Braid in cold weather

[smerchly]

I know some braids soak up water more than others & I have used braid in below freezing temperatures only to discover it draws water & freezes up until it clogges up the guides and then frays the line up badly . I was thinking (again) .... if I sprayed silicone on the spool of braid , it might repel water ,much like canvas does when sprayed with a water proof spray ??

[Guest Rockfish]

I know some braids soak up water more than others & I have used braid in below freezing temperatures only to discover it draws water & freezes up until it clogges up the guides and then frays the line up badly . I was thinking (again) .... if I sprayed silicone on the spool of braid , it might repel water ,much like canvas does when sprayed with a water proof spray ??

Put the silicone spray away Bill, before u ruin something else like u did your camera and stick to mono in cold weather.

[DarkEdge]

Actually, Bill, your solution is much simpler. Go to CT or "That other unmentionable store" and get some water proofing spray. Braid is almost the same as canvas, so you're right, you want it to shed the water. But silicone spray will leave a residue in the water. The water proofing spray dries, stays, and while it will wash off over time, it'll at least keep from spooking/possibly poisoning fish.

I've done it, once, because I had some braid on a microlite rod, and the wet line actually put too much weight on the tip. One bit of advice, though. Soak the spool with the spray, let it dry for about two days, then walk the line off the spool, and rewind it. Otherwise it'll clump together a bit too much, and you'll lose your casting. Otherwise, you could always slowly work the line over a wooden dowel, then rewind it back once it dries.

[Smokin Joe]

Bill you may also want to try the dry liquid wrench spray

[ron4blues]

Silicone is an excellent floatant used by fly anglers on both line and leader. Any chemical added to a line will interact with the water, even WD-40.

My biggest concern would be knot strength rather than whether or not it left a residue on the water. Keep in mind that it is a floatant, so you'll want to take that into consideration too. Using some treated scrap line, test your favorite knots before you treat your entire spool. Also test it for bouyancy to make sure you can live with the additional floatation.

You don't want that clinch knot slipping when you tie into that lunker of a lifetime.

[Guest Rockfish]

Silicone is an excellent floatant used by fly anglers on both line and leader. Any chemical added to a line will interact with the water, even WD-40.

My biggest concern would be knot strength rather than whether or not it left a residue on the water. Keep in mind that it is a floatant, so you'll want to take that into consideration too. Using some treated scrap line, test your favorite knots before you treat your entire spool. Also test it for bouyancy to make sure you can live with the additional floatation.

You don't want that clinch knot slipping when you tie into that lunker of a lifetime.

I'd be concerned about residue on the water, since it's polluting, lol. Just like chemicals like WD-40, it's mostly solvent and penetrating oil, not fish oil as ppl might think.

[smerchly]

some good info here ......I thought WD40 contained fish oil . There's tons of oil entering the lakes from vehicle exhausts , engines & trannies , outboards , manufacturing etc etc. Maybe spray Pam on the line or soak in my french fry oil ? But ,as Coachman said , the line would be more bouyant & I wouldn't want that . Also , any of these applications might be detrimental to the integrity of the braid over time . But , I like to experiment & I have some old braid that might volunteer for my test lab .

[Guest Pike212]

I've actually heard wd 40 is a good fish attractant, not that I've tested the theory myself, just funny to see you guys mention it.