Braids have certainly improved over the years

Well, the reason is that after using braids for a whole range of different fishing over the last few years, I now see it as a bit of a mixed blessing. Yes, in the right hands it can be an excellent tool, but it is not a panacea for poor angling ability, and it is certainly not a universal tool. Braids have certainly improved over the years. The main reason being the increasing availability of fine denier threads. When braids first came out, the thread used was quite thick and so you could only braid two or three strands together. This gave rise to a rather rough, oval profile, which not only felt rough, it cast poorly, bedded in on the reel and could damage rod rings. The newer, rounder, braids do not suffer with these problems to anything like the same extent. Unfortunately, one packet of braid generally looks much like another, so there is very little the punter can do to determine the difference between a good and a bad braid. There are a few handy hints though, firstly ask the retailer. If they are any good they will point you in the right direction. Secondly, if the line is not marked up with the knot strength then give it a miss. Finally, if the line is on special offer then don’t buy it, because it is likely to be anything but special! The best retailers will let you take the line out of the packet and feel it. This will give you some idea of what it is like, but unfortunately it is not the be all and end all. The newer braids are much less temperamental than the earlier versions. As long as you avoid strangulation knots, such as blood knots, then you should be OK. Doubling end of the line first, before tying will increase the knot strength appreciably. There is no short cut to tying a good knot in any line; keep at it, test every one, and buy a John Roberts knot tester! I notice that Leeda have taken the (bold?) step of introducing braid dedicated rods and reels. Certainly, if you intend to do a lot of fishing with braid then these are going to be worth checking out as a dedicated tool will really get the most out of braid fishing. I must admit, I don’t know all of the design work that has gone into these products, but for me, up-rated (more expensive!) gearing is essential in a reel if you are going to be doing a lot of braid fishing. The lack of stretch means that the gears and clutch take an awful pounding and need to be up to the job. The line-lay must also be very good. Whilst braids have become a lot better and rounder in profile, there is still some chance of the line bedding in if you are using a reel with less than perfect line lay. Rods also undergo much more stress when using braid. Although only on a short line, much more stress is created when casting with braid, resulting in more rod breaks. You also have to be a little careful when striking as it is easy to pull the hook. For most of my fishing though (and all of my ledgering) I have found that I just cannot get on with braid and have reverted back to good old Sufix Synergy and Drennan Super specialist. These two lines both behave well on the reel, are very consistent and offer extremely high abrasion resistance. This last point is vital for my fishing as I don’t get many bites and I need to land all of them to look half respectable! Unlike braid, these lines are more forgiving with knots, but that is not an licence to be sloppy. Treat them properly and they will look after you! Both these lines can be made to sink easily with a little bit of washing-up liquid. Treating lines to make them sink is something that you rarely hear talked about these days, but I wouldn’t be without my little canister of Fairy Liquid! The sinking ability of nylon is generally what sways me. That and the stretch in these lines. The problem I have found when ledgering is that the slightest movement of the water acts on braided lines much more than on nylon. Even when using very heavy leads the bait can be dragged out of position (into weed) before the line can be sunk. Even when the line is on the bottom I think the lack of stretch in braid can mean that the buffering of the wind on the exposed line can lead to the lead moving. Having experimented quite a bit with the benefit of a boat to check the rigs, I have no confidence in leaving baits out for long periods when using braided lines. Try it yourself if you get the chance.

So, for me, it is a matter of horses for courses. Get the best advice you can and experiment like mad until you find what works best for you.