Old Fishing Line: Feeling Nostalgic

[wdp]

Me & a buddy started discussing old fishing line brands we used growing up. It's been so long ago I can't remember what I used as a kid - whatever my Dad had & spooled on my Zebco 33. Prob ole purple Stren. 

 

But back in the mid 80s, my Dad & I stumbled upon a new high tech line called Prime made by DuPont. Anybody remember this line? It had an inner core line that was supposedly stronger with less stretch and was coated with a normal type of nylon line. It actually was pretty good stuff as I recall & it's what I fished with for most of my college years. Until it was hard to find & was discontinued I guess. 

 

I even found an old article about it from back in 1985.

 

http://articles.mcall.com/1985-08-06/sports/2487033_1_monofilament-line-baits

 

Thinking about this fishing line got me to feeling nostalgic. I can remember lots of days back then that my Dad & I would hit some gravel pit ponds. I'd have my trusty 5 and 1/2 ft pistol grip rods with Abu Royal Ambassador reels. I'd wear out the dinks using fire tail & tequila sunrise Culprit worms. 60 catch days were not unheard of. Times sure seemed less complicated back then. And I'm officially starting to feel old. ?

 

[J Francho]

I'm feeling nostalgic about my drive to work as a line cook, back in 1989.

 

 

Kidding!  I remember catching with my 404, and getting a matching green Zebco rod - a six footer - HUGE! - and thinking what a pro I was.  Those were the days.  I'd like to go back, with the gear and skills of today.

[Team9nine]

Remember the line well, but never used it. My "Upgrade" outfit was a 202 with matching 6' rod. So proud of that outfit back then ?

[J Francho]

202, so low rent, lol.  I remember my dad's 33 and matching rod, as well as his gigantic 7' Garcia with a D.A.M. Quick 4000 worm drive reel.  Seemed like he could send a Cleo out into oblivion with that combo!

[Munkin]

I remember using some oval shaped mono but cannot remember the name? That and the 6' Zebco Rhino Rod that was "indestructible from tip to butt" Broke 4 in one summer.

 

Allen

[RoLo]

20 hours ago, wdp said:

Me & a buddy started discussing old fishing line brands we used growing up. It's been so long ago I can't remember what I used as a kid - whatever my Dad had & spooled on my Zebco 33. Prob ole purple Stren. But back in the mid 80s, my Dad & I stumbled upon a new high tech line called Prime made by DuPont.

 

 

Speaking of nostalgia and old fishing lines, I can remember a vintage line that my father used.

After each use, dad removed the 'linen' fishing line from his reel then strung it out to dry.

Before synthetic fishing line was introduced, the early fishing lines were made of natural fibers

like silk, cotton and linen. They had to be dried out after use, otherwise they'd rot  

 

Roger

[wdp]

29 minutes ago, RoLo said:

 

 

Speaking of nostalgia and old fishing lines, I can remember a vintage line that my father used.

After each use, dad removed the 'linen' fishing line from his reel then strung it out to dry.

Before synthetic fishing line was introduced, the early fishing lines were made of natural fibers

like silk, cotton and linen. They had to be dried out after every use, otherwise they'd rot  

 

Roger

Wow! Now that's old skool right there. 

[Turtle135]

Oh I remember "Prime" cofilament alright! Not so fondly however. The core and the sheath would start to separate over time. I remember watching it happen out on the water one day and thinking to myself "what the H?".

 

If I remember correctly it would begin to degrade just sitting on the shelf so the next season all that brand new line at retail outfits had to be recalled.

 

Stuff was worse than flourocarbon! 

[lo n slo]

12 lb Super Silver Thread on my old Mitchell spinning reel

[J Francho]

There was a flat mono, specifically made for baitcasters.  Was supposed to lay flat on the spool.  I think it was from Stren or Trilene.  It was terrible.  Heaven forbid you foul a bait, and get a few twists.

 

It's probably the same stuff @Munkin referred to.

[doublest]

I still have a line clipper they gave away as a premium. Tho I don't recall using the line. The oldest line I recall is my old Cortland camouflage I had spooled on my Pflueger Nobby. Didn't work worth a d*mn on my Airex Bache Brown spinning reel. Talk about the old days, I only wish I could go back

[Munkin]

5 minutes ago, J Francho said:

There was a flat mono, specifically made for baitcasters.  Was supposed to lay flat on the spool.  I think it was from Stren or Trilene.  It was terrible.  Heaven forbid you foul a bait, and get a few twists.

 

It's probably the same stuff @Munkin referred to.

 

That is it! Only came in two sizes 6/20 and like 14/30 rated like braid today.

 

Allen

[wdp]

Hey @RoLo check this out. I googled vintage linen fishing line. Cool stuff.

 

 

45 minutes ago, Munkin said:

 

That is it! Only came in two sizes 6/20 and like 14/30 rated like braid today.

 

Allen

Wish I could remember the name of it & who made it. I vaguely remember trying it. It was so bad I took it back off my reel after only 1 fishing trip. It sure had some good sounding marketing tho. Wasn't it supposed to lie flat & reduce tangles for greater cast distance, yada, yada, yada. In the words of Charles Barkley, that stuff was turrible. Just turrible. 

[J Francho]

46 minutes ago, Munkin said:

 

That is it! Only came in two sizes 6/20 and like 14/30 rated like braid today.

 

Allen

 

Those ratings sound real familiar!

[doublest]

pretty sure it was dupont.Their logo is on the lever of the clipper I have.

[J Francho]

That's Stren, then.

[WRB]

My first bait casting reel was a Langley Target, no level wind with 12 lb black Ashaway Dacron line, 5'3" Connolin hollow glass bass rod, the year was 1955. The Langley reel held 50 yards of 12 lb Dacron line and I could cast all 50 yards. No level wind, no brakes met you learned to control the line with your index finger and thumb, lessons I still use today.

My second reel was a Langley Lure cast that has a level wind with Ashaway 12 lb camo dacron line on 5'6" Connolin bass rod in 1957. In 1958 Ashaway came out with Diamond Back line a hybrid braid and that became my new line!  I still have the reels, the rods are gone.

First spinning reel was a Zebco Cardinal 3 early 60's with 6 lb Royal Bonnyl monofilament line on Fenwick 6' trout rod. First free spool baitcaster was Abu Ambassaduer 500 red reel, also early 60's with 14 lb Royal Bonnyl mono, 5'6" Eagle Claw bass rod, still have most of my reels over the years.

Tom

[doublest]

Now that I think of it, it was Stren, I'm sure it was a product managers idea to try to hype  stren sales and get a raise in his check. Tok a while for this 75yr plus brain to engage

 

16 minutes ago, WRB said:

My first bait casting reel was a Langley Target, no level wind with 12 lb black Ashaway Dacron line, 5'3" Connolin hollow glass bass rod, the year was 1955. The Langley reel held 50 yards of 12 lb Dacron line and I could cast all 50 yards. No level wind, no brakes met you learned to control the line with your index finger and thumb, lessons I still use today.

My second reel was a Langley Lure cast that has a level wind with Ashaway 12 lb camo dacron line on 5'6" Connolin bass rod in 1957. In 1958 Ashaway came out with Diamond Back line a hybrid braid and that became my new line!  I still have the reels, the rods are gone.

First spinning reel was a Zebco Cardinal 3 early 60's with 6 lb Royal Bonnyl monofilament line on Fenwick 6' trout rod. First free spool baitcaster was Abu Ambassaduer 500 red reel, also early 60's with 12 lb Royal Bonnyl mono, still have most of my reels over the years.

Tom

i

[wdp]

2 hours ago, Turtle135 said:

Oh I remember "Prime" cofilament alright! Not so fondly however. The core and the sheath would start to separate over time. I remember watching it happen out on the water one day and thinking to myself "what the H?".

 

If I remember correctly it would begin to degrade just sitting on the shelf so the next season all that brand new line at retail outfits had to be recalled.

 

Stuff was worse than flourocarbon! 

Well, now we know why it was discontinued. Lol. I used it for 3-4 yrs and never had any issues. Thing I remember was that it was a lot more sensitive than what I was previously using.

 

 

23 minutes ago, doublest said:

Now that I think of it, it was Stren, I'm sure it was a product managers idea to try to hype  stren sales and get a raise in his check. Tok a while for this 75yr plus brain to engage

 

i

I think you're right. It was Stren. It's starting to kinda come back to me as well. It seems like it wasn't completely flat but more of an oblong oval shape like was already mentioned. I just remember I hated it. But I sure bought into all the marketing & had to buy some. 

[Maxximus Redneckus]

It was called magnum it floated through the air on a cast also

[A-Jay]

MagnaFlex ~ still using it today

A-Jay

[wdp]

11 minutes ago, Maxximus Redneckus said:

It was called magnum it floated through the air on a cast also

 

[Raul]

9 hours ago, Munkin said:

I remember using some oval shaped mono but cannot remember the name? That and the 6' Zebco Rhino Rod that was "indestructible from tip to butt" Broke 4 in one summer.

 

Allen

 

Magnum 7-20 & 14-40 made SPECIFICALLY FOR BAITCASTERS, that POS should have a stellar position in bass fishing's Hall Of Shame of fishing products.

[Catt]

16 hours ago, RoLo said:

 

 

Speaking of nostalgia and old fishing lines, I can remember a vintage line that my father used.

After each use, dad removed the 'linen' fishing line from his reel then strung it out to dry.

Before synthetic fishing line was introduced, the early fishing lines were made of natural fibers

like silk, cotton and linen. They had to be dried out after every use, otherwise they'd rot  

 

Roger

 

Try doing that with a Penn International

 

I've fished braided Cotton, Dacron, Micron, Suture Material (Silk), Micro Dyneema®, Kevlar, & Spectra.

[J Francho]

Magnum - that's the stuff.  Awful.