Berkley NanoFil
Justin Clark 11.15.11
Recently I was sent some of this line to do a product review. It seems every year that some company comes out claiming they have a brand new line that is better than all rest. Most times its just marketing hype and we as fisherman are left with disappointment and a lighter wallet, so I am always skeptical of new lines that come to market. I went into the test process I go through with as open of a mind as I could.
The first thing I had to wrap my head around is how this line isn’t a braid – it’s a whole new breed of fishing line. I didn’t really get that until I got to touch, tie knots and fill a reel with this line. Right out of the package this line’s slickness was very noticeable. That slickness also made me think about the knot-holding ability of this line. In the unique package that this line is in, Berkley has a few suggestions on what knots to use. Per their suggestion they said to use an Albright knot to attach it to other lines and a knot dubbed the “Nano Knot” which is a Double Palomar Knot.
I tried to tie the Albright knot and was not able to get it to work for me, but I have always had a hard time with this knot and I never use it. So I went to my trusty double uni knot. The first couple versions of this knot I tried failed. I next treed to double up the Nano and also wrap the Nano twice has much has I would do with other lines. This held great and there was no slippage. Next I went to tying it to a jig, I went with what Berkley suggested and it held perfectly. But while out fishing with it I got lazy and tied a reg Palomar knot and it held great with the 6lb Nano but it did slip with the higher-pound test that I also have in this line.
Now came time to go fish this line. I filled up a couple of my panfish rods with the 6lb Nano. The crappies were due in and I felt that fishing timber would be a great test for this line. Right off the bat I overshot a cast and threw a jig deep into some brush, Steve Pennaz also had this happen to him and you can read about that here. I was able to get the jig back but only after straightening the hook out. This was a situation that would repeat itself many times over the next weeks using this fishing this line.
The line’s abrasion resistance was very impressive. I dragged this line over branches, rusty metal break walls, rocks – you name it. I never once noticed any big nicks or had the line fail on me from wear on the line. I was also able to do something I was never able to do while panfishing efficiently: throw weightless panfish plastics accurately like I can do with bass plastics. The line came off the reel so smoothly and effortlessly it made a presentation like this possible.
After seeing the extra distance I was getting in my cast I had to figure out the numbers on just how much more distance I was getting out of this line. So I set out to do a side by side casting test. I used a Shimano 1000 AX filled up with 6lb NanoFil and another of the same reel but that one was filled with Power Pro in 5lb test. According to each company’s packaging, both lines have approximately the same average diameter, .005 inches.
Both reels were placed on the same exact rod, a 6’6” two-piece St. Croix Premier rod. At the end of the line I used a 1/32 oz lead jighead with nothing on it. Since I had fished with these rods extensively before, I know they may be a few hang ups from the line digging into each other. For that reason I can give each reel three hard casts to get rid of all those hang ups from the line digging in. I then measured five casts in a row with each line. The results I got were impressive, with the Nano casting better than the Power Pro in all five casts. One thing I did notice is just how the line felt and sounded coming of the spool – the Nano just sounded and felt like it came off the spool better.
What Berkley set out to do here was to make a line that casts like a dream and zero stretch or memory for spinning gear and they did just that. This line lives up to its hype. The only negative I found with the line that could make or break it for a lot of people was the price – $19.99 for 150 yards. But you still have to keep in mind you will not have to change this line out as often as mono and it is a lot like the braids that are on the market in that sense.
I think I just found a new line that will be making its way on more than a few of my setups in the coming months.
Justin runs Michigan's premier fishing and outdoor blog Out in Michigan.com. He is also a local fishing guide, tournament angler and freelance writer and manages the newest tackle shop on Lake St. Clair "Sportsmen's Direct. He has been featured in regional publications like Michigan Outdoor News, Woods-n-Waters, Great Lakes Angler and a few others. Justin has made several TV appearance in recent years.
He has a true passion of sharing his knowledge with other anglers and non-anglers alike within the communities surrounding the waters that he loves to fish. Justin is a true multi-species nut. He can be found chasing everything from Bass, Carp ,Walleye, Muskie and everything in between. His background and experiences studying Ichthyology, Microbiology, and River Ecology gives him a totally unique view on fishing.
