In times gone by, anglers have used catgut, cotton and who knows what else to attach a hook to catch fish; monofilament gave a huge technological leap forward in angling when it first arrived on the scene, but what has happened since? Hook link materials can be confusing, so here is a beginners guide to SOME of the more common ones you may come up against.
Braid, monofilament, dacron, fluorocarbon or coated? The choice is huge and can often be mind boggling as anglers try to keep up with the latest innovations and clever marketing from companies who would have you believe that catching fish is impossible unless you use their product! What is the reality??
To be fair, each material is designed for a purpose, the trick is to pick the right one for the given situation in which you find yourself fishing. This is not always as easy as it sounds; how many anglers do you know who store their rods in a way that makes it simple to remove the rod from the holdall, put the two pieces together and instantly cast out without another thought? I’ve been guilty of it and I bet you have too.
Technology has moved on extremely quickly in recent years giving rise to a vast array of hook link products, some of which are actually very similar. Take braid for instance, I can think of at least 10 brands without pondering too long, and is there really a huge difference between them? The manufacturers would have you believe that there is…..I’m personally not convinced.
What are they designed to do then? The basic premise is that the various materials will allow you to present an offering in such a manner that the terminal tackle becomes invisible and permits the bait to move naturally when disturbed to avoid ‘spooking’ the fish. It also enables the hook to effectively ‘catch’ in the mouth of the target fish.
So why so many and what are the differences? To start with, nylon monofilament lines offer a bit of everything when it comes to the ‘hair rig’. Many newcomers to the sport have no idea what qualities each material offers and start with a simple rig. ‘Mono’ as its known, gives fantastic anti-tangle properties due to its stiffish nature, it normally has a fine diameter which assists in hiding the end tackle, and is easy to tie good knots in. It’s also relatively cheap to purchase compared with more complex products and can be used for almost any type of fishing. There are few weaknesses with nylon mono; abrasion resistance can be less than other hook links and there is up to 30% stretch throughout its length which can cause problems with effective fixed or semi fixed rigs.
More complicated rigs require more advanced options; braided links give extremely good suppleness and flexibility, and therefore can be used to present baits which will move more naturally than one on a mono hook link. It has minimal stretch when under pressure and this gives better bite indication and a much more direct action when tightened against the lead weight within the rig, and it has an even thinner diameter than nylon for its breaking strain Sadly, the tangle potential is high with such a pliant substance, and it should be used in conjunction with shrink tubing or tail rubbers and swivels to hold the hook link away from the mainline. Because of its nature, more specialised knots should be considered when rig building with braid; its tough to untangle when wet, so making sure its right in the first place can alleviate a lot of problems. It can be tied to mono to form a ‘combi-link’ but for the inexperienced carper, this can prove difficult to do correctly when there are easier options…
‘Coated’ hook link materials can give the ‘best of both worlds’. The stiff outer sheath can be stripped back to reveal soft inner braiding to give a multitude of differing choices when it comes to rig design. The outer core can be removed to give a flexible ‘hair’, or when taken back a little further, gives a ‘hinge’ rig, a ‘pop up’ rig, or any number of alternatives which the angler can think of to suit many situations. The harder, plasticised layer gives excellent resistance to abrasion or cutting of the link as it moves over gravel or rough edges and helps to maintain a tangle free rig as it doesn’t fly back towards the main line on the cast because of its rigidity. Used without stripping back, it can create a shorter, stiffer rig that can give carp a problem when they get used to ‘normal’ presentations. Knots need to be carefully tied using these links as they are prone to slipping when not enough ‘tail’ is allowed when the link is tightened up; a dab of superglue often helps to keep everything tidy.
Fluorocarbon links are once again becoming increasing popular. The refractive light index is almost identical to that of water meaning that the hook length becomes virtually invisible in the swim and remains undetectable whatever the water clarity and colour. It is often used to tie the ‘chod’ rig as the short, stiff link can give superb hooking potential. The application of wet heat in the form of steam gives the opportunity to shape the ‘fluoro’ into a curve, or straighten the link to make the most of its properties. Because it can be of fairly heavy diameter compared to mono, knots can be a little tricky to get right, so a bit of care goes a long way when using fluorocarbons.
Other considerations that the angler needs to think about include breaking strains, colour of the material, weight and diameter. Many of the braided links come in a massive array of colour combinations which catch as many anglers as fish! My personal favourites to use when hunting carp include ‘Black Mamba’, a black and white flecked disruptive pattern braid from ‘Darkside Tackle’(used in heavier breaking strains to give some stiffness) and ‘Camo-core’ from ACE (Advanced Carp Equipment) which has again a black and white camouflage outer layer and darker inner core for more intricate set ups which is outstanding for the silty Cheshire meres in which I do most of my fishing. See more at www.darksidetackle.co.uk or www.acecarp.com.
The choices and combinations are endless. Many anglers find something they think will suit all of their fishing and stick to it; others will chop and change between manufacturers until they find a favourite or, if on a tighter budget, one that offers value for money. The main thing is to read whatever information is available online or in magazines, ask your fellow anglers and experiment! It wouldn’t be any fun if we knew everything!
Clint Walker, Feb 2010
