The Australian Fishing Network and Sportfishing Magazine are constantly on the cutting edge of developing and spreading the word on the latest fishing systems, rigs and knots for anglers chasing Australian sportfish, fresh and salt. In addition to that development we are also continually searching far and wide to present the best-of-the-best modern systems used by our own AFN pro-team and the countries top anglers.
Modern day sport fishers are constantly trying to stay one step ahead of the game when it comes to chasing everything from marlin to Murray cod and every sportfish in between. Increasing angling pressure and the use of modern finesse tackle by both recreational and competition anglers has driven the need for pro-active anglers to continually strive for that ‘one percenter’ knot or rig to give them an edge in tough situations.
Gelspun lines have driven much of this ‘high performance’ fishing and with that growth has come the need to develop specialist knots and systems that are equally high performance. At AFN we’re compiling a list of the tried and true knots in mono as well as the new established and developing knots for superlines.
SOME TECHNICAL STUFF
Gelspun is made of polyethylene gel and its construction is either via fused parallel strands or by braiding the strands. Gelspun’s much smaller diameter in comparison to Monofilament Lines means you can get more line onto a reels spool which is a bonus when chasing big fish with light line, but its real advantage is that its breaking strain is almost double, while its diameter is almost half that of the equivalent breaking strain of monofilament line. This smaller diameter for equivalent breaking strain has a huge number of advantages in many angling situations, but there some drawbacks as well.
The biggest issue with using any of these superlines is that they are high modulus construction, and therefore brittle and offer little if any real stretch. Of course, these issues can, with the use of specialist knots and rigs and mono leaders, and with a ‘finesse’ angling approach be game changers in certain high performance fishing scenarios, but anglers do need to be mindful of the limitations of these superlines, and not take their knot tying for granted.
Gelspun is very strong for diameter, very thin and slick and therefore abrasion isn’t an issue on smooth surfaces such as sunken logs etc, but because it is high modulus it’s worth keeping in mind it can be weakened if nicked on things like sharp metal edges or oyster-encrusted rocks, especially when under tension!
With the advent of superlines came the need to create knots that took into account the special properties inherent in these lines, properties such as brittleness and minimal stretch. For the most part knots using Gelspun will weaken more quickly than traditional mono knots. Knots in gelspun line tend to twist more when tying and fatigue faster, and can be affected by constantly hitting rod guides. These problems are often more evident in smaller diameter lines, but that is also the case with mono of course.
BRAID
The term braid is a generic word used to cover a vast array of superlines that use gelspun polyethylene fibres in their construction The old hands such as Rod Harrison and Bill Classon have been using and developing knots for high spec fishing situations since day dot of these superlines, and these days the younger guns such as Brent Hodges, Sam Hitzke and Nigel Webster are continually refining and or creating new knots and rigs to take advantage of the strengths and circumvent the weaknesses of these ever evolving lines.
Of course, just like all ‘new wiz bang’ products that hit the recreational fishing scene, there is always an initial ‘overreach’ of advertising superlatives and angler hype for something new, and this was no different for superlines, now things seem to have settled, anglers being anglers have worked out what best suits there specific angling needs and have embraced superlines in some situations and have gone back totally to mono in others. Most anglers now use both in a single setup or rig to great effect, usually with the superline acting as the thin/more brittle and minimal stretch carrier and mono as the thicker/more robust/stretchier leader.
Two types of line, one old and one modern that seem to work in wonderful combination with each other so long as the joins, knots and rigging systems are up to the task.
KNOTS THAT BIND
If only it was so easy to state that one knot is better than another for certain applications there wouldn’t be so many knots being touted as the next ‘holy grail’.
The fact is that unless you baitfish and gamefish and everything in between you’re only ever likely to use maybe half a dozen knots in total. People like Bill Classon and Nige Webster who are constantly fishing across the country and chasing everything from trout to marlin need to use a vast array of knots to suit their fishing scenarios.
That’s not necessarily the case for everyday anglers, but never the less, it’s important to have the top knots in your arsenal that suit your individual fishing circumstance, and more importantly perhaps, a good selection of angling systems when combining superlines and monofilament.
The best knots using monofilament have been around long enough to prove their worth over the long haul, most knots, despite words to the contrary usually break around the 75% mark (of their nominated breaking strain) I would estimate. There’s no one miracle knot with mono or superlines, different lines in braid and mono both have different properties and more-so, every angler brings something different to the table when it comes to tying, locking down and trimming off knots.
LOCK IT UP
Probably the most important ‘secret’ to getting the best out of superline knots is to go much further when locking down knots than you’ve become accustomed to with monofilament. Superlines don’t have the elasticity that mono does where you can stretch it (with lubrication) when locking it down and it seems to lock and wrap back onto itself. The stretch of mono goes a long way to flexing rather than slipping when under pressure, so as long as you do allow for a reasonable tag for insurance a correctly tied mono knot rarely slips.
Superlines tend to knot better when you don’t give them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the number of strands and numbers of wraps used, if in doubt double up the line and double up the wraps and double up the tie off loops as well. Superlines will slip because they don’t bite down onto themselves like mono, and when used in conjunction with mono,single strands of gelspun can tend to cut into the mono if you don’t spread the cutting point load over a greater area with double strands and multiple wraps.
SOME KEY TIPS
Increasing the number of wraps is key to tying secure knots with braid.
Doubling the braid before tying a knot increases the knots holding strength and helps eliminate cutting into the mono.
Tie offs using braid lines should always be at the rear of the knot, or along the line away from the hook or terminal tackle if possible.
Tie offs should have multiple and alternate lock off turns to avoid unravelling of the knot.
When using mono, anglers have become accustomed to apply constant tension to knots to allow for them to ‘stretch’ into lock mode. When tying with superlines it’s important to remember there is virtually no stretch and therefore anglers need to apply far more tension to ‘set’ or ‘pull’ the knot in place.
Try to avoid tightening superlines down hard using your fingers as you WILL at some stage cut your flesh with these sharp lines.
