Choosing the right wire diameter for trout fishing

Trout fishing is an exciting and relaxing activity, but certain technical aspects must be considered to have a successful fishing session. Among these elements, the choice of the fishing line diameter plays a crucial role.

Depending on the technique you use, you'll need to choose suitable fishing lines. In this article, we will give you advice on choosing your line based on different criteria like fishing location, used technique, and weather conditions.

Choosing fishing line diameter based on the fishing location

The choice of your line diameter is primarily dependent on the fishing location. Indeed, whether you fish in a river, pond, or lake, the recommended diameter may vary.

Furthermore, some fishing spots can contain more or fewer rocks or branches that can damage your line.

River fishing

If you fish in a river, the water is usually more turbulent and contains more obstacles (rocks, branches, etc.). Therefore, it is preferable to choose a line more resistant to abrasions, with a diameter between 18 and 25 hundredths. You can also adapt the diameter according to the current: the stronger it is, the more advisable it is to use a thick line.

However, river trout fishing can be complicated. Wild trouts are very cautious, so be careful to make your fishing line as discreet as possible. The key: observe the fish's behavior. If the trouts follow your bait without taking it, choose a thinner, more discreet fishing line.

Lake or pond fishing

For pond or lake fishing, water is often calmer and less prone to obstacles. You can then use a thinner line, with a diameter between 12 and 18 hundredths. This will allow you to be more discreet and increase your chances of catching a trout.

However, do gather information about the size of the trouts that populate the pond or the lake. It is not rare to encounter big subjects in this type of biotope. A too thin fishing line may break if the trout is too large.

Choosing the Fishing Line Diameter According to the Fishing Technique

Various trout fishing techniques also require using different diameters fishing lines. Fly fishing and lure fishing don't demand the same technical qualities from the fishing line. Here are some recommendations according to the most common methods:

Bait fishing

For bait fishing, which is about gently dropping the lure into a water stream, it's preferable to use a thin line not to scare fish. A diameter between 12 and 20 hundredths would be ideal for this technique. Nylon is usually used for this technique, indeed, the flexibility of this monofilament allows reducing the number of unhooks.

Fly fishing

When fly fishing, it's necessary to use a very discreet line not to alert the trouts. Thus, it's advised to use a line whose diameter varies between 10 and 16 hundredths. The line's base for fly fishing differs from others used for lure or bait fishing thanks to its decreasing diameter. Indeed, this line base is also called a "rat's tail". It's a succession of nylon diameter (from larger to smaller) that allows very fine fishing starting with a much larger silk.

Live fishing

This technique consists of animating a small dead fish to attract trouts. Most often, the minnow is mounted on a spoon. The spoon is a montage lead suitable for arming the minnow. It's important to use a resistant line and a suitable diameter to support the weight of this setup. Opt for a diameter between 16 and 22 hundredths.

Choosing the fishing line diameter according to the weather conditions

Weather conditions can also influence the choice of your line diameter. In sunny weather, water is clearer and fish are more cautious. It is then preferable to use a thin and discreet line, with a diameter less than 20 hundredths.

However, in cloudy or rainy weather, the visibility in the water is reduced. You can then use a thicker and more resistant line, with a diameter that can go up to 25 hundredths. Furthermore, if it rained, river water might be a bit more tinted than usual. This is the perfect opportunity to increase your fishing line diameter to make sure none of the fish break it.

Choosing the Main Line

Besides the line diameter for your base line, it's important to choose a main line suitable for trout fishing and the employed technique.

For fly fishing, you will have to use silk and a rat tail in nylon. If you fish with a lure, you can use a braid as your main line or nylon for more elasticity and flexibility. The main characteristics to consider are:

• Resistance: opt for a line strong enough to resist the fights with trouts and any possible obstacles encountered.
• Discretion: choose a neutral color line (transparent, dark green, or brown) to avoid alerting the fish.
• Flexibility: prefer a flexible line to make casts and your lures’ animations easier.

To sum up, choosing the fishing line diameter for trout fishing depends on the fishing location, used technique, and weather conditions. Don't hesitate to adapt your gear according to these criteria to increase your success chances.

Our other articles on fishing lines:

• Choosing the correct fishing line diameter for pike fishing