Monofilament
Also called mono, nylon line
Single-strand nylon line. Stretchy, cheap, easy to tie and the most forgiving line to learn on.
Mono is one extruded strand of nylon. It stretches roughly 15 to 25 percent before it breaks, and that stretch is why it forgives so much. A hookset that is too hard, a fish that surges at the boat, a drag set a little tight: mono absorbs all of it. It also floats, ties reliably in almost any knot, and costs a fraction of the alternatives.
The same stretch is the argument against it. Bites feel muted, especially at distance and in deep water, and setting a hook through a soft plastic at forty feet means pulling the slack out of a rubber band first. Mono also takes a set from sitting on a spool, so it comes off in coils if it has been sitting a while, and UV light degrades it over a season.
For a beginner, a kids' combo, a bobber rig or anything with treble hooks, mono is the correct answer and not a compromise. Respool once a year and it will not let you down.
Start beginners on 8 pound mono. Respool at the start of each season, because line that has sat in sunlight for a year is not the strength on the label.
Common questions
Is monofilament good for beginners?
Yes. It stretches enough to forgive a hard hookset, ties easily in any knot, and costs the least of the three line types. Eight pound mono covers most freshwater beginner fishing.
Related terms
Where this comes up
The guides that use monofilament and show it on real gear.
Monofilament is one of 206 terms in the glossary.
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