The straight goods on fishing lines

If you stop at your local sporting goods store, you'll find a whole wall of fishing line. They all make claims that they are the toughest, the most abrasion resistant, the easiest to cast.

What's the truth?

It depends on the type of fishing you are going to do. If you fishing mostly open water, six to 10 pound test monofilament should be the starting point.

Let's take a look at the different types of lines and their applications.

Monofilament is the most common and has been around the longest. It's good line if you buy the quality stuff. The downside to mono is that it stretches when you hook a fish and sometimes it's hard to get a good hookset, especially if you're fishing deep water. Even if it is more abrasion resistant than it used to be, it still nicks easily when fishing through weeds, rocks and timber. I basically use it now for open water fishing or when I am finesse fishing.

The newest line on the market is the braided line. They are softer, stronger and easier to cast than any other line. I've been using braid for about four years now and I love it. It's slightly more expensive initially, but it lasts four times as long and is truly abrasion resistant. I've dragged it through the thickest weeds, over rocks and timber and tree limbs. And I still haven't had to cut off any line due to nicks or cuts.

I have several reels spooled with different pound test. I even have 50 pound braid for my seven-foot rod that I use for flipping and pitching. When you're fishing heavy cover, it's paramount that when you hook a fish, you turn his head and pull him out right away. It only takes a few seconds for a big fish to wrap your line around a log or stump.

The last of the three lines is fluorocarbon. The downside is that it can be very stiff and hard to work with, especially in the heavier test.

Most anglers use fluorocarbon for leader material when they want a line that's invisible in the water. Use a three to six foot leader and use a double uniknot to tie the braid to the fluorocarbon leader. If you use a swivel, it may hang up in your guides. Try this system and let me know how you make out.

Until next time, I am the Ontario Angler.

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Al Charman (who writes under the pseudonym Allan Bass) is putting his more than 45 years of experience on the water to pen a weekly column about fishing. The 61-year-old lists bass as his favourite catch. If you want to talk fishing or have a story to share, e-mail him at allanbass@rogers.com.