We've come a long way since the days of the cane pole and cat-gut leader. Wooden cane poles are only a memory--replaced by ones made from fiberglass or graphite. And cat gut, well let's just say that nylon monofilament has been a boom to the pet population.

The DuPont (Stren) company brought us monofilament nearly 40 years ago. Since the mid-1950s, rapid advancements in fishing line have left anglers simply wondering what's next. It seems every year a new fishing line is introduced that's thinner, limper, stronger, and more difficult for fish to see.

Competition among line companies and a society that demands "new and improved" products have pushed the fishing-line industry to higher standards. Today, even the lowest-quality monofilament line on the market offers better function and features than anything available during the last four decades.

During the golden age of monofilament anglers only had one choice--pound test.

Today anglers can choose from ultra-thin lines, lines that are super abrasion resistant, low- and high-visibility lines, copolymer lines, limp lines for casting, low-stretch lines for trolling, saltwater lines, oval lines, round lines, lines intended for leader material, and lines made from previously unheard-of super fibers.

Let's attempt to sort out these lines and pick the ones that best meet the walleye angler's day-to-day fishing adventures.

Walleye anglers routinely use a wide assortment of fishing lines. The breakdown goes something like this: thin and limp lines for casting small lures, heavier and stiffer lines for trolling, low-stretch lines for deep-water fishing, and specialty lines for making leaders, snells, and live-bait rigs.

Walleye anglers spend a great deal of time casting small lures and dragging live-bait rigs around. Both methods of fishing require rather thin lines that offer lures and rigs maximum movement. These lines should also be soft enough to offer excellent casting characteristics, yet strong enough to deal effectively with rocks, logs, and other debris. Pound test choices range from four to eight, with six being the most popular overall.

Examples of lines suitable for jigging and rigging include Stren Easy Cast and Magna Thin, Berkley Trilene XL and Tri Max, Fenwick Flexline, Super Silver Thread, and Maxima Ultragreen. Each of these lines has properties suitable to live- bait fishing for walleye. Clear or green colors are best for rigging and lines that are highly visible are better suited for both casting and vertical jigging.

Trolling requires a slightly heavier line with less stretch and more abrasion resistance. Most walleye anglers troll with eight- to 14-pound test, with 10-pound being the hands-down favorite.

Excellent trolling lines include Original Stren, Berkley XT, Maxima Chameleon, Ande Premium, and Abu Garcia Royal Bonnyl II. The properties offered by these lines makes them ideal for trolling crankbaits with planer boards, fishing bottom bouncers, and pumping jigging spoons.

Deep-water fishing calls for lines with the least amount of stretch. Low stretch translates into high sensitivity. The new wave of superbraid lines are very thin, making them an ideal choice when making pinpoint presentations.

A wealth of superbraid lines have hit the market in the past couple years. Excellent products include Stren Powerbraid, Berkley FireLine, Spiderwire Fusion, Mason Tiger Braid, Fenwick Iron Thread, and Talon.

These lines are super thin and feature very low stretch, making them ideal for vertical jigging in deep water, fishing bottom bouncers on mud flats, trolling diving planers, and long-line trolling with crankbaits.

Superbraid lines have a few drawbacks. The slippery nature of this line makes it tough to tie knots that hold securely. It helps to use strong knots such as the Palomar and to put a drop of Stren's Lok-Knot glue on the knot to prevent slippage.

Also, superbraid lines have so little stretch that it's easy to over play a fish and literally pull the hooks right out of its mouth. Soft-action rods, light drags, and playing fish carefully can prevent this mishap.

Walleye anglers also use a lot of leader material when tying spinners, live-bait snells, and sliders. Hands down the best leader materials for walleye fishing are products developed at Stren. High Impact Fluorocarbon leader material sinks unlike monofilament, has more abrasion resistance, and, because fluorocarbon has almost the same light refractive index as water, it's invisible under the surface. High Impact Fluorocarbon is the perfect leader for live-bait rigging.

High Impact Hard Mono Leader, a similar product, is excellent for tying spinners and downrigger slider/stackers. Amazingly strong and abrasion resistant, this leader material holds up to abrasion from rocks and fish teeth better than anything short of wire. Stiffer than monofilament, spinners tied using this stuff pop out straight even after being wrapped up for storage. Easily snell knotted, this leader material has only one problem: it's hard to find. Ask your favorite tackle shop to special order a few boxes.

The fishing line needs of the walleye angler has grown as the sport expands. Thanks to a number of fishing line manufacturers there's a perfect link between man and fish.