BassBlaster

Biodegradable Fishing Line – You buying?

biodegradable-fishing-lineI’ve come across the mentioning of biodegradable fishing line a few times over the past year, so I finally sat down and dug up some info on it. At first glance it doesn’t seem like something the average basser would want to invest in, but the details make it sound rather interesting.

There are a couple companies that have such line out now. Eagle Claw is one here in the U.S., and Toray is another over in Japan. The latter really caught my eye, because I’m a big fan of their lines. First, let’s start with a question. How long does it take for regular monofilament to completely decompose on its own in the environment? If you guessed 600 years (you did, didn’t you?), you’re right. Fluorocarbon supposedly takes even longer than that. That’s the bad news about all the fishing line you see tossed about in fishing areas. What about this new “bioline”? Supposedly just 5 years until it’s completely gone – about 120 times faster.

bio_lineOf course, the big questions like will it start decomposing on my reel and weaken, does it stretch, how expensive is it, etc. are what most anglers want to know about. From the reports and the marketing I’ve read, the line comes in sizes from 4-12 pound test, and has the same neutrally buoyant properties as a monofilament. Yet, strength and stretch of the line won’t change under use, because more like fluorocarbon, this new line won’t absorb water. It is supposed to be very pliable, display good abrasion resistance, and again like fluorocarbon, is highly UV resistant. They also state it is clear in color, and will hold 100% strength for 10-12 months, meaning an angler will never notice the difference in performance if he changes his line out at least once a year (who doesn’t – unless you’re a braid king of guy/gal).

Seems like they’ve had a hard time getting the word out though, and an even harder time getting this stuff stocked in stores. Supposedly several hundred Wal-Marts are carrying it, and I heard it can be bought online at various tackle distributors. Still, the line market is a very competitive and even overfilled environment, so getting the stuff out there continues to be a challenge. Of course, the other challenge – would you ever use it even if it was readily available?

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