Polypropylene degrades in sunlight. Colored additives help keep the UV rays from penetrating the rope as completely, and slow down the degradation. A clear polypropylene would probably degrade and weaken much more quickly. That said, I don't know why mono can be clear.
I USE THE ROB ALLEN ORANGE FLOAT LINE AND IT WORKS GREAT. I HAVE USED THEM FOR NUMEROUS YEARS, AND THEY STILL LOOK LIKE NEW. :thumbsup2:
Float lines scare fish?
My old red one (clear vinyl died red) was loved by fish. I was lying on the bottom and was heaing numerous thumps behind me, when I looked there was a ball of baitfish attacking it trying to eat it.
TM, Polypropylene rope is very cheap. I'd settle for it lasting a 1/3 of the time if it would mean it's going to be less visible by fish. It is clearly identifiable when the rope starts to degrade.
Davie, A visible float line is like a moving wall to a fish. It blocks off a whole direction for the fish. I believe it is part of the reason fish always escape directly away from us. When I say this keep in mind I always used a float line so I don't know how they react to you guys without one. If you can't see the logic in that consider why H&L use clear mono.
Felix, I currently use a Rob Allen orange line. A few months ago I did a comparison of the RA to a regular polypropylene clothes line by separating the braids down to the individual strands and counting them. There is no difference. Well, except for price.
Float lines scare fish. Apart from which color is least visible in the water which is what I want to know, is it possible to have a transparent polypropylene rope? If mono can be clear why not polypropylene rope?
One solution is to use the clear tubing, the same as they use for the fancy float lines. But it's cumbersome to work with and besides i don't know how transparent it really is.
I have to disagree with you Dan, it's the hunter and his movements that either attract or spook fish, not the floatline. I've been on trips with guys with reels telling me the same thing and I slayed the muttons (what spookiest fish than that) and they didn't see one, go figure. it's all about the way you head down and what do you as you approach the bottom.
Are you sure you are not reffering to Polyethylene instead of Polypro? Polyethilene is UV resistant while PP isn't.
PS: Floatlines do scare fish. That doesn't means that you can't take fish with them, but mi personal experience tells me that witout that thing hanging around fish get closer.
If floatlines scare fish, I don't think color is the issue so much as the vibrations emitted by the floatline while in tow. My 2 cts.
Clear floatlines are just as visible, if not more so, due to the fact that there is a void inside the tubing. Light reflects off the tubing the same way it does off a bubble, making it shine. The only way to make it "invisible", would be to flood the tubing.
If you are not too concerned about brute strength in the floatline, you could always use clear vinyl tubing cored with 300-400 lb clear mono. Again you will get light reflection, but this may serve the purpose of a flasher, in some instances and may well scare off the fish in others.
I have always preferred yellow floatlines. They are easily seen from the surface but fade quickly at depth and don't stand out like a sore thumb like black or red would. Of course, clear vinyl tubing with gray specta inside would be pretty subdued at depth.
I partially agree with your sentiment that floatlines can scare off fish. I think reef species are more frightened by it,as they are with any object that suddenly shows up in their "backyard", where as pelagics seem to be attracted to it, as they are with most foreign objects floating in the water.
There is an invisible floatline sold here. :thumbsup2:
I cannot contribute much positive about a float line as I prefer a reel for many reasons since 1975.
just my opinion
for what it is worth...I find that a floatline can have mixed effects on the fish...I have found more macks swimming along behind my floatline chasing the ballyhoo that love to jump my floatline on the surface than i could count.
I do find that fish are wary of them from time to time, but the yare also curious...as an example...I have a setup for my polespear that uses the floatline, no, not for bluewater fish, just so I can use it as a bottom marker if i find bugs or to keep the spear close..so one day I marked a crevice and went back to the surface for a breathe up and my buddy dives down and shoots a nice black who was just swimming along the vertical floatline....we tried a few more times throughout the day where i'd leave the spear somewhere and swim away and he'd come over within three to five minutes and there was always something looking at the floatline...
I really think the diver has a lot more to do with spooking the fish than the gear.
You need to be a member to leave a comment.