I noticed on another thread that someone was using a braided line (power pro 30lb) as backing…I thought I had heard some people warn against doing this?
Is it okay to use lines such as “Power Pro” and “FireLine” as backing?.
I like the idea of dong this as i believe they have a lower diametre. Am i correct?
Works great. Many do it. You get lots more on and it cuts thru the water keeping a more straight line between you and the fish.
I won’t because it will cut me, jam into the coils when I reel into it, flops around in a breeze as it has no integrity and will jam my reel.
Alex,
The gel spun ‘super’ lines have some advantages and some disadvantages, as Mr. Castwell pointed out.
They are thinner for a given test rating, so you can get more on the reel. Being thinner, they do ‘cut’ the water better. They are ‘slicker’ so they travel through the guides with less resistance.
Gel spun lines are resistant to UV light and last far longer than other fishing lines. They don’t absorb water, are temperature stable, and are bouyant.
The ‘slickness’ of the material can cause some problems for us as fly fishermen. Knotting them takes care. Knots are prone to slippage and many ‘fishing’ type knots are not suited to the gel spun lines.
If they are not tightly spooled, the slickness of the line can cause it to ‘bury’ into itself on the spool. This can cause a ‘jam’ on the spool, locking up the line and causing a break in the tippet or the backing when a fish makes a strong run. Few fly fishermen pay close attention to tightly spooling their backing (the 1 to 1 gear ratio of most fly reels makes this more difficult than conventional reels).
Gel spun lines have near zero stretch. Combine this with their inherent ‘slickness’ and you have a serious skin slicing issue. Never grab and pull on these lines with your bare hands. Never grab onto one of these lines when it’s tight.
Power Pro is an unusual gel spun line, in that it has been built to be cylindrical in crossection, and won’t ‘flatten out’ like the earlier braids (spiderwire, gorilla braid, the kite strings). This helps greatly with the burying problems on the spool, but does sacrifice some capacity due to a bit larger diameter.
Up to you if you want to use it. Many folks do use some kind of gel spun line for backing, just about all the major fly fishing suppliers that manufacturer a backing also make a gel spun version.
The primary reason for most of the folks that use it is the increased amount of backing they can get on the spools. If you fish for long running fish where you may need an extra 100 yards or so, then it may be for you.
Just helps to know the pros and cons in advance.
Good Luck!
Buddy
http://www.cortlandline.com/catalog/braid.html
This might help.
I use GSP line as backing, but I don’t use braids or Fireline. My choice is SpiderWire Fusion. It is not nearly as limp as the braids, is round in section and stays round, and has a smooth slick finish. It is somewhat larger in diameter per pound test than the braids, but about half the diameter of comparable strength dacron or nylon. It has come to be my #1 choice for all my backing needs.
I use Spectra (Gel Spun, GsP, all same stuff) as backing on my reels used for pelagic species like tunas. The primary reason is the smaller diameter which leads to less line drag when a speedster is hauling through the water. With a lot of line out, the drag just from the line being pulled through the water can pop 20lb tippet, even if the drag on your reel is backed all the way off.
I have never been cut by it nor have I ever had it bury into itself and jam up on the reel spool. As Buddy noted you have to use the proper knots and it has to be spooled correctly, neither of which are difficult to do.
There are some people that claim that the super braids will wear out your rod guides. Some of the earlier super braids made from kevlar could do this. Sprectra lines actually cause less friction than dacron so this is not an issue for the current super braids.
Where I have seen a problem is when a fish runs back at an angler and he can NOT wind the braid on nice and tightly. Then, the fish reverses and cuts the braid into the loosly wound coils. I am in no way saying it happens a lot. Just that I have seen it happen. A baitcaster or other multiplier reel may be more able to properly lay up the incoming braid but the single action fly reel is at a dissadvantage there. It does make a difference what fish you are targeting though.
I use conventional braided dacron backing. Works fine, knots well, handles easy. I only go for gel spun for salt where you can get taken to the backing in the surf or on flats - don’t seem to need it in the mangroves. In fresh - if you get into the backing - then your steelie is already two bends down on the rivers I fish and you have already lost him. Big browns at night don’t tend to run far before turning back. I don’t river fish for salmon - I consider them snags that move unless they are fresh run - then you chase them - and if you are into your backing - you are not running fast enough.
‘Snags that move’. Good one Bob !
Cheers,
MontanaMoose