Dacron vs Braid

[swsmith]

Hi Guys,have any of you used braid instead of dacron as backing?my understanding is that the diameter is much smaller and therefor you can fit more backing on.And the need for big large arbour reels might not be needed?

[Jasper]

Hi Guys,have any of you used braid instead of dacron as backing?my understanding is that the diameter is much smaller and therefor you can fit more backing on.And the need for big large arbour reels might not be needed?

I have used dacron backing for years and have been 100% satisfied with it.

[waterdog]

Hi SWSMITH , I have not used braided line yet, but I have been giving it some thought.... meter for meter it is about the same price as dacron , so the only advantage it the lower diameter , and just like dacron , braided line has 0 stretch , so I don't see why it would not work.

[swsmith]

i am not questioning the quality rather the amount of backing you would be able to fit onto a reel.the diameter of braid compared to the equivalent in dacron is thinner.therefor you should be able to fit more on....

[swsmith]

does anyone know what the diameter is of 20 and 30 pound braid?

[harry]

I assume we are talking about gel spun polyethelene (GSP). 30# GSP would roughly be the some diameter as 8lb dacron. Pound for pound you should be able to double your backing capacity. Be careful with the knots.

[swsmith]

hi harry.im refering to the braid that the guys are using for rock an surf.dont know if its gsp or not.

[MCC]

Hi there

Gelspun is the way to go. No doubt whatsoever.

I use 50lbs Spectra on all my reels. The Tibor Riptide is designed to hold 200m of 30 lbs dacron and a ten weight line. When you use the 50 lbs Spectra, you get 600m of the stuff on there. I use this reel for Tuna fishing and the spectra lets you get away with a much smaller reel and it therefore also makes the reel more versatile in that you can use it on a 10, 12 and even on the real heavy weight rods.

Other minor advantages include that Spectra stretches less than dacron, it is infinitely more abrasion resistant, less drag in the water and it does not perish.

There are many brands on the market, but I have found Spectra (Dave Levene) to be the best product.

When you spool the stuff, it is vital that this is done very tightly, otherwise it will tend to dig into itself. In fact, wind it on as tight as you can. Due to the extreme low stretch this will not cause problems with your spools.

Cheers
MC

[swsmith]

hi mc,thanks for the reply.im presuming we are talking about the same stuff the rock and surf guys use?i beleive there are different makes...suffix,kingfisher etc etc

[noweeds]

The best braid on the market that the RS guys use is Whiplash Pro. The 50lb has a diameter of 0.17mm. It is costly stuff at between R1.40 and R1.80 a meter!! But i've had it on one of my reels for 3 years and put it through the ringer and its still perfect!! PS it is constructed with Dyneema.....seriously strong stuff!!