Biodegradable Fishing Line
(UPDATE: The biodegradable line Bioline, which I mention in this article, is no longer being manufactured as far as I can tell. I’m hoping an alternative is soon to come.)
How many times have you walked along the side of the river bank or along a lakeshore and come across multiple birdnests of someones old discarded fishing line? Seriously? Do people just remove all their line while they’re fishing and leave it where they stand?
Or better yet, while tossing a lure or crankbait next to a submerged log, you think for a micro-second that you have a strike…nope. All you’ve done is snag the ancient submerged fishing line that some angler from long ago left behind after they got caught on the same log. Now that’s frustrating.
Leaving Fishing Line Behind Is Inevitable
Fact is, all of us at one time or another have left fishing line behind. Whether on purpose (hopefully not), like the disgusting people that leave the wadded up birds nests in the dirt, or…more likely than not, by getting snagged on a submerged log or branch, and the only option is to break the line. You hope the line breaks at the knot where the lure or hook is, but sometimes it doesn’t, and a lengthy tail of fishing line is left behind to dance in the current.
Well, wouldn’t it be awesome if manufacturers of fishing line came out with an option that was biodegradable? No more hooking old lines and no more beautiful sceneries ruined by wads of old fishing line?
Biodegradable Fishing Line
You might be surprised to learn that it’s possible to spool your fishing reel with biodegradable fishing line. The fine folks at Bioline have developed a product that looks, feels and functions just like standard
Although the product has been out for over a decade now, todays anglers are becoming increasingly aware of how we might be negatively contributing to environmental damgage. So that’s why I wanted to try and direct some attention to this product.
What is Bioline Fishing Line?
Bioline is an ecological friendly biofilament fishing line that’s designed out of 100% biodegradable polymers. Unlike standard
Fishing Line Has Lasting Negative Effects On The Environment
Standard
The advantage we as anglers have by using bioline biodegradable fishing line is this: When we lose our rigging, and are unable to retrieve the lost fishing line, we can be assured that the line we lost will no longer pose a threat to the environment in 2 to 5 years. According to FishFloridaTag.org, “…during years 2-5 it is significantly degraded permitting wildlife to easily break free should accidental entanglement occur.”
That’s right! 600 years compared to 2 to 5? That’s an incredible difference.
Does Bioline Biodegradable Fishing Line Really Work?
In short…yes. Bioline works…it catches fish! But there are some subtle characteristics about this biodegradable fishing line that you should know about.
1. First, Bioline biodegradable fishing line is a little stiffer compared to standard
2. The other thing to know is that Bioline biodegradable fishing line is not as transparent as standard
At the time of this writing, Bioline is available in 4, 6 and 12 pound test. And it’s also available in a 210 yard spool as well as in 30 yard tippet.
As I stated earlier, Bioline catches fish… and it saves fish. And that’s what matters.
Want To Give Bioline A Try?
Bioline Biodegradeable Fishing Line
- Zero water absorption
- Low Visibilty
- It is resistant to UV rays
- Low abrasion factor
- Excellent knot strength
Final Thoughts
You might never have thought about using biodegradable fishing line before, but why not give it a try? What’s it going to hurt? I’ve given it quite a bit of thought over this last off season, and I’ve made the decision to switch over my trout fishing reel with biodegradable fishing line.
Will it save the world? No. But will it make a small difference in the streams that I fish? You bet it will.
