Heating lines in hot water.

[Paul Arden]

Nick asked me an interesting question recently and so I asked the guys I know at SA. FYI:

Hi there,

I’ve been asked:

“What's your thoughts on fairly hot water (not boiling!) And stretching your line? ”

Stretching of course is normal. What about cooking?

Thanks, Paul

Bruce replies-

Hi Paul,
I've never tried boiling a line and wouldn't. There are important fluids in the coating and exposure to excessive heat will hasten migration to the surface where they will be lost. This would lead to line stiffening and eventual cracking. Short exposure probably wouldn't do much but as a routine procedure it would be harmful.
Lines are easier to stretch straight when they are warm however. Immersion in warm water would help. Of course once the line is stored back on the reel the memory will return, heating a line won't result in long term reduction in memory.
Josh, please add more current wisdom, or correct me if wrong!
Bruce

And Josh writes;

It's an interesting question, usually when I get one like this it's in relation to dye. Sounds like this one may be more related to memory? I would imagine that it would be easier to take the memory out of the line at an elevated temperature, but unless you fish it immediately after, I don't see a real advantage. If you heated/stretched it and it just went back on a reel you might be worse off. Most guys I know don't want a Bunsen burner on their boat....

As far as temperature, I know that using heated water seems to be ok. As I mentioned, we've had a number of customers use Rit dye with hot water before with no issues.

Cheers, Paul

[James9118]

When I store my saltwater lines between trips I first put them in warm (not hot) water and give them a stretch. I hold the stretch as the line cools (I do this an arms length at a time - it cools very rapidly). I then treat the lines with a normal silicone based treatment before storing them in large open coils on a board.

James

[nicholasfmoore]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for asking for me!

This is interesting. One of my tropical Thunderbolt 6's shows very little memory now (for cool UK climates). I can't remember what i did to it, but;

1. I cast them on grass a lot

2. I clean then regularly in warm water and soap

3. I stretch them

When I store my saltwater lines between trips I first put them in warm (not hot) water and give them a stretch. I hold the stretch as the line cools (I do this an arms length at a time - it cools very rapidly). I then treat the lines with a normal silicone based treatment before storing them in large open coils on a board.

Thank's James, if you pull some line off a reel now, does it show severe memory? I just found it fascinating that my older thunderbolt shows pretty much no memory.

Thank you!

All the best

[James9118]

if you pull some line off a reel now, does it show severe memory?

I don't store my saltwater lines on the reel unless I'm in the tropics, so I can't tell you.

Cheers, James

[nicholasfmoore]

Hi James,

Ah, probably should have read your whole reply. Thanks anyway!

All the best

[Graeme H]

Soaking the line in water overnight before a fishing session can help a lot. It doesn't need to be warm.

Cheers,
Graeme

[Paul Arden]

Hi Graeme,

I know some of the distance casters do this although I haven’t tried it. What are the benefits? Softer or less memory?

Thanks, Paul

[Graeme H]

I haven't proven this, but I think what's happening is water is penetrating into the core of the line (usually nylon) and softening it. If you're fishing all day every day, the same thing happens - of course, fighting a good snakehead will stretch line anyway, so you're not going to be able to test that one out!

Cheers,
Graeme

[Paul Arden]

That’s very interesting and yes nylon does absorb water of course. Mind you I’m not sure I want soft here. Are these sinking or floating lines or both? I’ll test one this week.

Thanks, Paul

[Kevin P]

Hi All
Quite a few threads recently on line care, cracking etc. No-one has yet mentioned PVC replasticisers. A UK product "Permaplas" worked very well for restoring lines that were getting stiffer and starting to crack. I just finished my last jar softening some lines for freezing water use (before we were banned from fishing). After cleaning, and before stretching, the line is dressed with it, allowed to sit overnight (preferably in open coils) then the Permaplas is polished off and after stretching the line can be treated with floatant or "Shoot" type lube. Lines do seem to stay in good condition much longer. Permaplas has long been discontinued. It seems Gehrke still make a similar product which I will try next.
I strongly suspect the PVC plasticisers are nasty toxic phthalates or similar - unless the manufacturers have moved over to modern "Green" alternatives.
Finally, don't try with PU line - it won't work. PU gets very stiff in the cold, and you just have to put up with that.
Kevin P