, making it ideal for fishing rocky river beds where hooking trout can be tough. On the downside, braid has no stretch so when you are playing a fish pulling line off your reel, there is nothing to absorb the shock load when Mr. Trout decides to head for the horizon.
However, some anglers prefer braid because it has no stretch and they can see right into the water with their line. This is helpful when fishing those still pools that some trout like to hang out in. Braid also has a very thin diameter and comes off the reel like silk which makes for quick casting and there is no need to use an expensive high speed reel.
The line I prefer for trout fishing, particularly when targeting larger fish or places where hooking into a trout can be tough, is Fluorocarbon. There are many brands that make good fluoro lines including Seaguar GrandMaxx , Stren Blue Label and XT , Orvis Super Strong , Sunline Shooter Fluoro and Scientific Angler's Intermediate Pro .
One other thing to consider your line selection is the length of the leader you choose to use. If you are going to be fishing clear water, where fish can easily see a white monofilament line from a long distance away, then I recommend using a shorter leader in the 3-4 foot range and tie on a fluorescent red or orange colored nymph. This will provide less of a chance you'll spook fish during the drift. See more: https://fishinghacking.com/trout-fishing-guide-rods-reels-lines-baits-for-trout/