Mono
The word mono-filament means single strand, which is made by melting down Polyamide (nylon) pellets and then extruded through very fine nozzles into long continuous strands. These hot strands are cooled slightly then carefully stretched to get the desired finished diameter. The line is then passed through various immersion tanks where a series of complicated coatings are added to change line color, UV resistance and add abrasion-resistant coatings, etc.
There is one particular characteristic which mono has and braid doesn't... STRETCH. Up until the late 1990’s feeder anglers required some stretch in their line. Most general nylon mono lines have a stretch factor along their length of between 20 and 30%. The German line, Maxima, actually has quite a high stretch factor, at about 34% and it was Maxima which proved the number one choice for feeder anglers for many years. Anglers liked the stretch and the exaggerated diameters of Maxima because the line was very forgiving and robust.
Stretch, of course, has its drawbacks. First, delicate bites can be hard to pick up. Secondly, the stretch muffled some of the force given to each cast. So anglers started using braid to help see these bites in difficult conditions and, in particular, to cast further than was possible with classic nylons.
About 5 or 6 year ago, mono manufacturers started to catch up with some of the braids 'Nil stretch'. Lines like Preston Direct Mono and Tubertini Gorilla Feeder started to appear on the shelves. These had stretch ratios of nearer 10%. There is now a good choice of these 'reduced stretch' feeder lines on the market, like the New MATCH FORCE Feeder fishing line.
Braid
Braid lines are made from twisting together a number of very fine strands of high density polyethylene fibers to produce a braided line, and, because the lines are twisted together, any stretch that would be inherent in a single strand of material is completely eliminated. There are two fiber types used to make fishing braids. Most European and Japanese braids are made using threads of Dyneema. American braids are made using Spectra fibers Both fibers have similar properties as they are both extremely strong. In fact, diameter for diameter, Dyneema claims to be 5 times stronger than quality steel, whilst claims for Spectra are as much as 10 times stronger!
Fishing is only a tiny part of the market for both these materials. Both are extensively used in a variety of applications from bullet proof vests to strong industrial rope and surgical stitching applications. These fiber lines are incredibly strong for their diameters. For instance, a standard 0.06mm mono line would have a breaking strain of about 500 grams, or 1lb+. A braid of the same diameter could be 4 kilos (8.5lb+) or even more!
The earliest braids used for fishing were natural Dyneema and flat in profile. The problem with natural Dyneema, as with Spectra, is that it floats. Ideal for surface lure fisherman in the USA, but not very acceptable for feeder anglers in Europe. Over time flat braids gave way to round profiled braids and 'sinking' braids. Kevlar is a very dense material and by adding anything up to 20% Kevlar strands, a braid can be made to sink. However, Kevlar is very abrasive. It was the Kevlar in some braids which started causing problems for tip anglers who were using feeder rods with poor quality lined rings. Some braids are now using polyester to help them sink, rather than braid.
There has been much talk in the 'big fish world' of new Fusion lines. Some, like Berkley Fireline, are made by giving the braided fibers a thin coating to make them feel less like material and more like fishing line. Others are made by heating the braided fibers to fuse them together, again to create more of a fishing line feel.
At the end of the day the choice between the two has become more difficult as new technologies keep on improving the way in which these lines are created. The subtle differences are what attracts the different anglers to their choice of preferred line and whether it be braid or mono its all about catching the fish!
