|
Toeing the Line
|
A Clean Environment Depends on You!
-
Never leave your line behind. Many piers, docks,
marinas and bait and tackle shops have monofilament
recycling bins. Use them!
-
You can also recycle on your own by sending all
your worn-out monofilament to: Berkley Recycling
Collection Center, 1900 18th Street,
Spirit Lake, IA, 51360-1099. Call 1-800-BERKLEY for
details.
-
Cast with care. Look out for rocks, power lines,
bridges, other anglers and other obstacles likely to
cause you to have to break off your line.
-
Collect discarded line whenever you find it – it
may not be yours, but you can make a difference.
-
Obtain and adopt a recycling bin for your
favorite fishing and boating area.
|
Have you ever wondered about how all the different kinds
of fishing line are made? In the early 1900s, fishing line
was made from linen, silk and cotton. These lines had to
be carefully cared for by un-spooling the line, washing
it, spreading the line out, and drying it thoroughly to
prevent dry rot.
Fortunately, fishing line has come a long way since then.
Monofilament line is the most popular kind of fishing line
today, and has been around for years. It is made from a
mixture of polymers that are heated until they become a
fluid. The fluid is then forced through tiny holes to form
strands of line. How big the line will be is controlled by
how big a hole the fluid goes through.
Chemicals are added to the mixture that control things
like limpness or stiffness, toughness and color. With the
proper chemicals, lines can be tailored to fit a wide
range of needs.
One
common trait of all monofilament line is stretch. All mono
lines stretch, which can be good and bad. Stretchy line is
more forgiving if a big fish makes a sudden run, but it
also makes it a little more difficult to set a hook or
turn a fish in a hurry. The amount of stretch can also be
controlled by adding other chemicals, but monofilament
will always stretch some.
High-quality fishing lines are characterized by consistent
strength, color and diameter, and they will last longer
whether your reel sits in the garage or gets wet every
day.
No
matter what kind of line you use, be sure to discard of it
carefully. Line carelessly thrown away causes death and
injury to many kinds of marine wildlife, and can also
cause damage to boat motors and even swimmers.
|