by John Merwin

Back in early June, I wrote a glowing tech review here of Berkley’s new NanoFil spinning line. Since then, that product has won an “Innovation of the Year” award at EFFTEX, the European tackle-trade show, and a “Best in Show” award at ICAST, the U.S. fishing trade show. That combination generally marks NanoFil as the hottest new fishing product of any type for the coming year.

I’ve finally gotten extensive time on the water with this new line, which included the fat walleye shown in the photo, so here’s an updated report.

First, at ICAST I grilled Joe Meyers from Pure Fishing/Berkley intensely about just how NanoFil is produced. Meyers is a very talented process engineer, which means he figures out how to make things. Yes, he acknowledged, NanoFil is made from Dyneema filaments (gel-spun polyethylene) like other superlines but is fused into a single filament rather than being braided.

Because polyethylene is basically chemically inert, I suspected that Berkley’s marketing claim of “molecularly linked” fibers to be mostly BS. Meyers more or less acknowledged that, but at the same time would only say “heat, pressure, and some secret sauce” when I pressed further for details. He smiled. I smiled. And I left the Pure Fishing booth still scratching my head.

Next I took my sample of 8-pound NanoFil to Lac Seul in northwestern Ontario, which happens to be one of North America’s hottest walleye lakes. Here F&S Deputy Editor Dave Hurteau and I literally caught all the walleyes we wanted while fishing out of Anderson’s Lodge. Because most walleye fishing is all about sensitivity and being able to feel light bites, it was the perfect place to test a new line.

The new NanoFil was just exceptional. We used two light spinning set-ups; one reel spooled with 8-pound NanoFil, the other with 6-pound nylon mono. The NanoFil performed well on a spinning reel: No tangles, no fuss, no muss, along with definitely enhanced casting distance because of the line’s ultra-small diameter. As we jigged with either live minnows or Gulp! baits in 15 to 20 feet of water, the no-stretch NanoFil gave a superb feel for both the bottom rocks and the gentle tap-tap of a taking fish. By contrast, the other reel filled with light, stretchy mono felt like total mush.

When we chose instead to troll small, deep-diving crankbaits, NanoFil was again a huge advantage. First, the fine diameter gave trolled baits added depth because the line itself has less water resistance. Second, the line’s no-stretch aspect let me feel every wiggle of a waggling chartreuse Wally Diver along with every little rap from a striking walleye. Here again, light mono--while it still worked--was nowhere nearly as successful.

To say I’m sold on the new NanoFil would be an understatement. It’s just a fantastic product for use on light spinning tackle. It’s not cheap at $20 for a 150-yard spool, but it’s worth every penny. You can read more about the line on Berkley’s website.

Comments (7)

from vtbasser wrote 37 weeks 6 days ago

Why not just use any other braid in a light pound test? I'd be interested to see a strength and abrasion resistance comparison between some light braid and NanoFil.

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from nuclear_fisher wrote 37 weeks 6 days ago

That sounds pretty solid. I think I'll be replacing my ultralight with that when I have to replace my fireline.

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from jbird wrote 37 weeks 6 days ago

Does it requiere a specific type of knot?

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from HelloStrega wrote 37 weeks 6 days ago

jbird. They recommend the "nanofil" knot which is a palomar knot with an extra twist around the loop. i.e. double overhand knot instead of a single.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvGuqm0ulOs

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from UNI77 wrote 37 weeks 6 days ago

i bought this line early this summer and it has been the bomb!! ive caught several 30+ inch northerns on the 6 lbs test. im also able to cast light finesse worms way farther cause it casts so nice. this line is worth investing in

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from johnmerwin wrote 37 weeks 6 days ago

vtbasser asks a very good question. First, the advantages of NanoFil over nylon mono are obvious. But what about other superlines? Lightweight FireLine, for example, or SpiderWire.

What I think you'll find is that NanoFil is 10 to 20 percent stronger per diameter than most other superlines. That's just an educated guess based on my reading of various manufacturers' line specs. Do I trust those specs? No, not necessarily.

Trouble is, superline diameters can't be read with the normal micrometers I use to check mono or fluoro. Even the slight pressure of the micrometer's anvils on the line causes the softer superlines to deform, making an accurate measurement impossible.

Those superlines need to be measured with an optical comparator, to which I don't have access. Any volunteers? I'd send you some samples.

NanoFil is sufficiently round and firm that I can use a standard mike, which is how I got the data in one of my earlier reports. Note that the low-stretch (sensitivity) aspect of NanoFil will be pretty much the same as other superlines made of the same polyethylene material (Dyneema). So no big advantage there.

Finally, vtbasser mentioned abrasion resistance. This is such a complicated topic that I think I'll devote next week's blog post just to that. For now, I'll just say that I don't think any superlines are especially abrasion resistant, various manufacturers' claims to the contrary not withstanding.

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from David Botkin wrote 26 weeks 6 days ago

I read the good reviews and decided to re-spool 3 reels with this new line. What a mistake! I used the 6 lb NanoFil on 3 ultra-lite spinning reels. The line frayed, developed coils, and many nasty tangles. I am 70 years old and have fished my whole life. I have used many types of line from Dacron to the super-braids (I love PowerPro), and this is the worst line I have ever used. Fortunately I had a spool of Trilene with me; I had to cut the NanoFil off and re-spool in the boat. I don't know why my experience was so different from the above users.

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from vtbasser wrote 37 weeks 6 days ago

Why not just use any other braid in a light pound test? I'd be interested to see a strength and abrasion resistance comparison between some light braid and NanoFil.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from HelloStrega wrote 37 weeks 6 days ago

jbird. They recommend the "nanofil" knot which is a palomar knot with an extra twist around the loop. i.e. double overhand knot instead of a single.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvGuqm0ulOs

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from johnmerwin wrote 37 weeks 6 days ago

vtbasser asks a very good question. First, the advantages of NanoFil over nylon mono are obvious. But what about other superlines? Lightweight FireLine, for example, or SpiderWire.

What I think you'll find is that NanoFil is 10 to 20 percent stronger per diameter than most other superlines. That's just an educated guess based on my reading of various manufacturers' line specs. Do I trust those specs? No, not necessarily.

Trouble is, superline diameters can't be read with the normal micrometers I use to check mono or fluoro. Even the slight pressure of the micrometer's anvils on the line causes the softer superlines to deform, making an accurate measurement impossible.

Those superlines need to be measured with an optical comparator, to which I don't have access. Any volunteers? I'd send you some samples.

NanoFil is sufficiently round and firm that I can use a standard mike, which is how I got the data in one of my earlier reports. Note that the low-stretch (sensitivity) aspect of NanoFil will be pretty much the same as other superlines made of the same polyethylene material (Dyneema). So no big advantage there.

Finally, vtbasser mentioned abrasion resistance. This is such a complicated topic that I think I'll devote next week's blog post just to that. For now, I'll just say that I don't think any superlines are especially abrasion resistant, various manufacturers' claims to the contrary not withstanding.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from nuclear_fisher wrote 37 weeks 6 days ago

That sounds pretty solid. I think I'll be replacing my ultralight with that when I have to replace my fireline.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from jbird wrote 37 weeks 6 days ago

Does it requiere a specific type of knot?

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from UNI77 wrote 37 weeks 6 days ago

i bought this line early this summer and it has been the bomb!! ive caught several 30+ inch northerns on the 6 lbs test. im also able to cast light finesse worms way farther cause it casts so nice. this line is worth investing in

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from David Botkin wrote 26 weeks 6 days ago

I read the good reviews and decided to re-spool 3 reels with this new line. What a mistake! I used the 6 lb NanoFil on 3 ultra-lite spinning reels. The line frayed, developed coils, and many nasty tangles. I am 70 years old and have fished my whole life. I have used many types of line from Dacron to the super-braids (I love PowerPro), and this is the worst line I have ever used. Fortunately I had a spool of Trilene with me; I had to cut the NanoFil off and re-spool in the boat. I don't know why my experience was so different from the above users.

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.