Fishing lines play a key role in fishing. For beginners, it is necessary to learn how to identify the quality of fishing line.

1. Look: when you get a fishing line, you should firstly look specifications or data indicators on package, which meet your demands or not. Then, open the package for visual inspection. No matter what color the fishing line is, gloss must exist on the surface of fishing line (except for braided lines). There must not colors on transparent line and colorful line should not blanch. If inconsistent color appears, the line must have quality problem. Moreover, find a distance of standard line to compare to purchased line. Check the line diameter similar or not. If the line diameter is quite the same, the line is quite. Otherwise, it is a line with poor quality. Fishing line with poor quality must enlarge diameter to ensure tensile force.

2. Touch: firstly, pull out a small length of fishing line, stroking gently by fingers, to check thickness and flatness. Put the line on palm and press it lightly, then, loosen palm to check the line restoration after stress. If the line recovers in short line, it is a good fishing line, otherwise, it is a poor line. What’s more, fishing line with good quality must be very soft, especially used as tippet, having many advantages. The softer the better, when the diameter is the same.

3. Trying out: test is the most effective method for identification. In fishing, hydroscopicity of line can be tried out after being steeped in water. If the line has rough surface, poor material density and waterproof protection, the line will absorb water during using. Once the water absorbing water, sensitivity of line decreases, affecting force transmission. A good fishing line must not absorb water. Wear resistance is also a standard for judgement. Some line sets require small accessories such as buoy. Those accessories should be adjusted repeatedly and grind the line. If the line has poor quality, it will fluff or bifurcate soon, having influence on tension. The higher strength is, the better quality is, after lines being knotted. In fishing, the line should be knotted for requirement. In general, tensile strength on knotted position descends. For good line, the descending is limited while the tensile strength is below than 30% before knotted. So, pull the line to test strength after knotted.