Dan

Float lines scare fish. Apart from which color is least visible in the water which is what I want to know, is it possible to have a transparent polypropylene rope? If mono can be clear why not polypropylene rope?

One solution is to use the clear tubing, the same as they use for the fancy float lines. But it's cumbersome to work with and besides i don't know how transparent it really is.

Tin Man

Polypropylene degrades in sunlight. Colored additives help keep the UV rays from penetrating the rope as completely, and slow down the degradation. A clear polypropylene would probably degrade and weaken much more quickly. That said, I don't know why mono can be clear.

Freediver1

I USE THE ROB ALLEN ORANGE FLOAT LINE AND IT WORKS GREAT. I HAVE USED THEM FOR NUMEROUS YEARS, AND THEY STILL LOOK LIKE NEW.

seaweed

Float lines scare fish?

My old red one (clear vinyl died red) was loved by fish. I was lying on the bottom and was heaing numerous thumps behind me, when I looked there was a ball of baitfish attacking it trying to eat it.

Dan

TM, Polypropylene rope is very cheap. I'd settle for it lasting a 1/3 of the time if it would mean it's going to be less visible by fish. It is clearly identifiable when the rope starts to degrade.

Davie, A visible float line is like a moving wall to a fish. It blocks off a whole direction for the fish. I believe it is part of the reason fish always escape directly away from us. When I say this keep in mind I always used a float line so I don't know how they react to you guys without one. If you can't see the logic in that consider why H&L use clear mono.

Felix, I currently use a Rob Allen orange line. A few months ago I did a comparison of the RA to a regular polypropylene clothes line by separating the braids down to the individual strands and counting them. There is no difference. Well, except for price.

oto

I have to disagree with you Dan, it's the hunter and his movements that either attract or spook fish, not the floatline. I've been on trips with guys with reels telling me the same thing and I slayed the muttons (what spookiest fish than that) and they didn't see one, go figure. it's all about the way you head down and what do you as you approach the bottom.

Dan

For sure that the hunter's body language affects the fish. I do whatever I can to not appear threatening controlling my extremities, finning slowly, using a mirrored lens mask etc. But you shouldn't discount what I'm saying here. Some very experienced spearfishers, more consistent producers than you or I and experienced in other places of the world where fish are sketchier than in SE Florida, have said that fish don't like the float line.

Marco

Are you sure you are not reffering to Polyethylene instead of Polypro? Polyethilene is UV resistant while PP isn't.

PS: Floatlines do scare fish. That doesn't means that you can't take fish with them, but mi personal experience tells me that witout that thing hanging around fish get closer.

__________________
Marco Melis

A bad day fishing is ALWAYS better than a good day at work.

straight shaft

If floatlines scare fish, I don't think color is the issue so much as the vibrations emitted by the floatline while in tow. My 2 cts.

John Hanson

Clear floatlines are just as visible, if not more so, due to the fact that there is a void inside the tubing. Light reflects off the tubing the same way it does off a bubble, making it shine. The only way to make it "invisible", would be to flood the tubing.

If you are not too concerned about brute strength in the floatline, you could always use clear vinyl tubing cored with 300-400 lb clear mono. Again you will get light reflection, but this may serve the purpose of a flasher, in some instances and may well scare off the fish in others.

I have always preferred yellow floatlines. They are easily seen from the surface but fade quickly at depth and don't stand out like a sore thumb like black or red would. Of course, clear vinyl tubing with gray specta inside would be pretty subdued at depth.

I partially agree with your sentiment that floatlines can scare off fish. I think reef species are more frightened by it,as they are with any object that suddenly shows up in their "backyard", where as pelagics seem to be attracted to it, as they are with most foreign objects floating in the water.