Survival fishing kit - line - Request for Comments

[Ascobis]

Greetings,
A search for Fishing Survival Kevlar had no matches.

I received a clever little laser-cut metal card, "Readyman" fishing, as a gift. Kevlar or Spectra line wrapped around the card seems the next reasonable step.

Kevlar thread sold on a river in South America seems to have a maximum breaking strength of 8 pounds. Spiderwire and its competitors top out at about 100 pounds.

I fish for fun with cheap 4 to 8 lb mono.

What are the community's thoughts on the optimal test-weight of line to be wrapped 'round this clever card?

Thanks.

 

[Alan De Enfield]

I have one of those cards, added to the 'Yo Yo Fishing Kit' it contains everything you could need (including various hooks, line, bait, weights and attractant) and weighs in at under 8 oz (including a few extra bits I put in)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EXTREME-...151626548599?_trksid=p2385738.m4383.l4275.c10

 

[Ascobis]

Here is my home-made version. A plastic spice bottle forms the reel.

 

[Janne]

Greetings,
A search for Fishing Survival Kevlar had no matches.

I received a clever little laser-cut metal card, "Readyman" fishing, as a gift. Kevlar or Spectra line wrapped around the card seems the next reasonable step.

Kevlar thread sold on a river in South America seems to have a maximum breaking strength of 8 pounds. Spiderwire and its competitors top out at about 100 pounds.

I fish for fun with cheap 4 to 8 lb mono.

What are the community's thoughts on the optimal test-weight of line to be wrapped 'round this clever card?

Thanks.

I have never heard of Kevlar fishing line. Braid is made from Polyethylene fibers.

For a survival kit, I would go with a thin braid.
Thin because you cast longer, and braid because you get a stronger line than the same thickness of mono line.

How thick? Breakstrength around 10 kilos should be enough if you catch some weed and need to pull it off.

 

[Janne]

Two more benefits with braid vs mono:

Braid has no ’memory’ it does not form after the spool. Mono has a memory, and tends to be ’curly’ when you cast it out.
Some expensive mono lines have less memo than cheap ones.

Braid does not age as quickly as mono. Cheap mono ages ( goes weak and brittle) quicker.

 

[scottisha5]

A small tube of eco friendly red glitter glue works for bait. Just a dab on the hook and no more rooting for worms etc. Last for years and really works, I've used it when I was competition coarse fishing and for my bushcraft kit.

 

[shaggystu]

A small tube of eco friendly red glitter glue works for bait. Just a dab on the hook and no more rooting for worms etc. Last for years and really works, I've used it when I was competition coarse fishing and for my bushcraft kit.

Don't suppose you've got a link to a supplier have you?

 

[scottisha5]

Hi Shaggy, any edible glue will do, I got mine in Germany in a tackle shop but havnt seen it in the UK. Mine is some sort of cake decorators glue in a tube. really does work and its safe plus space saving.

Cheers

John

 

[shaggystu]

Hi Shaggy, any edible glue will do, I got mine in Germany in a tackle shop but havnt seen it in the UK. Mine is some sort of cake decorators glue in a tube. really does work and its safe plus space saving.

Cheers

John

Thanks for that, looks like I'm having a trip to Hobbycraft.

 

[C_Claycomb]

When braided line was first coming on to the market you could get kevlar fishing line. I had a spool of 30lb breaking strain that I wound up using as backing for my fly lines. I am sure I still have it on a spool somewhere. It was pretty poor casting and was intended more for horsing large mouth bass out of thick cover with a jig'n'pig pitchin rig than making long casts.

The 30lb breaking strength Spiderwire that I have on my multiplier is pretty thin, much thinner than the kevlar, more like thread than thin string. If I was really interested in catching fish though, I would want a few feet of nylon or fluorocarbon leader material since if the water is clear all the braids show up more than clear line.

Also, I am a bit sceptical about how good an idea those laser cut hooks are. My thought is that the hook eyes are going to have corners, since they are cut from flat metal, and even if they are burr free, they are still going to be more likely to cut a line than round wire hooks. A few real hooks, and snap swivels/split rings can't weigh more than those flat pack things, and will perform better when you need them.

 

[santaman2000]

.....am a bit sceptical about how good an idea those laser cut hooks are. My thought is that the hook eyes are going to have corners, since they are cut from flat metal, and even if they are burr free, they are still going to be more likely to cut a line than round wire hooks. ....

That was one of the advantages of kevlar line.

 

[Janne]

I have never seen Kevlar line!

The most important on any line is the knot. Different knots for mono and braid.
A bad knot can reduce the overall strength bu up to 70%. A perfect knot by maybe 15%.

Lasercut hooks I do not use pesonally. See no point. (Ha ha!)
I use only Mustad hooks, I feel they have cracked the materials and designs.
The Mustad s/s circle hook I use on my longline, to catch halibut. Never had a hook failure. But plenty of line failures!

My dad was brought up on catgut. Took ages to convince mono was better.
Even after the mono conversion, he still said that gut performed better.
Today we would also say it was pure environmentally friendly, compared to synthtics!
He also regused to use stainless steel.
He said if a fish escapes with a carbon hook and gut line, both will disintegrate and fish will survive. S/s hook and synthetic line = fish suffers.

 

[daveO]

How long does fishing line last for when stored for an emergency kit? I would think it might be better to use a stonger line than required in case it loses any integrity in storage.

 

[Janne]

I have a bunch of old fishing stuff as ornamental display here in Norway. Amongst all the ‘rubbish’ are different lines with hooks, estimate age 40 -50 years. Used by pro fishermen.
Line still usable/strong. I just tested.
Those lines are Nylon
Not sure if modern lines age as well. Anyway, should last for years. Bit the memory in the line will get worse and eorse, eventually it will look like an Afro hairdo if you cast it.

 

[santaman2000]

Mono is photo degradable.

 

[Alan De Enfield]

Mono is photo degradable.

Best not to take too many pictures of it then.

 

[oldtimer]

I have a small pool of braided line in my possibles pouch. I have no idea of the breaking strain but it would land any fish I'm likely to catch. It sometimes gets used for emergency sewing repairs and has been in the pouch for about 30 years with no sign of degradation.

 

[Ascobis]

A small tube of eco friendly red glitter glue works for bait. Just a dab on the hook and no more rooting for worms etc. Last for years and really works, I've used it when I was competition coarse fishing and for my bushcraft kit.

Sweet tip. Thanks.

 

[Ascobis]

Best not to take too many pictures of it then.

No, no, no, only the photos degrade. The color washes out so that by the 1940s it's almost all gone. By the early 1900s and late 1800s all the color fades. The fish you see in photos from those times are still caught, so the line is still good. (Thanks to Calvin and Hobbes for explaining this.)

 

[Ascobis]

Consensus: braid. Second choice: 40 year old nylon. Thank you all for your contributions.
I misstated info in my original post. I, too, have not seen Kevlar as a braided fishing line. I have seen Spectra braid.
Does anyone else remember that scene from Jeremiah Johson where he was fishing with line made of willow bark?