Fishing line is what separates us, Anglers with other forms of catching fish. Most often, beginner anglers usually starts with mono filament lines, then they gradually move over to braided lines & subsequently, other more capable fishing lines as the need arise. Generally in the market, the most widely available & cost effective fishing lines are mono filament or mono for short while braided lines is catching up.

This is the cheapest among lines to be used for angling. They are made from a single strand of plastic. Depending on the quality, some lines are stiffer & thicker while other premium mono lines are softer, more supple & thinner. They come in many colors but the most popular coloration are transparent lines which is popular among bait/pole fishing anglers for finesse presentations. Mono lines also cuts water better due to their roundness. Mono has it's drawbacks too. It stretches when pulled which can be a problem when cast over a distance, the angler won't know there is a bite until the fish starts running with your bait. Another problem is memory. Mono lines tends to retain memory if stored on a reel over time. Ever notice when fishing with old mono lines, when you cast out, there will be a lot of curls formed?. This will hamper casting distance & accuracy as the curls create friction on the guides.

As the name implies, braided fishing lines are made by braiding 4 to 8 strands of fibers into a single line. Braided lines are usually made from plastic fibres, dyneema or spectra materials with dyneema being the more popular material. Braided lines are also very thin, retains no memory & almost zero stretch. This is important for casting lures where the angler would feel the slightest movements on their bait or lures. One drawback of braided line is it's underwater high visibility. Braided line is also not abrasion resistant so they will easily cut when subjected to trashing on sharp objects & chaffing. To counter both problems, anglers tie a length of mono leader to make the line less visible & better abrasion resistant. Braided lines also tend to float due to the braiding process of storing pockets of air. This can hamper presentation of baits when pole fishing.

There are also some new type of lines such as fluorocarbon, nanofil, fused & multifilament (superlines) which are also popular with the high end market but generally, most anglers would use mono or braided lines for majority of fishing needs.

Leaders generally serve 3 purpose,