Waterproofing treatments for natural cordage

[Man of Tanith]

Morning All
I have it in my head to make some nettle fishing line
However i also think that natural cordage might be more prone to damage from moisture so i was wondering if anyone had dabbled with this and what preventative you used?
Beeswax and birch oil spring to mind but im wondering if the birch oil may leave its special aroma and taint the line?

 

[Drain Bamaged]

I wonder if it's realistically usable long term or even long enough to make the effort of making it worth while....when you consider that line was traditionally made from gut or horse hair, which obviously is not as readily available as, for instance Nettles I would think if the Nettles had been 'suitable' then the other would not have been favoured....be interesting to see how well it works though.

D.B.

 

[Hibrion]

Anything I can think of would probably have an adverse affect on its use as fishing line.

Even before monofilament rotted line was just a fact of life for fishermen.

 

[John Fenna]

I use a mix of beeswax and teak oil on most of my natural cordage - it slows but does not eliminate rot....

 

[Toddy]

If you're using plant fibres you're probably better off making willow bast twine. It's the oldest known twine in Europe. There's still a ball of it attached to a sunken neolithic log boat off the Danish coast…and it's still unmistakeably willow bast cordage I'm told.

Nettle makes beautiful cordage if finely prepared, but the stuff in between the fine white fibres does rett and it flakes and crumbles off with use. It means that the twist slackens. Some folks boil it up in willow bark to help 'tan' it. Others wax it, or oil it, but if you're going to use it wet I wouldn't put something on it that will stop it drying, iimmc ? It rots with a grey mould if left damp too long.

M