* Lockdown Special - Update *

If you read my latest Blog you will know it detailed my attempts at selecting a new line for my reels. I did a Selection Matrix with a set of five criteria:

The Fox Exocet narrowly edged it by virtue of the fact I scored it better on strength. As I described in the text, the strength test was conducted by tying a Figure-of-Eight loop in the end of the line and pulling it between my (gloved) hand and a puller tool in an attempt at breaking it. This test was repeated five times and resulted in one failure for the Fox and two for the Shimano - hence the Fox narrowly squeaked it by one failure to two and scored the point shown in the Table.

Thinking about the fact I had any failures at all, this demonstrated an inconsistency in my testing method. Perhaps I managed to pull a little harder on the three occasions the knot failed? I didn’t think this was the case as my hardest pull - was exactly that - as hard as I was able to pull! I thus reasoned that there was some variation in the way I had tied the knotted loop. I decided to repeat all the tests again.

The Importance Of The Knot

To begin, I tied the Figure-of-Eight in exactly the same way as I had done before; did the test, and it failed! Hmmmm… something wrong here.

Examining the failure, I noticed that the line had in fact not failed at all i.e. it wasn’t the line that had parted - but the knot itself. It was the knot that failed (which is what you would expect given that all knots are inherently weaker than the parent line). I deduced there must be an inconsistency in the way I tied the knot rather than there being an inconsistency in the line itself. Of course, it doesn’t rule out the fact there might be something wrong in different parts of the line but I thought this highly unlikely as visual inspection showed complete uniformity in what was brand new line straight out of the box.

And then I found out what the difference was.

I tied the Figure-of-Eight again but didn’t pull the tag end tight. I pulled the knot down but made only a cursory attempt at pulling the tag tight. Did the test - and it failed.

Re-tying yet again, I got a pair of pliers and pulled the tag end really tight this time; and I couldn’t break it (on either of the lines). I cut off the loop and re-tied it again, repeating the method of pulling the tag end with pliers. I couldn’t break that one either.

This was repeated until I got fed up with repeating it (which would have been about ten times, including both the lines). No failures. I concluded therefore it was the tying method which resulted in the failures rather than any failure in the lines themselves.

One interesting thing I noted related to the Shimano. When I pulled on the line I eventually reached the point where stretch started to occur, the whole thing acting like a spring. Increasing the pull however ‘locked up’ and the line would stretch no more. I think if I could have somehow mustered additional strength from somewhere it would have broken past this point and anyone who knows anything about strength of materials recognises this is fairly standard behaviour for something put under tensile test. The Fox didn’t exhibit this behaviour - at least not under any pull I could muster. I therefore concluded it was inherently stronger than the Shimano and was a higher breaking strain, confirmed by what it said on the boxes.

This not only changes the overall result of the trial but underlines the absolute need to tie knots correctly. It is absolutely imperative every knot in your tackle is paid scrupulous attention to - and tested to ensure it is of adequate strength, otherwise the ‘fish of a lifetime’ might well be lost.

So the Selection Matrix now looks like this:

Since neither line failed on strength, they are now each awarded a one in the table. This reverses the result and makes the Shimano Technium the winner, albeit by the narrowest of margins. In fact, so little is there between the lines I would be quite happy to use either for the type of fishing I do. Were I to be in a situation where a little extra strength is needed such as having to turn a fish away from snags, then I would plump for the Fox Exocet since it is stronger but for ‘open water’ fishing both are equally as good.