Ultrahigh molecular-weight polyethylene — the generic name for both Honeywell Spectra and DSM Dyneema fiber — has been used to make thin, strong fishing line for two decades. “Braid gives you greater capacity, more strength, better longevity and increases versatility,” says Bryce Poyer, owner of White Water Outfitters (whitewateroutfitters.net) on eastern Long Island, New York. “If you change monofilament like you should, braid backing saves money over time.” To learn Poyer’s strategies for backing reels with braid, I spent a day at his shop.Spool Capacity Versus Line StrengthBraid is about four times stronger than monofilament line of the same diameter. But for a given breaking strength, monofilament is a little more than twice the diameter of braid. Why the unequal relationship? As the diameter doubles, the ...![offshore fishing reels]()
