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Since the presents I need to wrap are done and the women are busy in the kitchen, it gave me time to (play) check on something I was wondering about. Your results may vary.
I was amazed last week at how strong 20 pound Fireline really was while fishing. A simple test was just conducted. Took new 20 pound PP and FL and made loops using a four turn surgeon's knot. Attached one end of the loop to a smooth round steel rod held in my vise and the other to the hook on my spring scale. The scale has a sliding tab so you can pull until it breaks and then check the weight. I pulled slowly and as evenly as I could.
There are many reason to prefer a certain make of braid. Strength is only one factor but here are the results on three tries each.
FF 25, 30, 27
PP 24, 20, 29
I attribute the slight difference in each test on a given make of braid to not pulling perfectly the same each time. Machines made to do this would be more accurate. The claims that these two braids (labeled 20 pound test) break at 40 pounds or higher, however, do not seem warranted.
Now I am going to test the used line on the reel I was using. It has been on the reel for a year but that reel does not get much use.
I was amazed last week at how strong 20 pound Fireline really was while fishing. A simple test was just conducted. Took new 20 pound PP and FL and made loops using a four turn surgeon's knot. Attached one end of the loop to a smooth round steel rod held in my vise and the other to the hook on my spring scale. The scale has a sliding tab so you can pull until it breaks and then check the weight. I pulled slowly and as evenly as I could.
There are many reason to prefer a certain make of braid. Strength is only one factor but here are the results on three tries each.
FF 25, 30, 27
PP 24, 20, 29
I attribute the slight difference in each test on a given make of braid to not pulling perfectly the same each time. Machines made to do this would be more accurate. The claims that these two braids (labeled 20 pound test) break at 40 pounds or higher, however, do not seem warranted.
Now I am going to test the used line on the reel I was using. It has been on the reel for a year but that reel does not get much use.