Feeder fishing is advancing at a rate of knots, both in terms of its popularity and the gear that is now available, so having the right tackle is important and with so much variation in venues nowadays, having the best lines for feeder fishing is just as crucial as any other item in your armoury. Getting it wrong can lead to missed bites, reduced distances and reduced success.
In terms of the best lines for feeder fishing, there are two main options to choose from when it comes to your mainline, and they are braid or mono. Both of these lines have their advantages and disadvantages, and each will outperform the other in certain situations. Standard mono is still widely used and is considered better as an all-rounder as it is much more user-friendly. Cheap and durable, it sinks reasonably well, and its degree of stretch acts as a shock absorber against hard-fighting fish.
The best lines for feeder fishing at a glance:
• Best Value Line For Feeder Fishing: Daiwa Sensor - View offer on Fishing Tackle and Bait
• Best All-Round Feeder Fishing Braid: Preston Innovations Absolute Feeder Braid - View offer on Fishing Tackle and Bait
• Best Line For Method Feeder Fishing: Drennan Method/Feeder Mono - View offer on Fishing Tackle and Bait
• Best In Class Feeder Fishing Line - Guru Pulse Pro Line - View offer on Fishing Tackle and Bait
Braid, on the other hand, is a completely different beast. It has zero stretch, meaning bite detection and casting accuracy are improved, and there is less drag in the water, so a lighter quivertip can be used with an undertow or on rivers. But it can be tricky to play big fish on, it’s often banned on commercials and it can be awkward to sink when using small feeders on shallow lakes. If you’re looking to regularly cast a long way or launch out heavy feeders, a shockleader is a must in the form of a couple of rod lengths of heavier line (typically 10lb-plus). So, let’s have a look at some of the best lines for feeder fishing available.
Mono
1.
Daiwa Sensor
Best value line for feeder fishing
www.fishingtackleandbait.co.uk
Description
With a medium amount of stretch and cheap as chips, Daiwa Sensor is a great go-anywhere line!
Widely available and made in a huge choice of diameters and in spool sizes from 100m right through to huge 3000m bulk spools, you can see why Sensor is the go-to line for thousands of anglers.
Pros
- Cheap, high-capacity spools.
- Very strong.
Cons
- Not the lowest diameter.
Best feeder fishing line for strength
www.fishingtackleandbait.co.uk
Description
With a long-standing fan base so passionate they are unlikely to ever use anything else, Maxima Chameleon is a very high-stretch mono – quite thick but unbelievably hard to break.
Maxima Chameleon sinks like a stone, making setting the tip a doddle. High abrasion resistance and great knot strength make it the ideal choice when brute strength is needed. Comes in 100m/300m/600m.
Pros
- Super strong, even in lower-breaking strains.
- Supplied on affordable high-capacity spools.
Cons
- Is quite stretchy.
Best feeder fishing line for usability
www.fishingtackleandbait.co.uk
Description
Retaining many of the attributes of Daiwa Sensor, Hyper Sensor has a little less stretch and a reduced diameter.
It’s worth spending a few extra quid when extra casting distance and bite detection are required. This line comes in dark brown and gunmetal grey colours on standard 300m and bulk spools.
Pros
- Good for casting.
- High knot strength.
Cons
- A bit more expensive than standard Sensor.
4.
Middy M-Tech
Best feeder fishing line for commercials
Description
Middy M-Tech is an exceptional all-round reel line that sinks like a brick thanks to its hard-shell coating.
Developed for Method and up-in-the-water carp fishing, it lasts ages on your reels. It has good abrasion resistance and a high knot strength. A bulk 300m spool will fill two reels.
Pros
- Incredibly strong.
- Enough capacity to fill two reels.
Cons
- Not the lowest diameter.
Best in class feeder fishing line
www.fishingtackleandbait.co.uk
Description
Guru Pulse Pro is a top-flight long-distance line with extra-low stretch and a fine diameter.
The lack of stretch isn’t great for short-range work, but it’s well worth investing in for longer casts. On 300m spools with a sticker at the midway point, allowing the same 150m length of line be wound on to each spool.
Pros
- Superb for casting.
- Incredibly fine diameter.
Cons
- Low stretch can cause problems at close range with big fish.
Best method feeder fishing line
www.fishingtackleandbait.co.uk
Description
The Drennan Feeder/Method Mono is a really smooth and supple line that is great for frequent casting. It is very robust and durable, perfectly suited to the demanding nature of method feeder fishing. The pale brown colour blends in great with most bottoms and is a superb choice if fishing up to snaggy islands or rivers where there are large boulders, as it will take some punishment.
Available in 100 and 250m spools and breaking strains of 4lb upto 12lb. The line sinks really well too, which is always useful for feeder fishing but even more so when quick bites may be on the cards.
Pros
- Sinks really well.
- Very durable.
Cons
- There are better lines for really long-distance casting.
Best all-round feeder fishing mono
www.gooutdoors.co.uk
Description
Relatively new but already gaining a lot of fans, Preston Reflo Sinking Feeder Mono is a low diameter, moderate to low-stretch line, which comes on 150m spools.
It suits all kinds of feeder fishing, from small roach and skimmers in the finer diameters through to heavy-duty Method fishing for lumps!
Pros
- Low diameter and great for casting.
- Good abrasion resistance.
Cons
- Fairly small spool size.
BRAID
Best all-round feeder fishing braid
www.fishingtackleandbait.co.uk
Description
The Preston Absolute Braid is constructed from an eight-strand PE material in a unique red colour.
This braid has a coating applied during manufacture that really helps it cut through surface tension and gives it a red finish. It comes supplied on 150m spools in 0.08mm, 0.10mm and 0.12mm diameters, all with breaking strains above 13lb.
Pros
- Incredibly smooth casting performance.
- Unique colouration.
Cons
- The thinner diameter can be prone to wind knots, make sure its well wetted before using.
Best casting braid for feeder fishing
www.fishingtackleandbait.co.uk
Description
The Guru Pulse 8-braid is a strong and smooth eight-strand braid, its rounded profile means that it casts very well.
Extremely strong and low diameter, the 0.08mm breaks at 15lb, 0.10mm at 18lb and 0.12mm at 24lb. The 150m spools ensure there is enough for all feeder fishing needs.
Pros
- Fantastic for casting.
- Very strong.
Cons
- Not the best sinking braid available.
Best sinking braid for feeder fishing
www.ebay.co.uk
Description
From the makers of Submerge, the first hi-tech feeder braid comes the Matrix Horizon X Coated Braid. This line, which has a special coating that makes it smoother, sinks better and has a slightly stiffer profile to prevent wind knots.
With a breaking strain of 11lb at 0.08mm, it is more than strong enough for all feeder applications. Comes in three sizes on 150m spools.
Pros
- Sinks well.
- Smooth performance.
Cons
- The coating does slightly reduce the casting distances.
Shockleaders
Best strongest shock leader for feeder fishing
www.ebay.co.uk
Description
The Guru Shield's low stretch allows all the power of the compressed rod to be transferred to the cast.
The Guru Shiled's ultra-smooth finish ensures it passes through guides well, and it retains strength well after knotting. On 100m spools in breaking strains of 8lb/10lb/12lb.
Pros
- High knot strength.
- Ultra smooth finish.
Cons
- Knot can be a little large in the higher breaking strains.
Best tapered shock leader for feeder fishing
www.total-fishing-tackle.com
Description
The Matrix Horizon X is a tapered pre-tied leader supplied in packs of five.
This shockleader is tapered from 12lb at the end where you tie your rig, down to 8lb, greatly reducing the size of the knot to the mainline. Each pack contains five 12m-long leaders.
Pros
- Smoothly travels through the rod rings.
- Low diameter makes a small knot.
Cons
- The 12lb taper might be a bit thick but it can be trimmed back to suit.
What to look for in a feeder fishing line
As with any type of angling, your line choice will be dictated by the venue and the species you intend on targeting. There would be little use in using a light, feeder fishing line when targeting big carp and barbel, the same as using a thick diameter line for trying to cast a long way. Always suit your line to best serve the situation you are faced with.
If you're fishing for species like bream, skimmers and roach on a large natural venue, the best line for feeder fishing in that scenario would be to use a braided mainline. The zero stretch properties of braid will magnify even the shiest of bites and indications allowing you to act on them, the same bites when using a mono may not register giving you a false impression of what is happening in your swim.
If you're targeting large fish that tend to pull the rod in and feed far more aggressively, then a mono is definitely far the best line for feeder fishing. Braid is banned on the majority of commercial fisheries too. Mono has great shock absorption properties and is far more robust against snags due to the stretchier properties it has. If you're new to feeder fishing a mono is always the best line to start with, it's far more user friendly and forgiving, allowing you to get used to casting and landing fish, before maybe trying a braid if you feel the need to.
Glossary
Diameter: The distance across a circle, which equates to how thick a line is. The higher the diameter the thicker the line will be.
Breaking strain: The amount of pressure that must be applied to an unknotted line before the line breaks. Therefore it doesn't mean you can only catch fish upto 10lb on 10lb line.
Abrasion resistance: The ability of a surface to resist being worn away by rubbing or friction, the better the resistance, the more it will resist being worn away.
High stretch: The amount a line will stretch varies amongst monofilaments, a higher stretch line will just simply stretch further at a given length then a low stretch.
Supple: How easily something bends and moves, the more supple, the more freely an object will move.
Spool: A cylindrical device upon which the line is wound.
High knot strength: The ability to maintain strength as close to the original breaking strain after knotting the line.
Monofilament line: Monofilament fishing line (shortened to just mono) is fishing line made from a single fibre of plastic material.
Braided line: Braids are made by braiding or weaving fibres of a man-made material into a strand of line. The strand number will indicate how many fibres are woven together.
Shockleader: A length of heavier breaking strain line that is attached to your main fishing line so that it does not break during the cast.
Frequently asked questions on feeder fishing lines
Is it better to use braid or mono for feeder fishing?
If you're fishing for smaller silverfish and bream at any sort of range past 20m, a braid will definitely benefit you, as it will show bites and indications up far more clearly than a mono will. If you are fishing for carp on a commercial, or silverfish for that matter, a mono mainline would be the better choice. Mono has more stretch in it to be able to cushion the harder fighting fish like carp and bigger bream in commercials, and without that you would suffer a lot of hook pulls.
Will diameter affect the distance I can cast?
The higher the diameter, the thicker the line, the more friction it will produce through the rod rings when it is cast. If you are looking for extreme distances, using a lighter line with a shock leader will help. We would advise though, if the fish are simply too far, do not use a line that will not be up to landing the fish, just so you can reach them. As all breakages that can be avoided should be.
Does line colour matter?
This is a debate that will never end in fishing, simply because we just can't ask the fish what they can and cannot see. While clearer lines would be the obvious choice for us, they may be more detectable underwater. Quite simply, the manufacturers make line in colours they sell, that must mean they are popular, and people have confidence in them. Try not to worry too much about the colour, especially if the line will be on or near the bottom out of sight anyway.
Author Dan Webb first became involved in angling journalism in 2015 and has worked as Tackle Tester at Angling Times since April 2021. He is a fanatical all-round match angler and former England Youth International.