The author marvels at the variety of gel-spun polymer braided lines, but wonders about breaking strength ratings.

Spectra has a DPF of three, since the fibers are three times the diameter of Dyneema. In layman’s terms, that means it’s stiffer and has a “wiry” feel, which contributes to how it behaves on spinning reels.

One final consideration is based on how anglers knot superbraids to a short length of monofilament in order to provide a measure of shock resistance, along with decreased visibility. I know this from experience, and make my connections with a double-surgeon’s knot. We acknowledge that you may do it differently, so we didn’t bother to test this knot. Some anglers insist on tying a Bimini twist to first double the braid, before tying a uni- or some other knot to the shock leader. This seems to ensure a 100 percent connection.

Superbraids have literally become an overnight success. You’ll find them on everything from fly reels to deep-drop rigs, since their amazing strength-to-diameter ratios, coupled with low stretch and abrasion-resistance, makes them a natural for a variety of situations.

Still, they’re not exactly a cure-all. With a 400-yard spool of 20-pound going for as much as $50, GSP isn’t used for tying up tomato plants. I doubt it will replace monofilament, but while a few fly fishermen may worry about being sliced, and a plug caster or two might complain that the lack of stretch works against them, the message comes through loud and clear:

Superbraids are here to stay. What’s more, each proprietary type or brand name will continue to attract its share of adherents who base their choice more on actual fishing conditions than on any empirical chart.

Using International Game Fish Association testing equipment in Dania, samples were tested dry and wet (shown here soaking).

In Dave Burch’s words: “I’ve spoken to thousands of anglers. One thing I know for sure is that no one product is right for everyone.”

He’s right. In fact, that’s why we’re running this article.

FS