New line that replaces Nanofil!! Finally...

[BearLakeFishGuy]

I was a huge Nanofil fan from day one.  Been using it probably 15+ years?  Anyway, as you know it was discontinued about a year ago.  Nothing I have seen and tried has come close to it......until now!   I "invested" in some new Berkley Forward thermally-fused finesse braid.  This is the ticket!  Looks like Nanofil, acts like Nanofil, costs a minor fortune like Nanofil, but this stuff even wears better than Nanofil.  The old Nanofil would kinda shred and become frazzled when it went through rod eyelets that were frozen.  (My only complaint off the stuff!).  This new line does not do that and is a perfect replacement from Berkley...who made Nanofil.  A 150 yard spool goes for $29.99 at Cabelas/Bass Pro.  But I found it online at TackleWarehouse for $22.49.  Cabelas happily matched that price so I saved $7.50 on each spool.  If you want a super smooth, long casting, very thin, extremely supple, line.....then Berkley Forward is for you.  I bought a few different weights and have been very impressed.  I'll still use a 3-4' section of flouro or mono leader and only tie an improved Albright (a.k.a. Alberto) knot which has never failed me to attach the two together.  Nope...I'm not getting paid by Berkley or anyone else for that matter!

[wiperhunter2]

I was a huge Nanofil fan from day one.  Been using it probably 15+ years?  Anyway, as you know it was discontinued about a year ago.  Nothing I have seen and tried has come close to it......until now!   I "invested" in some new Berkley Forward thermally-fused finesse braid.  This is the ticket!  Looks like Nanofil, acts like Nanofil, costs a minor fortune like Nanofil, but this stuff even wears better than Nanofil.  The old Nanofil would kinda shred and become frazzled when it went through rod eyelets that were frozen.  (My only complaint off the stuff!).  This new line does not do that and is a perfect replacement from Berkley...who made Nanofil.  A 150 yard spool goes for $29.99 at Cabelas/Bass Pro.  But I found it online at TackleWarehouse for $22.49.  Cabelas happily matched that price so I saved $7.50 on each spool.  If you want a super smooth, long casting, very thin, extremely supple, line.....then Berkley Forward is for you.  I bought a few different weights and have been very impressed.  I'll still use a 3-4' section of flouro or mono leader and only tie an improved Albright (a.k.a. Alberto) knot which has never failed me to attach the two together.  Nope...I'm not getting paid by Berkley or anyone else for that matter!

looks like they finally got the pic feature working, awesome. Looks like some great line too, except for the price. How often do you replace your line Scott?

[SkunkedAgain]

Hey Scott, thanks for the news... I've always had a love-hate relationship with nano-fil, love the way it casts and all, but totally hated the frazzle that seemed to happen way too often on mine... So if they fixed that problem, it totally sounds like a great product... except that price is painful for only 150 yards... thanks for checking those out and letting us know... Later Jeff

[RockyRaab2]

Lots of very positive reviews on YT. I have only one reel left with NanoFil on it. I reversed it last year to put the frazzled part down deep on the reel, but believe I'll just scrap it this year. I bought something else for it that got good reviews before Forward came out. We'll see...

[Kent]

"The old Nanofil would kinda shred and become frazzled when it went through rod eyelets that were frozen." "Kinda shred..." is an understatement, and it didn't make any difference whether the eyes were frozen, or it was the peak of summer. I loved how Nanofil would cast, but after buying a big spool of it, and after experiencing endless frustration with it shredding, I made a trade with Pat to get rid of it.

[TubeDude]

Glad to hear you found a suitable replacement.

One comment on those who have problems with Nanofil (or any other line) fraying during use...Replace your tip top or any other guides with rough spots or nicks.  Not naming names but one BFTer who complained about the fraying brought me a rod to replace a broken guide.  But in looking at his other guides...and tip top...I noticed a lot of "overused" guides...with rough edges and even a groove in the tip top.  And I have observed a lot of other rods that have had a lot of use with similar guide problems.  Come on, folks.  Take care of your rods and replace the guides after the first hundred years of use.

Second comment.  Until I recently did a major "downsizing", I had about 20 different reels...almost all spooled with Nanofil...from 6# to 14#.  With the small diameter of Nanofil, it would have required a second mortgage on my home to handle the expense of completely spooling all my reels with the "high-priced spread".  So from the get go I only made the last 50 to 100 yards Nanofil...with the majority of the spool wound with lower priced (but good quality) mono.  They call that "top-shotting".  And since most of us seldom use more than the last 50 yards of line, it makes sense to do that.  And going a step further, you can unwind the Nanofil topshot after a year or two of use, reverse the ends (attaching the former in-use end to the mono), rewind it back on the spool and have a fresh end for casting and fishing.

Most Nanofil users I know use a short (3-4') length of mono or fluoro leader between the Nano and the bait or lure.  But I have also done well fishing a direct connection of Nano to lure.  But I always do better with the leader.  However, I do use a new section of leader for every trip...and I virtually never lose a fish to line failure.

[PACMEN]

This is news that is good to hear.  I will be looking at this new stuff.  I loved the old nano.  I did not use it for ice fishing due to the shredding issues.
I tried a few diff lines after no nano availably.  I have been fairly pleased with Power Pro. But no where near as happy as I was with nano.
Sounds like the cost might be a little prohibitive but I'm gonna check it out.

[EyLayo]

Thanks BLFG. Encouraging review. I contemplated bulking up on any remaining nano, even had it in cart for a few days, but ultimately decided not to pull the trigger. This makes me feel better about my decision. How long have you been using the new line?

[BearLakeFishGuy]

[quote pid="1160647" dateline="1740054186"]
Hey Scott, thanks for the news... I've always had a love-hate relationship with nano-fil, love the way it casts and all, but totally hated the frazzle that seemed to happen way too often on mine... So if they fixed that problem, it totally sounds like a great product... except that price is painful for only 150 yards... thanks for checking those out and letting us know... Later Jeff
[/quote]

It may be slightly costly up-front, but you don't have to change it like mono or flouro.  Worth every penny!

[RockyRaab2]

Pat, I was going to mention guides versus NanoFil, but since it's now extinct, didn't bother. But back when it came out, I did say that the use of very smooth guides was mandatory with it.

My replacement line (I had to go check) is Spro Finesse Braid 8X. Turns out that I got it at half price because it is also now discontinued. Really thin stuff. In 6# it measures 0.1mm. That's frog hair but it's still made of eight filaments. My 150-yd spool might last me for six line changes if I only load 50 yards and then reverse it after a season or two.

If you figure it that way, even the new $30 stuff is only five bucks per spoolup.

Still a couple weeks before I drag out all my rods and do pre-season maintenance. But time flies.

[BearLakeFishGuy]

"The old Nanofil would kinda shred and become frazzled when it went through rod eyelets that were frozen."  "Kinda shred..." is an understatement, and it didn't make any difference whether the eyes were frozen, or it was the peak of summer.  I loved how Nanofil would cast, but after buying a big spool of it, and after experiencing endless frustration with it shredding, I made a trade with Pat to get rid of it.

I used Nanofil for almost 15 years and did not have any major shredding issues with it and I used the hell out of it on baitcasters and spinning gear alike.  But as Tubedude said, a rough line guide (any of them) will cause any line to develop nicks/shred.  The ONLY time I had an issue with Nanofil fraying (besides a broken tip-top guide...twice) was when my rod guides froze with ice and I foolishly tried to reel the line through them.  When I used to use mono I would change out the top 6-10 feet of line regularly due to it fraying.  You just couldn't see it like you could with Nanofil.  This new stuff doesn't absorb water and I have yet to see any fraying.  Been using it 3 weeks now.

[RockyRaab2]

From what I've heard, Forward also sinks, as opposed to most braids, which float. That would be beneficial for some techniques, but not others, similar to mono versus fluoro. As always, it is best to match the tackle to the technique.

[BearLakeFishGuy]

Wiperhunter,
Yes, the "add image to post" button finally showed up and started working. I tried initially to copy/past a picture into the post and got the infamous "your post is too long" error. Then I saw the button and tried it, and it worked. I use Microsoft Edge (which replaced) internet explorer.

To answer your question: I never replaced any of my Nanofil. I just would remove the top 6' or so if it was frayed and then retie a flouro leader to it.

On another slightly off-topic, but related comment: When I moved to Utah in 1992 I bought some Original Spiderwire line. It was 6lb diameter and 30lb test. Several of my buddies laughed at me for spending $21.99 for a 100 yard spool at that time. I still have that same line on that same Abu Garcia Power4 baitcaster. The line still is as strong as ever and when I get snagged I still have to wrap it around a leather glove to break it. That was the best line ever and has lasted 33 years now!!! Simply amazing! I used it for ice fishing and open water fishing. They quit making that and now Spiderwire offers several different superlines with "cool" names. But nothing I found has beat the original.

[Kent]

"Not naming names but one BFTer who complained about the fraying brought me a rod to replace a broken guide. But in looking at his other guides...and tip top...I noticed a lot of "overused" guides...with rough edges and even a groove in the tip top."

Ok to mention my name if I'm the guilty party.

[TubeDude]

"Not naming names but one BFTer who complained about the fraying brought me a rod to replace a broken guide.  But in looking at his other guides...and tip top...I noticed a lot of "overused" guides...with rough edges and even a groove in the tip top."

Ok to mention my name if I'm the guilty party.

Nope.  'Twern't you.  But you did have some fraying problems with the light stuff (6#) you were using.  You either had a rough guide somewhere or you just beat the heck out of your line.  The remainder of the large spool I got from you spooled lotsa reels for a few years...and I never had any reel/real problems with it.

As Scott pointed out, it is wise to routinely cut off the last few feet of the Nano.  That's the part that gets the hardest use...with repeated casting, close in fish battles, etc.  And that part is also subject to getting more abrasion from rocks or brush.

Another cause of nicking or fraying in the last few feet of line are the hooks on our lures.  A lot of us hang our hooks or lures on a rod guide when a rod is not in use.  But as these unused rods are moved around or bunched together during idle times the line can rub across the sharp hook tips and create a weak spot that causes us to lose a fish...or a lure on a "power cast".

Lastly, one of the things we should all check periodically is the place on the bail of our spinning rods where the line meets the reel during retrieves...or fish battles.  Not common but sometimes these little pieces can become worn or damaged.

Bottom line is that most of us could be a little more proactive in checking our gear for any potential weak spots before we hit the water.  Much better to be able take pictures of a big fish before releasing it than to have it arrange its own release due to preventable tackle failure.

[AFDan52]

I've never tried Braid line on any of my rods , but it nice to hear some good reports on it. I'm going to check this out. Thanks Scott for the report.

[RockyRaab2]

I use braid exclusively on my spinning rods. But my casting outfits have "micro guides" and any braid to leader knot hangs up on the cast. Even if it does that for only a millisecond, it's birdnest time. I've gone to a coplymer line on casting reels. That's line with a mono core and a fluoro coating. It's neutral density, somewhat less visible under water, and otherwise just like mono.I bought two 600-yd spools of Yo-Zuri brand and should be set for life.

[BearLakeFishGuy]

I've had several people ask about the knot I use for tying superline to my leader.  I've tried several. But this one does not slip and is easy to tie (with some practice). Here it is.

[TubeDude]

Another suggestion is whenever you are tying slick braids...or soft mono/fluoro...directly to a swivel or hook, try running the line through the metal eye twice before completing your knot.  A lot of fish are lost because the single loop of line or leader gets a lot of abuse after a bunch of casts and a few fish (or snags).  And the knot-resistant braids and copolymers are a lot less prone to slipping their knots if you use that double wrap.

[RockyRaab2]

We could probably do pages of knots here. I've tried many braid to leader knots over the years, from well-known ones like the Alberto and Uni-Uni to lesser-known ones like the Red Phillips. Lately, I've been using the Yucatan knot. (All have YT vids) The fact is all of them will fail if they're not tied just right. Tightening SLOWLY and smoothly avoids most issues.

For line to hook, I use either the one TD showed or a Uni. The only exception is when I need a non-slip loop. For that, I use any of the three variations of the Lefty Kreh knot. Too difficult to describe in words. For a fixed end loop, nothing beats the Perfection Loop.