New & Standard Lines

Top row left to right: Spiderwire Ultracast Invisi-Braid, Spiderwire Stealth, Berkley FireLine Crystal, Daiwa Samurai Braid, Stren Super Braid, Spiderwire Ultracast. Bottom row left to right: Rapala Titanium Braid, Cortland Master Braid, Sufix Performance Braid, Rapala Titanium Braid, Cajun Braid, Stren Microfuse.

PowerPro: Starting with braided Spectra fiber, “Enhanced Body Technology” gives PowerPro its round, smooth, sensitive properties. PowerPro says this braid won’t bury in the spool, holds knots better, has longer casts, and maintains performance over time. Offered in moss green, white, high-vis yellow, and phantom red to 250-pound test. powerpro.com

Rapala: In 2007, Rapala introduced three new Rapala Titanium Superlines. Each version, built around Spectra fiber, has unique characteristics for different fishing situations. In Titanium Braid, available to 80-pound test, the Spectra fibers are bonded to a resin matrix reinforced with particles of titanium alloy, providing enhanced castability, improved knot strength, and abrasion-resistance.

Spectra and Dacron fibers were braided together to form Titanium Stretch Braid, resulting in the sensitivity of braid with 7-percent stretch for forgiveness, reportedly increasing strength over other superlines of similar diameter. Stretch Braid is offered in tests to 65 pounds. Two coatings, one for color and one for abrasion-resistance, are applied to a single strand of Spectra fibers to form Titanium Core, resulting in a tough line with a smooth surface. Available in up to 80-pound tests. rapala.com

Spiderwire: Ultracast Invisi-Braid is Spiderwire’s latest introduction. Constructed with Dyneema GPS fibers, this line’s patented translucency makes it nearly invisible underwater. Their “cold fusion” process generates a higher tensile strength and a greater strength-per-diameter line. Available in tests to 80 pounds, its roundness and durability equates to farther casts and longer life.

Spiderwire declares their Ultracast as “the best braid ever.” Ultracast, offered in low-vis green and high-vis yellow to 130-pound test, is long-casting, smooth, and durable. Stealth—made of Teflon pressure-treated microfibers—is a tough, quiet, smooth-casting braid that resists burying in spools. It comes in tracer yellow or moss green in break-strengths to 100 pounds. spiderwire.com

Stren: New for 2008 is Stren Microfuse, a thermally fused braided line made from Dyneema microfibers. Available in tests up to 30 pounds, it’s an option for pike and light-duty muskie fishing. Stren says this clear superline is nearly invisible underwater. Above water, UV light turns it a high-vis fluorescent blue (clouds or sun), and glows neon blue under a black light for night-fishing. The smooth surface enhances castability. Stren Super Braid, available in tests up to 200 pounds, features “Advanced Microbond Technology” to maintain body and shape. A highly castable and reliable line in high-vis gold and low-vis green. stren.com

Sufix: Performance Braid from Sufix is built with “Y6 Digital Braiding” to ensure easy handling, along with extreme strength at small diameter. To expand on their moss green and hi-vis yellow colors, Sufix has developed a new blaze-orange Neon Fluorescent Fire Braid, which infuses fluorescent pigments into the line’s fibers so the line is highly visible in low light and glows at night under ultraviolet light. Available in tests to 130 pounds. sufix.com

TUF-Line: TUF-Line XP braid from Western Filament is made with “Tension Lock Technology,” allowing more compaction of the fibers for a braid that’s smaller in diameter and packs tighter on reels. XP is offered in high-vis yellow up to 200-pound test. Original TUF-Line is made from Spectra fibers. Salt-and-pepper pattern comes in tests to 200 pounds. wfilament.com