Recently I was sent some of this line to do a product review. It seems every year that some company comes out claiming they have a brand new line that is better than all rest. Most times its just marketing hype and we has fisherman are left with the feeling of disappointment and a lighter wallet. So I am always skeptical of new lines that come to market. I went into the testing process that I go through with as open of a mind as I could.
The 1st thing I had to wrap my head around is how this line isn’t a braid it is a whole new breed of fishing line. I didn’t really get that until I got to touch, tie knots and fill a reel with this line. Right out of the package this lines slickness was very noticeable .That slickness also made me think about knot holding ability of this line. In the unique package that this line is in Berkley has a few suggestions on what knots to use. Per there suggestion they said to use an Albright knot to attach it to other lines and a knot dub the “Nano Knot” which is a Double Palomar Knot.
I tried to tie the Albright knot and was not able to get it to work for me, but I have always had a hard time with this knot and is why I never use it. So I went to my trusty double uni knot. The 1st couple versions of this knot I tried failed. Then I tired double-ling up the Nano and also wrapped the Nano twice has much has I would do with other lines. This held great and there was no slippage. Next I went to tying it to a jig I went with that Berkley suggested and it held perfectly. But while out fishing with it I got lazy and tied a reg Palomar knot and it held great with the 6lb Nano but it did slip with the higher lb test that I also have in this line.
Now came time to go fish this line. I filled up a couple of my panfish rods with the 6lb.The crappies where due in and I felt that fishing timber would be a great test for this line. Right off the back I over shot a cast and threw the jig deep into some brush, Steve Pennaz also had this happen to him you can read about that here. I was able to get the jig back but only after straighten the hook out. This is something that would repeat many times over the next weeks fishing this line.
The lines abrasion resentence was very impressive. I dragged this line over branches, rusty metal break walls, rocks you name it. I never once notice any big knicks or had the line fail on me from wear on the line. I was also able to do something I was never able to do while panfishing efficiently. That was to throw weightless panfish plastics accurately like I can do with bass plastics The line came off the reel so smoothly and effortlessly it made a presentation like this possible.
After seeing the extra distance I was getting in my cast I had to figure out the numbers on just how much more distance I was getting out of this line. So I set out to do a side by side casting test. I used a Shimano 1000 AX filled up with 6lb NanoFil and another of the same reel but that one was filled with Power Pro in 5lb test. According to each companies packaging that I have they both have approximately the same avg diameter .005 inches.
Both reels where placed on the same exact rod a 6’6” 2pc St. Croix Premier rod. At the end of the line I use a 1/32 oz lead jighead with nothing on it. Now since I have fished with these rods I know they may be a few hang ups from the line digging into each other. So I can gave each reel three hard cast to get rid of all those hang ups from the line digging in. I then measured 5 cast in a row with each line. The results I got where just shocking. The results can be seen in the chart below. One thing I did notice is just how the line felt and sounded coming of the spool the Nano just sounded and felt like it came off the spool better.
What Berkley set out to do here was to make a line that casted like a dream and zero stretch or memory for spinning gear and they did just that and this line was able to live up to its hype. The only negative I found with the line that could make or break it for a lot of people was the price point 19.99 for 150 yards. But you still have to keep in mind you will not have to change this line out has often as mono and it is a lot like the braids that are on the market in that sense. But with that said this isn’t a braid at all. Think of it has a mono line made out of dyneema that really is the best way I describe it to you.
I think I just found a new line that will be making its way on more than a few of my setups in the coming months.It truly might just be the next generation in fishing line!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-FT7t7teMw&feature=player_embedded
Quality
I always find it hard to take the marketing at face value with many of the lines that have come out over the last few years, but this is one I am comfortable in saying was everything it was said to be. The line I got from Berkley has zero negatives that I could see other than having to adjust your knots a little. Berkley lines have been used on my reels for a long time due to the consistent quality I have experienced with them and this line was no different.
Reliability
This line held up great during my on the water test. There was no splitting or peeling which is something I have had happen to me many times while fishing other dyneema fishing lines. It took everything I could give it fishing the timber and kept coming back for me.
Value & Price
This is only area that I think this line might be hurting to the avg fishermen and that its price point. But at the same time the price of braids and superlines has gone up over the last 4 years so it could very well be right in line with the value of the materials and the processing it takes to make this line. Until similar line hit the market like NanoFil it’s hard to judge it right now.
Referability
I would highly recommend this line to my fellow fishermen. Though this product does have some sticker shock to it, it made out of dyneema which is a martial that has a history of lasting multiple season for fishermen.
