Line twist

Wolly Bugger
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Line twist

Post by Wolly Bugger » Sun Mar 24, 2019 11:36 am

Line twist can occur on any fishing line, braid, mono and it does not matter if it is a cheap or expensive fishing line. A simple demonstration to leave your garden hose attached to a fixed point like the tap and twist it in one direction, the hose will eventually start to curl up on itself, now if there was a swivel added between you and the tap which is a fixed position the hose should not be able to twist onto itself.

The example using the hose is that they are very rigid and so the twist will show up quickly. Softer more flexible products like rope take more twisting in one direction before it shows up with the rope twisting on itself. Braid is horrendous with line twist, drop loose braid with lots of line twist in it and it forms a birds nest very quickly (speaking from experience).

Certain fishing reels like the eggbeater/spinning reel or the Alvey reels will suffer more from line twist than a bait caster or overhead reel. The reason for the bait casters not causing line twist is that the line peels off in a straight line, where with the Alvey or eggbeater the line comes off in coils.

So with eggbeaters and Alvey reels when the line is being put onto the reel line twist is imparted and one sign is if you drop loose line onto the floor does it curl up onto itself.

Lures may also create line twist, like a lure being towed behind the boat and it spirals around instead of swimming straight.

Another cause of line twist with a spinning reel, is continuing to wind against a fish that is taking line (ie the drag is too light) this can be seen as the spool spins and no line is gained against the fish.

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Re: Line twist

Post by Wolly Bugger » Sun Mar 24, 2019 11:39 am

Preventing line twist saves a whole world of pain.

If you are trolling, the use of a keel slows down the build-up of line twist in your fishing line, especially with cowbells, ford fenders, celtas and the old aeroplane spinner.

Watching your rod tip whilst trolling, for example, a Rapala may have hooked up your line and the lure will spin as it is trolled along.

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Re: Line twist

Post by Wolly Bugger » Sun Mar 24, 2019 11:43 am

What do you do if you have line twist?

You can bin the whole lot, it is simple but may be expensive.

One way I found out to be very useful, but you need a boat, is as you are travelling along let out all your line and give it maybe 10 minutes before winding it back onto the reel. Ideal speed is perhaps less than 8 knots.

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Kenle
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Re: Line twist

Post by Kenle » Sun Mar 24, 2019 12:12 pm

I used to take my rod to the park, attach the line to my kite then put a few good quality swivel on just under kite and let the thing go sky high. Once all lines dispersed slowly wound back and this has worked for me everytime. I also clean the salt n sand off the spool when all the lines out, only able to do this if weather permits, it will also grab attention from other park users and dog walkers. :cheers:

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Re: Line twist

Post by Wolly Bugger » Sun Mar 24, 2019 12:55 pm

Kenle wrote:
Sun Mar 24, 2019 12:12 pm
I used to take my rod to the park, attach the line to my kite then put a few good quality swivel on just under kite and let the thing go sky high. Once all lines dispersed slowly wound back and this has worked for me everytime. I also clean the salt n sand off the spool when all the lines out, only able to do this if weather permits, it will also grab attention from other park users and dog walkers. :cheers:
I had thought about doing that.

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Re: Line twist

Post by skronkman » Sun Mar 24, 2019 1:59 pm

The boat trick will also work from a pier if you have current and don’t let half a mile of line get in the way of other fishos or boats. I have also let out a heap of line and walked up a beach dragging it behind be. Walk upwind. I’m not sure this is healthy for the line but it was my only option while on a beach using my holiday gear for the first time since letting my brother in-law and his kids use it. I guess they did a lot of winding with loose drag.

It’s important to wind on your line from the spool it’s purchased on in the same direction to your reel spool too.

April Fool
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Re: Line twist

Post by April Fool » Sun Mar 24, 2019 2:54 pm

Fishing freshwater, I rarely cast much further than 40 metres if that. So if I need to untwist the line I simply tie it to a good quality ball bearing swivel...anchor the swivel and walk out some distance with the line under tension. My version of the drag behind boat/use the current from a pier is too let line out in a fast flowing river if I am fishing one.

The biggest issue I have is when using spinners. The obvious solution is to use a keel but me don't like that. I have some Panther Martin spinners which are different to most spinners. The shaft goes through the blade and from the short time I have used them, I think it reduces line twist compared to the normal spinners.
panther martin.jpg
skronkman wrote:
Sun Mar 24, 2019 1:59 pm
............................It’s important to wind on your line from the spool it’s purchased on in the same direction to your reel spool too.
Do you do this with the spool flat on the ground? I tried it that way...wound on a few metres then stopped, opened bail arm and line coiled off and looped up...turned the spool over and it went fine. Then by the end of the first session I had twist issues which obviously come from casting and retrieving on the day. Thanks in advance.
Jim

Bugatti

Re: Line twist

Post by Bugatti » Sun Mar 24, 2019 4:26 pm

Wolly Bugger wrote:
Sun Mar 24, 2019 12:55 pm
Kenle wrote:
Sun Mar 24, 2019 12:12 pm
I used to take my rod to the park, attach the line to my kite then put a few good quality swivel on just under kite and let the thing go sky high. Once all lines dispersed slowly wound back and this has worked for me everytime. I also clean the salt n sand off the spool when all the lines out, only able to do this if weather permits, it will also grab attention from other park users and dog walkers. :cheers:
I had thought about doing that.
Yeah, I do the same. Not with a kite but walk the line out (without a swivel) so it isn't hindered in "untwisting" as the little weight of the swivel, I have noticed the little weight it has does hinder untwisting if the line isn't loaded and the swivel doesn't spin as freely as it should.
skronkman wrote:
Sun Mar 24, 2019 1:59 pm
I have also let out a heap of line and walked up a beach dragging it behind be. Walk upwind. I’m not sure this is healthy for the line but it was my only option while on a beach using my holiday gear for the first time since letting my brother in-law and his kids use it. I guess they did a lot of winding with loose drag.
Done it that way too (always as it seems when an over exuberant dog appears straight after I've let the line out grrrrr (that grrrr is me not the dog , , , , but it does get resipricated by the dog too lol) and works well. Damage on the line , , , , nothing worse than what my kids have done to the line :(



April Fool wrote:
Sun Mar 24, 2019 2:54 pm
skronkman wrote:
Sun Mar 24, 2019 1:59 pm
............................It’s important to wind on your line from the spool it’s purchased on in the same direction to your reel spool too.
Do you do this with the spool flat on the ground? I tried it that way...wound on a few metres then stopped, opened bail arm and line coiled off and looped up...turned the spool over and it went fine. Then by the end of the first session I had twist issues which obviously come from casting and retrieving on the day. Thanks in advance.
Jim

On an overhead, the same way it is spooled on

On a spin reel, I do place the spool down flat in the same line direction as the line goes on the reel spool. But as the reel spool is a narrower diameter as the line spool, a twist does appear over a reasonable amount of winds of the handle. When this happens, I flip the spool over, so the line is now coming off the spool in the opposite "wind" than what the line is going on the reel spool.This untwists the line but if you keep winding, an opposite twist appears. So it is a matter of watching the line coming off the line spool. Once a helical spiral (twist) appears, just flip the line spool. Then you should notice the helical spiral straighten and then start helix-ing in the opposite direction , , , , so then again, flip the spool. On & on & on till the line is transferred.

I also use a pencil float between my toes, crocs method, to let the line spool spin on an axle, so the line on the line spool rolls off straight. That way you only have to counter act the spinning reel twists and not a combination of reel and line spool. This is my preferred way.

I try and spool line with a mate, helps having two people. plus a good excuse for a man Cave session.

Oh, I always spool line loose off the spool so as to see the twist. I pinch the line just below the last runner to apply line pressure to lay it on the reel spool, rather than tight wind off the line spool using the drag to lay tension on the layed line. But yes, you wind too fast, it burns. But it is better slow as you can follow what the line twists are doing.



Mate waiting for me to turn the line spool around (oh, and take the photo), as a slight helix is appearing in the line. The more frequent you flip the earlier you stop slightly twisted line going on the reel.
IMG_20190214_213017a.png

Line coming off straight, for now

IMG_20190324_153508a.png


Then when the line twists (helix) you flip, which rolls the line off in an opposite rotation to untwist, but watch the line, it is gong to straighten then start to twist the other way, so flip again etc etc

un-twist.PNG


Then, if we feel up to it, we walk the line the length of the yard/driveway, and free wind it in (with tension applied by pinching the line again just above the reel)


Cheers, that's what I do, Bugatti

saph
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Re: Line twist

Post by saph » Sun Mar 24, 2019 4:32 pm

Im not sure where you get your info on for alvey line twist but ive never had it happen but then again i use swivels on my gear so it can fix itself and combined with the right rod it will work perfectly.

With alveys you always do from the tip of the rodfor most fishing: running sinker>swivel>leader>hook. do NOT tie the sinker in a fixed place on the main line it will stop the swivel from being able to untwist any line twist.

Pardon the crudeness of the pic but its bloody hot in qld

Note the sinker above the swivel with the float being the hook, this is ive found the best way to fish most of the time with the bean sinker being a number 5 ball and the swivel being i think a number 8 barrel.
photo_2019-03-24_16-27-46.jpg
Also when i do my line i keep tension on it so that it doesnt come pre twisted on the reel.

saph
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Re: Line twist

Post by saph » Sun Mar 24, 2019 4:38 pm

Another thing with alveys is the first eye on your rod is important since that helps reduce the hoops along the other eye's.

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