Can I "straighten" coiled fluorocarbon line?

[warefisher]

I used 6, 8, and 12 lb Tatsu on various setups (baitcast and spinning) for several Canadian fishing trips over the summer.  I love the line and did use KVD line conditioner.  At this point, without pressure, the lines comes off as coils.  I'll change out all these lines before next year's fishing.  It's hard to throw away slightly used Tatsu (Scottish DNA).

Might I be successful in straightening the line and using it for leaders on braid setups?  I was thinking about cutting several ten foot lengths, boiling the coiled line, and hanging it from a second floor window for several days with a weight attached.  Do you think this would make a useable FC line for leader material?  Would the line be weakened?

Has anyone tried this?

[FryDog62]

I pre-stretch my fluorocarbon main line early every season... or if a reel sits for an extended period of time. Tie a swivel snap to the end of the line, affix to a fence or similar, walk back a full casting distance, pull line moderately tight for 1-2 minutes. The swivel gets any twist out, the stretch reduces coils, then coat with KVD once reeled back in. I would think that would work to cut up leader lengths too, although maybe overkill.  

[Junk Fisherman]

How old is the line?  I once tried to get an extra weekend out of some fluoro line and it was a bad decision.  Broke off multiple times on hooksets because the line was old.    

[Darth-Baiter]

I think (re)used as a leader, the coils aren't so much a factor since the section is so relatively short.

 

sometimes when I am lazy, I just clip a section off my reel and use it as a leader for surf fishing.  no issues thus far.

[garroyo130]

You should be fine. If its a huge concern, buy a leader straightener like they use in fly fishing. 

[Mike L]

If the line isn’t twisted spraying it on the reel should be all you need. 
You can pull some off, spray the spool and then spray on a non absorbent anything running it through while cranking back on. 
 

Tip…

Always wait until it dries completely before casting again. 
 

 

 

Mike

[WRB]

If you have a boat it’s simple. Cut off whatever you had tied on and run about 150’ of line behind the boat at walking speed for a few minutes, the while the boat is still moving reel the line back on.

No boat the same procedure except walk off about 150’ of line  and lay it straight on  smooth surface or lawn. Wet a terry cloth towel, fold the and put the line next to your rod tip over the towel and fold the towel over your line. Soak the towel with water and slowly reel the line line back on keeping slight tension on the line near the 1st guide.

Coils should be gone.

Tom

PS, don’t force stretch FC line it will weaken it!

 

[Rockytop]

39 minutes ago, WRB said:

If you have a boat it’s simple. Cut off whatever you had tied on and run about 150’ of line behind the boat at walking speed for a few minutes, the while the boat is still moving reel the line back on.

No boat the same procedure except walk off about 150’ of line  and lay it straight on  smooth surface or lawn. Wet a terry cloth towel, fold the and put the line next to your rod tip over the towel and fold the towel over your line. Soak the towel with water and slowly reel the line line back on keeping slight tension on the line near the 1st guide.

Coils should be gone.

Tom

PS, don’t force stretch FC line it will weaken it!

 

That's how I do it.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

I wouldnt throw it away, but I would wait until the water warms back up to use it and use something else until then.  

 

[Jrob78]

If your plan is to take it off the reels regardless, then I'm not sure what you should do or if it even matters. If the memory is keeping you from fishing the line on its current reels, just give it a good spray with KVD, let it dry and then cast it out a few times with a bait tied on and the memory will clear up pretty quickly.

[jimanchower]

5 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

Tie a swivel snap to the end of the line, affix to a fence or similar, walk back a full casting distance, pull line moderately tight for 1-2 minutes. The swivel gets any twist out, the stretch reduces coils, then coat with KVD once reeled back in.

 

I do something similar, but I have found that when pulled taut, the swivel doesn't want to spin. Have you had someone stand at the swivel end and confirm that it's spinning to get the twist out?

[dodgeguy]

6 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

I pre-stretch my fluorocarbon main line early every season... or if a reel sits for an extended period of time. Tie a swivel snap to the end of the line, affix to a fence or similar, walk back a full casting distance, pull line moderately tight for 1-2 minutes. The swivel gets any twist out, the stretch reduces coils, then coat with KVD once reeled back in. I would think that would work to cut up leader lengths too, although maybe overkill.  

When stretching flourocarbon it can be one damaged and weakened. It does not recover well.

 

3 hours ago, WRB said:

If you have a boat it’s simple. Cut off whatever you had tied on and run about 150’ of line behind the boat at walking speed for a few minutes, the while the boat is still moving reel the line back on.

No boat the same procedure except walk off about 150’ of line  and lay it straight on  smooth surface or lawn. Wet a terry cloth towel, fold the and put the line next to your rod tip over the towel and fold the towel over your line. Soak the towel with water and slowly reel the line line back on keeping slight tension on the line near the 1st guide.

Coils should be gone.

Tom

PS, don’t force stretch FC line it will weaken it!

 

I agree with this.

[FryDog62]

9 minutes ago, dodgeguy said:

When stretching flourocarbon it can be one damaged and weakened. It does not recover well.

 

I agree with this.

The key is moderate stretch and at long casting distance...will not weaken the line.  Versus a short distance and pull so hard you deform the line, that will! 

[FishTank]

Never had this issue with Tatsu. I had one set up that I changed last year where the Tatsu was 4 years old. Other lines that I have had coil on me, I just drag the line behind the boat until I'm happy with the amount and reel it in. 

 

Also, I don't use line conditioner on Tatsu.

[Catt]

File 13 ?

 

[warefisher]

Thanks for the advice.  I won’t waste slightly used Tatsu.  Am switching back to braid on spinning gear as I’m getting better at home-tied FG knots and boat-tied Albertos.  Mostly FC on the baitcasters.

[MickD]

I would toss it, PIA to try to straighten it.  I don't think all the "tow it behind the boat" or "hang it with a weight" will do any good, but I've been wrong before.

 

To straighten FC fly leaders the best way I've found is to put on leather gloves and pull the leader through tightly-pinched-together thumb and finger creating some heat as you pull it through.  A few pulls usually straightens it quite well and it does not damage the FC.  

 

Old FC subjected to lots of use and line conditioner may not react as favorably, but worth a try.

[scbassin]

Toms answer is the best way to do it. If that don't work do what Catt said.

[MickD]

23 hours ago, warefisher said:

boat-tied Albertos

To prevent unravelling I suggest adding two overhand knots of the braid tag end around the main braid line,  tightly set.  Doesn't make the knot bigger and has fixed my "mystery" failures.

[warefisher]

2 hours ago, MickD said:

To prevent unravelling I suggest adding two overhand knots of the braid tag end around the main braid line,  tightly set.  Doesn't make the knot bigger and has fixed my "mystery" failures.

I’m familiar with what you’re suggesting and have been doing that.  Thanks for the comment.

[TnRiver46]

Hair dryer might do it . 

[txchaser]

On 11/16/2022 at 1:05 PM, Jrob78 said:

If the memory is keeping you from fishing the line on its current reels, just give it a good spray with KVD, let it dry and then cast it out a few times with a bait tied on and the memory will clear up pretty quickly.

This. I have yet to want to strip off tatsu because it has some memory... L&L and a couple of casts and it settles right back down. At least on baitcasters. I'd be more worried about twist than memory on the spinning reels; I only do braid/leader on spinning.

[PressuredFishing]

On 11/16/2022 at 6:29 AM, warefisher said:

Would the line be weakened?

Has anyone tried this?

I tie it to a tree and let it stretch for 30 minutes, removes pretty much all the loops, however loops are beneficial in line management in my experience. Memory is a good sometimes a good thing, it's why braid wind knots way more than nylons polymers and floro

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

The old claim that fluoro Chas no or less stretch has been disproven. It stretches as much or more than mono but has less elasticity. Once stretched, it does not fully return to original and weakens to a degree. Just don’t lean into it too much. 

[MN Fisher]

11 minutes ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

The old claim that fluoro Chas no or less stretch has been disproven. It stretches as much or more than mono but has less elasticity. Once stretched, it does not fully return to original and weakens to a degree. Just don’t lean into it too much. 

Is it time to post FryDog's test results again?

 

I think the myth came about because it takes more force to START stretching FC...but once it starts, it stretches more than Nylon and as you say, doesn't rebound like Nylon does.

 

Line with lowest stretch he tested? Yo-Zuri Hybrid