Remember when line was made from cat gut? Fishing lines these days are made of high-tech fibers including micro Dyneema and Spectra. Even monofilament has changed. Instead of the familiar extruded nylon material invented by DuPont so many years ago, many fishing lines are now made from special blends of copolymer nylon resins.

Anglers can look forward to thinner diameter lines, newly formulated copolymer monofilaments, low-stretch and controlled-stretch braided lines, plus new color choices and a wider variety of specialty lines than ever before.

Stren

The oldest manufacturer of nylon monofilament fishing line, Stren's product line has seen many changes. Along with moving the company to Madison, North Carolina, Stren introduced new packaging and several new fishing lines.

Easy Cast heads up the list of new products. A breakthrough in monofilament technology, Easy Cast is a made by combining two unique copolymer nylon resins. The result is a line that's ultra-supple, super-strong, and highly abrasion resistant.

The name Easy Cast comes from the way this monofilament handles. "Over 300 anglers used Easy Cast in a blind field test," says Stren Press Relations Manager Mike Fine. "The results were overwhelmingly in favor of Easy Cast when compared to competitive lines and current Stren products."

Stren also introduced a unique leader material known as High Impact Fluorocarbon. Available in 25-yard dispensers from two- to 60-pound test, this product was designed with saltwater fishermen in mind, but freshwater anglers have been quick to discover its value. This fluorocarbon leader material has the same refractive index as water, making it as close to invisible as possible under water.

Some of the uses include Carolina Rigging for bass, live bait rigging for walleye, and drift fishing for steelhead.

A second leader material known as Stren High Impact Hard Mono Leaders is the toughest lure connection you can have short of a steel leader. Available in 100-yard spools of three- to 30-pound test ratings, Hard Mono Leader is made from the same nylon used in bristle brushes! As close to "bite proof" as nylon can be this line is a dream come true for anglers who fish toothy creatures such as northern pike, musky, and walleye.

Ideal for making live bait rigs, spinner harnesses, and a wealth of other fishing rigs, High Impact Hard Mono Lead material is super tough, but flexible enough to hold knots securely.

Berkley

Berkley, a giant in the fishing line business, hasn't missed an opportunity to improve their product line. FireLine is so hot it's burns off sporting goods shelves. Hands down the most popular superbraid, FireLine is actually made of a fiber known as Micro Dyneema. The strongest fiber known, FireLine features super low diameter, low stretch, and maximum strength.

Compared to its next closest competitor Berkley claims that FireLine is 20 percent stronger, 5 percent more sensitive, and offers 67 percent better knot strength. New this year FireLine is available in 1,000-yard filler spools for trollers and others who need maximum line capacity. Also, FireLine is now offered in 30-pound test, adding to the six-, 10-, 14- and 20-pound test sizes already available.

Trilene Tournament Strength is a new copolymer line designed to offer more strength and castability. The strongest of all Trilene monofilaments, this new line is also smooth handling for longer and more accurate casts. Available in high-visibility photochromic or phantom green that blends perfectly with water.

Silver Thread

The third largest producer of fishing lines, Silver Thread, recently introduced Excalibur fishing line. A new breed of fishing line, Excalibur is formulated to be the most abrasive resistant line available.

When tested against three of the leading monofilament lines in a lab abrasion test, Excalibur was the clear leader. A 200-gram weight was attached to 12-pound test lines. Then the lines were placed in a machine that oscillated the line over emery cloth until the line frayed and broke. It took 138 cycles for one line to break, 237 cycles for another, and 243 cycles for the third. Excalibur survived 3,894 cycles before it broke!

Despite its obvious toughness, Excalibur is also very flexible and casts exceptionally well. Also, the reduced stretch of this line makes it possible to deliver bone crushing hook sets.

Spiderwire

Spiderwire started out as Spectra, advanced to Spectra 2000, and now is offered as Spiderwire Fusion. The result of a special process that bonds dozens of micro-fine Spectra fibers. Spiderwire Fusion isn't braided, but rather fused to form a third generation line. Better knot strength, superior abrasion resistance, durability, and minimal reel memory are benefits of this new fused process.

Shakespeare

Shakespeare recently introduced a new line for big-water fishermen called Ugly Big Water. Available in 1/4-, 1/2-, one-, or two-pound spools, this new premium line should interest charter captains and others who fish big water and use large amounts of monofilament.

Mason

Tiger Braid is what Mason Line Company calls their new superbraid fishing line. A gel spun polyethylene fiber is combined with polyester to yield a low-diameter line with a little more stretch than most superbraids. The ideal product for many fishing applications including deep-water jigging, downrigger trolling, and fishing diving planers.

Raptor

A new company known as Raptor has entered the superbraid race. Manufactured using a whole new process, Raptor is round rather than flat and hollow like most braids. Dyneema fibers are cross spun around a core of super fibers to create a round, torque-balanced line. The line is then thermofused together to give it superior handling properties such as limpness, castability, and sensitivity.

Raptor claims it offers 40 percent better knot strength than any other braided line, giving it knot strength similar to monofilament. The round shape of the line also makes it cast and spool up much better than most braids.

Maxima

Maxima recently introduced IGFA Class line for competitive anglers. Manufactured in Germany, IGFA Class line is available in size two- to 130-pound test and a variety of spool sizes. This new line features the same properties that have made Maxima lines popular, plus a guarantee that the line will not break over the specified pound test category. Anglers can expect a blue-gray colored line that's limp, smooth casting, and features Maxima's famous durability and abrasion resistance.