by John Merwin

There’s a new fishing line out from Berkley this month that you’re going to be hearing a lot about. It’s called NanoFil. The company says it’s the strongest, thinnest line ever, designed specifically for greater casting distance and enhanced sensitivity with light- to medium-weight spinning tackle. I’ve finally obtained a sample, so here’s a quick report.

The line is made from Dyneema (gel-spun polyethylene) fibers as are many of the company’s other superlines. In this case, though, the fibers aren’t braided but are “molecularly linked and shaped into a unified filament,” according to Berkley. So while the line is effectively a single filament, it’s not a monofilament in the sense of extruded nylon lines. (Nor is it the same as Berkley’s FireLine, in which Dyneema fibers are fused by heat.)

It is round in cross-section, but not hard round like nylon monos. I can, for example, somewhat flatten a section of NanoFil with my thumbnail. It is, indeed, extraordinarily strong for its diameter. My sample spool is labeled 8-pound-test and .006” diameter. I measured the diameter at .007”, so it’s pretty close to spec.

On my line tester, meanwhile, samples of 8-pound (labeled) NanoFil broke as high as 16 pounds. That’s really quite amazing considering how thin the stuff is in the first place. The line is fairly limp, having little to no memory.

Walleye, bass, and trout anglers all stand to benefit. Casting distance will be increased (to the extent that that’s an issue, which it isn’t always). I will, for example, be able to throw a small spinner much farther out into my local trout pond when fishing from shore. And I will be able to finesse smaller baits more easily for both bass and walleyes.

Like most polyethylene-based lines, NanoFil is extremely slick and slippery, requiring special knots. Berkley recommends a “NanoFil Knot,” which is your basic Palomar with an extra turn. You can find excellent animated knot schematics here.

NanoFil is expensive. Are you surprised? A 150-yard spool starts at $19.95. The line will be available in 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-pound tests. The 1-pound specs at an incredible .001” while the 12-pound specs at .008”. The color is a milky white translucent, meaning not clear but not completely opaque either. I’m told it will start appearing on tackle-store shelves by mid-June.

So do I like this stuff? Yes! The only drawback I can see, other than price, is that people will have a difficult time tying some knots because of the line’s extremely small diameter. Fine diameters are just that much harder to work with for fumble-fingered folks. So take a deep breath and take your time.

Comments (13)

from gfrichie wrote 50 weeks 2 days ago

This looks great! How does it feel in comparison to mono as far as memory and stretch?

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from Koldkut wrote 50 weeks 2 days ago

John, How does this stuff stack up to Flouro in regards to stretch? I've been looking towards upgrading lines. Also, any word on how it holds up to exposure to sunlight? When I can spool a single spinning reel 7 times over with Trilene XL, I want to know that not only am I getting performance, but a little bit of longevity out of my purchase.

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from steelhead08 wrote 50 weeks 2 days ago

Thanks for the report John! I've been to the website[still a bit cryptic in re. to NanoFil]and your report answered pretty much all queries I still had. Yeah, I knew the stuff wasn't going to be cheap however, if it's even close to Fireline's attributes, I'm a customer period!

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from jbird wrote 50 weeks 2 days ago

I like the new line technology, but the knots are a pain. I imagine tying the "Nanofil" knot to a small spinner while standing in the middle of a stream in waders would be a nightmare.

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from Ethan3 wrote 50 weeks 2 days ago

Would like to see a comparison chart with all the lines, and this new stuff. Does it sink? Does it have more stretch or less than fluoro? Etc.

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from johnmerwin wrote 50 weeks 2 days ago

Okay, a few answers, at least as I see them:

NanoFil, in common with other superlines, has near-zero stretch, much less than mono or fluoro. That means greatly enhanced sensitivity. And like other such lines it is generally unaffected by UV light, so longevity on the spool is excellent. NanoFil has very little memory.

That said, I wouldn't throw away my Trilene XL or other favored mono, which is perfectly good everyday line. And if I wanted to get into a superline for the first time, I'd probably try Berkley's FireLine or its arch-competitor, PowerPro. Both are less expensive than NanoFil. The big deal with this new line is extreme strength at even smaller diameters, which can be a plus on light spinning tackle. It will not work well on baitcasters because the small diameter will dig in to the spool on a hard hookset, causing tangles.

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from Koldkut wrote 50 weeks 2 days ago

Nice, thanks for the info John. I will be trying this stuff out on my next new rod reel combo. I use powerpro on my baitcaster and the sensitivity is unmatched to anything else I've tried.

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from shane wrote 50 weeks 13 hours ago

20 bucks for a 150 yard spool isn't even that bad. Sure beats fluoro.

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from Thomas1234 wrote 49 weeks 6 days ago

thanks for the info and review. Will be getting this stuff when it comes out hopefully.

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from Dwain wrote 48 weeks 5 days ago

The one question I have is how abrasion resistant is it.I fell for that load of crap when the first kevlar line came out and again when the super braids came out.We found that30# big game or ande line took abrasion better then 100# spider wire,power pro ,etc.when fishing around oil rigs.
I never could understand how the pros would come on tv and lie about how much better the abrasion resistance was
on these braids,maybe they got paid enough to.I have had 80# braid wear off on a new rod trolling large plugs and the guides were perfect.

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from Dwain wrote 48 weeks 5 days ago

The one question I have is how abrasion resistant is it.I fell for that load of crap when the first kevlar line came out and again when the super braids came out.We found that30# big game or ande line took abrasion better then 100# spider wire,power pro ,etc.when fishing around oil rigs.
I never could understand how the pros would come on tv and lie about how much better the abrasion resistance was
on these braids,maybe they got paid enough to.I have had 80# braid wear off on a new rod trolling large plugs and the guides were perfect.

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from JimmyKidd wrote 46 weeks 4 days ago

After reading this, I went and ordered some. Should have it on Tuesday, will be trying it soon after that. Can't wait!!!

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from RaymondWells wrote 44 weeks 5 days ago

I have some on order as well, will be using a good quality swivel on mine to have to keep from tying as often and from preventing line twist when using small spinners like Joe's Fly's and Rooster Tails. I'm looking forward to the added distance with the ultralight spinners.

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from johnmerwin wrote 50 weeks 2 days ago

Okay, a few answers, at least as I see them:

NanoFil, in common with other superlines, has near-zero stretch, much less than mono or fluoro. That means greatly enhanced sensitivity. And like other such lines it is generally unaffected by UV light, so longevity on the spool is excellent. NanoFil has very little memory.

That said, I wouldn't throw away my Trilene XL or other favored mono, which is perfectly good everyday line. And if I wanted to get into a superline for the first time, I'd probably try Berkley's FireLine or its arch-competitor, PowerPro. Both are less expensive than NanoFil. The big deal with this new line is extreme strength at even smaller diameters, which can be a plus on light spinning tackle. It will not work well on baitcasters because the small diameter will dig in to the spool on a hard hookset, causing tangles.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from JimmyKidd wrote 46 weeks 4 days ago

After reading this, I went and ordered some. Should have it on Tuesday, will be trying it soon after that. Can't wait!!!

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from gfrichie wrote 50 weeks 2 days ago

This looks great! How does it feel in comparison to mono as far as memory and stretch?

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Koldkut wrote 50 weeks 2 days ago

John, How does this stuff stack up to Flouro in regards to stretch? I've been looking towards upgrading lines. Also, any word on how it holds up to exposure to sunlight? When I can spool a single spinning reel 7 times over with Trilene XL, I want to know that not only am I getting performance, but a little bit of longevity out of my purchase.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from steelhead08 wrote 50 weeks 2 days ago

Thanks for the report John! I've been to the website[still a bit cryptic in re. to NanoFil]and your report answered pretty much all queries I still had. Yeah, I knew the stuff wasn't going to be cheap however, if it's even close to Fireline's attributes, I'm a customer period!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from jbird wrote 50 weeks 2 days ago

I like the new line technology, but the knots are a pain. I imagine tying the "Nanofil" knot to a small spinner while standing in the middle of a stream in waders would be a nightmare.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Ethan3 wrote 50 weeks 2 days ago

Would like to see a comparison chart with all the lines, and this new stuff. Does it sink? Does it have more stretch or less than fluoro? Etc.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Koldkut wrote 50 weeks 2 days ago

Nice, thanks for the info John. I will be trying this stuff out on my next new rod reel combo. I use powerpro on my baitcaster and the sensitivity is unmatched to anything else I've tried.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from shane wrote 50 weeks 13 hours ago

20 bucks for a 150 yard spool isn't even that bad. Sure beats fluoro.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Thomas1234 wrote 49 weeks 6 days ago

thanks for the info and review. Will be getting this stuff when it comes out hopefully.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Dwain wrote 48 weeks 5 days ago

The one question I have is how abrasion resistant is it.I fell for that load of crap when the first kevlar line came out and again when the super braids came out.We found that30# big game or ande line took abrasion better then 100# spider wire,power pro ,etc.when fishing around oil rigs.
I never could understand how the pros would come on tv and lie about how much better the abrasion resistance was
on these braids,maybe they got paid enough to.I have had 80# braid wear off on a new rod trolling large plugs and the guides were perfect.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Dwain wrote 48 weeks 5 days ago

The one question I have is how abrasion resistant is it.I fell for that load of crap when the first kevlar line came out and again when the super braids came out.We found that30# big game or ande line took abrasion better then 100# spider wire,power pro ,etc.when fishing around oil rigs.
I never could understand how the pros would come on tv and lie about how much better the abrasion resistance was
on these braids,maybe they got paid enough to.I have had 80# braid wear off on a new rod trolling large plugs and the guides were perfect.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from RaymondWells wrote 44 weeks 5 days ago

I have some on order as well, will be using a good quality swivel on mine to have to keep from tying as often and from preventing line twist when using small spinners like Joe's Fly's and Rooster Tails. I'm looking forward to the added distance with the ultralight spinners.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.