But don’t be discouraged. Human beings are great at innovating and engineering our way out of problems and fishing line is no exception. Anglers of yesteryear had to make do with what was available to them. Most fashioned line from spun silk, catgut, and twisted cotton strands. By those standards, we have nothing short of engineering marvels available to us in the form of monofilament, fluorocarbon, and braided fishing line. 

Those responsible for these little miracles of ingenuity have been given a seemingly impossible task. Not only must fishing line be incredibly strong and borderline indestructible, but it must also be extremely small and possess the ability to cast effortlessly. Fishing line must be able to withstand immense force; they rocket through guides at speeds that would make professional baseball pitchers green with envy. To top it all off, on a cast, line must deal with acceleration forces nearly 14 times that of gravity. I know, I know, now you’re asking yourself, just how strong are they? 

Well, first let's break down the ratings you will see on fishing line packaging. We have all noticed the number on the box of line that is associated with breaking strength. 10, 12, 15, these numbers indicate the pounds of force it will take to break that particular line. There  is often a metric measurement as well that is equivalent to the pound rating.

You may also see a diameter measurement that becomes important if a substantial amount of line is needed on the reel. Braided line is often shown with its break strength rating, plus a diameter comparison to monofilament since braid is so much thinner than other lines. Braid is stronger, thicker, and less likely to break, but smaller, thinner lines cast easier and are less visible to fish. A good rule of thumb is to check what weight of line is recommended for your specific rod and use that to ensure you are not placing too much stress on the rod.

One common question you may be asking yourself, does fishing line have a service life? The answer is, yes. Well, yes and no. Between monofilament line, fluorocarbon line, and braid, monofilament degrades the quickest. This is because it is the most affected by exposure to direct sunlight. For every 100 hours in direct sunlight, Monofilament will lose about 20% of its tensile strength. 

Fluorocarbon fishing line, while herculean in comparison to monofilament when dealing with sun exposure, has its own drawbacks as it is more prone to suffer nicks and scratches during use, degrading the line over time. Fishing knots are also something to consider when thinking about line strength. The best, most efficient, strongest knots in the world will diminish line strength at the knot.