4lb Platypus Superbraid!!!

[Matt Fraser]

I just found out today that Platypus have released a 4lb version of their superbraid line. I've got a 100yard spool of it in green and have ordered another spool of it in yellow. It looks and feels great, the diameter seems about the same as 4lb fireline. I'm looking forward to loading a reel up with it and giving it a test over the weekend. I fairly excited about using it as I'm a big fan of Super Braid and Harros Braid(Also made by Platypus).

Apparently it has been out for a couple of months now, So I've been a bit slow to find out about it. Has anyone else tried it yet? If so let us know how it went.

Matt

[Daniel_Folley]

hey matt i tried some of the six pound the other day it went alright but i would still stick the fireline.also congratulations on winning this years tournament.

[Richo]

Matt,

So you don`t actually use fireline, you use the other braids. In your opinion how do the compare?

Cheers

Richo :p

Is it a true braid, or a gel spun like fireline. The only reason i ask is that the gel spun has some distinct advantages over the true braid!
If it is a GS, i'll change over to the Platypus, as i really prefer to keep my money in AUstralian business. Not only that, Platypus is a very good line producer!

PS What do ya think of my Avatar, i thought i'd be a bit different and show off my ugliness in a formal suit, instead of my fish!

Damn the Avatar didnt work!

[kevinnugent59]

Originally posted by kingpin
PS What do ya think of my Avatar, i thought i'd be a bit different and show off my ugliness in a formal suit, instead of my fish! [/B]

That depends on if you are the one on the left or the right! :D

<ducks and swerves!>

Kevin

[Richo]

Geez David,

I wouldn`t be calling my missus Ugly, or a fish.... your playing dangerous there mate.... lol

Cheers

Richo:p

[Matt Fraser]

The 4lb Superbraid is a true braid, it is very fine for a braid. I believe it has taken Platypus quite a while to refine the manufacturing process. I think it's going to go very well for Bream.

To Richo, I usually use Fireline in 4lb for Bream, but for everything else I use Bionic or Superbraid. If the 4lb Superbraid passes the test, I'll be using it in the comps next year. As far as I know it only comes in 4, 8, 12 and 20lb etc, But I'll see about the 6lb.

nice picture kingpin!

Matt

[Richo]

Matt just caught a glimpse of your 1.02kg Bream in the GF, in this months SaltWater Fishing magm nice fish and real silver as well. Congrats.

Cheers

Richo:p

Ive changed the avatar to my other passion to avoid confusion and jealousy! hehe
just jokes.
Richo i would never call my missus ugly! My fish are not ugly either, except the bloody blowies!
I might have to check out this new braid! sounds good to me! Thanx guys

[Matt Fraser]

Tried the 4lb superbraid at Somerset Dam on the weekend and it went very well. Although it is actually slightly larger in diameter to the fireline, I still cast very well. I'm going to find out a few stats on knot strength etc, as I've been told it is far superior in that department.

Thanks to Richo & Daniel for the congrats on the Bream GF, I checked out the Salwater Fishing mag today. That bream is actually the biggest I've ever caught on a lure. It certainly came along at a good time, goes to show that luck still has a fair bit to play in comps.

BTW we caught a stack of Bass up to 48cm and the Nitro Bass Bullets in 1/2 Oz went REAL well! Especially the purple head with Plum & chartreuse tail sliders.

Matt

[Bathrone]

So whats the consensus opinion?

Better than Berkleys gel spun?

[Maxg]

I think you guys need to get the guts on GSP fibre because there seems to be some confusion out there.
GsP is Gel Spun Polyethylene fibre, its made by extruding High Molecular weight polyethylene gel, or fluid, through a lot of very little. micro measurement holes. The resultant fibre is GSP yarn which is called Dyneema by the inventors DSM High Perfprmance Fibres in Holland.
This stuff is made in only two places on the planet. Like Toyobo in Japan have the Asia license to make it, called Dyneems and AlliedSignal in the USA, its called Spectra. Platypus Powerbraid and Bionic Braid are made from Dyneema.
A braid is made by using a specialised braiding machine which has a number of shuttles of the basic GsP yarn attached and it plaits, effectively, those bundles of yarn called carriers. The braid quality is detirmined by the number of carriers, and the weave rate, or piks. The pick rate detirmines whether the braided line is round or flat. The higher the pick rate the roundrer the braid and the higher thae abrasion resistance.
Anyway lines are braided by many companies and they have various brands for the braid, Like Platupus Power Braid, and Bionic Braid.
Basically there is absolutely no difference between Specta and Dyneema fibres, they are produced from the same stuff, using the same process under license from DSM HPF.
Fireline is a different product in so far as it is made from GsP yarn, which is NOT braided but bundled and heat fused on the outside.
There are a couple of other funny treatments for braids, but basically its all the same stuff.
GsP yarns are stiff, it has a high modulus about half way between E Fibreglass and Carbon Fibre, and it has a lousy knot strength. This is a result of the high modulus and the fact that it has a critical radius, because it is stiff stuff. If you tried extruding GSP as a monfilament line it would end up with a minimum bend about the size of a bicycle wheel and be as stiff as hell.
Because of the above the knot strength is bad, which isn't helped by the yarns being very slippery and knots tend to slip under load and crush the yarns which then fracture. Bimini twists are about 90% with 70 or so twists.
It does slip on spool arbors and people like to put mono underneath, but using mono under GsP is not cool stuff really. I'd fill the spool with braid and secure the load on the arbor by using super glue. Loctite 406 works very well with GsP although it doesn't glue the stuff, nothing does unless its oxidised. But a very thin CA glue does saturate the fibres and lock it to whatever its glued to, like the anodising on the spool arbor. It comes off if you pour boiling water on it. Which doesn't hurt the anodising because anodised objects are boiled to harden the stuff anyway.
Generally, with baitcasters you have a level wind which cross hatches the line on the spool so line slip between layers in minimised but you do need to put it on hard, like under tension, and re load the used section after a fishing exercise. On threadlines its much the same.
One thing is fact, the abrasion resistance is bad, and is directly related to the braid weave, carriers and piks and the diameter or breaking strain. Using 4lb GsP braid is not good. Better to use 20lb and get a better performance. Its pretty thin anyway but takes a better hiding. For my light spinningoutfit, like little lures I use 20lb Spiderwire and for my tailor rig, 1.5 ounce lures I use 44lb Gudebrod SST. I fill the spool, don't use mono backing and don't use knots unless they are glued. Like I use a uni knot and put a drop of Loctite 406 on it. I replace the connection regularly because nothing is forever.
Advantages of higher b/s braids is that you can fill the spool with less line. The very thin braids take up so little space you need to use miles and a lot of dollars to fill the spool.
Firelines and fused lines actually are higher b/s than the label suggests, but I hear that they are getting closer to the actual b/s these days. My tests on fused lines, in the 30 plus B/S class are less resistant to abrasion than straight braided lines. But very light braids are less abrasion resiatant than small diameter mono lines. You can test this yourself by putting a foot of line under tension and rubbing it on a textured brick. Very informative stuff. Anyway, get your facts straight, one line is braided the other fused, but BOTH are made from GSP yarns. Cheers sorry to bore you but I think you need to know this stuff. Max

bloody hell, somebody has been digging thro the BM files!

[CHUNQX]

That's a long post!! Very informative but long. Maxg, what's your fishing background?

[panger]

Could it be Max Garth the WA saltwater fly pioneer, the guy with the passion for leadcore shooting heads and white decievers?

[Brody]

yep i'm pretty sure panger

[Becker_11]

Matt Fraser:

Have you tried the Rapala Squidgy Braid ?? and if so how would you say it compares to Fireline and Platypus Superbraid ........ all are available in 4lb.

[Maxg]

I am not going to argue about this subject, I've discussed it at length with DSM HPF in Holland and Stewart and Don McPherson at Aust Monofil, aka Platypus, and those things are the facts.
Lines vary only in relation to the braiding formuls, carriers and piks and whether it is a true braid or a fused line. Spectra is the same stuff as Dyneema just made in different places. Spectra lines are braided/fused in the USA and Dyneema lines are braided whatever everywhere else.
I use GsP braid as my fly reel backing, I use nothing else, I even stuff it up braided monofilament to make shooting head running lines and I alsp stuff hollow braids like Power Pro with monofilament for the same purpose. I use NOTHING lower in b/s than 20lb. Cheers Max.
Yep tis me myself.

[Maxg]

answer to the "Have I" answer no I haven't, but given a choice I'd use a Platypus product because it's a known high quality braid
Has to be, made in OZ by good guys. Max

[CHUNQX]

Max, how about those japanese lines that are braided (feel like braided GSP) but come in multi-colours? Every metre has a different colour... Are they made from the same 2 places or are they a different product altogether? The one I got, I believe is sold by Daiwa...

[Maxg]

If it is under the Diawa brand and GsP it should be Dyneema yarn produced by Toyobo. Its the same stuff as GsP lines braided in the USA from Spectra.
It works like this. Toyobo make Dyneema yarns, and its exported to DSM HPF in Holland who then supply it to everywhere but Japan/ and I think Korea, which is supplied by Toyobo. Spectra is the same yarn made by Allied Signal in the USA and its used by braiders in the USA. Its all to do with patent licenses.
You can get Fireline marked Dyneema, but that means its made in Japan from GsP yarns provided by Toyobo. You can also get it marked Spectra and thats made in the USA.
Platypus braids are braided from Dyneema, as is Bionic Braid. They get the yarn from DSM in Holland who get it from Toyobo in Japan.
Its very confusing with the modern treatments for braids but if it's GsP its either a true braid or fused like fireline. Just look at the structure of the line, its either a braid or fused. You can't do much else with it. It doesn't hold the colour but even if it does go white its still good. White is the natural colour.
Fused lines have a problem in that the fused cover sometimes gets abraded and it starts to look funny. Like sections of white and sections of the fused cover. Thats had it really
Even with all of the funny lines around the stuff inside is still GsP yarn, Manufacrurers of lines can only treat what is provided to them from the license holders like Toyobo and Allied Signal.
I've got a thing on it, I'll have to see if I can sell it to someone for publication. Its geared to SWF but thats no provblem. Max

[Maxg]

As an add on. I'd say that using very low b/s GsP lines you run the risk of abrasion problems. There isn't a lot of difference in diameter between 4lb braid and 20lb braid, to the fish anyway and it's more practical to use 20lb and go up in abrasion resistance. Fireline is something else again. Old fireline, although marked 4lb was usually about 8/10lb.
You can use super glue on braided lines provided there is no funny cover treatment. With standard braids like Bionic Braid a thin CA glue saturates the braid and locks it together, not glued really but immobilised. Like in knots between mono and braid.
You only need a very small drop, like put a needle point into the glue and apply it to the knot. Loctite 406 is best. But nothing is forever. You need to replace those things regularly. Max

I'm not having shots at lines made by anybody, but tests indicate that abrasion resistance is related to diameter, which is related to breaking strain.

[CHUNQX]

Interesting to get your opinion on GSP lines especially one with so much more info and against it especially given most others think its the best thing since sliced bread (and I'm one of them!)

[Maxg]

If you look at the technical bits its the worst fishing line invented but because it is thin, no stretch, and very strong for the diameter it certainly fits the super line tag. But you have to remember the bad bits, low abrasion resistance, very slippery, high modulus of elasticity and bad knot strength. Yes and I use nothing else for spin gear and fly backing. But then I don't use lines under 20lb for anything and I specifically do not use Fireline.
If you keep in mind the bad bits and tailor the system to over come those things it makes a great fishing line. I really do love it, but I don't stick my neck out. Look 20lb braid is so thin what does it matter if it's not 4lb and remember lures today cost money. There is no point of being crazy with money.
I'm pretty frugal, I make my own lead head jigs, and I never buy lures and I tie my own flies and I'm not about to throw anything away being crazy. I'm old but I'm not nuts.Max