Biodegradable fishing line?

[xltom]

I'm thinking of making my tackle box a little more environmentally responsible. Eagle Claw is making biodegradable line under the brand "Bioline" and I'm thinking of buying some. Cabela's and BPS aren't selling it yet but I'll be grabbing some when I find it. Has anyone seen this yet. It breaks down in 3-5yrs instead of 600yrs!

I'm also thinking of making some glass weights but not sure if broken glass in the river would be the way to go....If anyone can think of a use for glass in fishing gear I'm all ears...I've been blowing glass for 10+ years and I'd like to come up with a way to incorporate it into my love of angling. Glass floats were used back in the day and I always thought that was cool...

 

[Thuggin4Life]

you hippy! you could make glass spoons. look for a member on here named dichrofisher he makes glass spoons.

 

[xltom]

Cool, I've actually PMed DF about glass in the past. Nice guy. By the way, I just read that those old lead weights you love are illegal or something......seems stupid to lose 4-6 ounces of lead in the river, Mr. Fall creek clean-up.

Glass is pretty much free for me....I'll make you something bro.

 

[Thuggin4Life]

which old lead weights. oh my old school dollar weights? or my old ocean banana weights? my newer banana wieghts? or the cannon ball weights? i have too many wieghts. try to get the link i want to learn more.

 

[xltom]

which old lead weights. oh my old school dollar weights? or my old ocean banana weights? my newer banana wieghts? or the cannon ball weights? i have too many wieghts. try to get the link i want to learn more.

Just a quick mention....I can't find anything about oregon laws. Maybe it's jus illegal to make/sell them. Pretty sure it's ALL lead weights. Notice that the new ones you buy are a different color metal...

 

[Thuggin4Life]

Yeah i noticed the color change. i bet my old school weights aren't the best but in my defense they were given to me by a guy who spent many summers gathering the weights off the bottom after a winter of plunking so he has a huge pile of wieghts that we once in the river so to lose a few here an there isn't so bad since they would have already been there if they hadn't been salvaged.

 

[The Nothing]

BioLine used (perhaps still is) to be made here in Portland. Eagle Claw bought them last yar.

I've got a spool of 6# and like it quite a bit. It actually has a lot of similar characteristics as fluorocarbon - including the light refraction! I've used it as leader material and one reel is spooled up with it too. I like it

 

[troutdude]

BioLine used (perhaps still is) to be made here in Portland. Eagle Claw bought them last yar.

I've got a spool of 6# and like it quite a bit. It actually has a lot of similar characteristics as fluorocarbon - including the light refraction! I've used it as leader material and one reel is spooled up with it too. I like it

So, where did you get your spool? The suspense is killing us!

XLTom, thanks for bringing this new line to our attention. Great idea!!! (And, yes "newer" lead IS different than "old school" weights).

 

[TTFishon]

I'm thinking of making my tackle box a little more environmentally responsible. Eagle Claw is making biodegradable line under the brand "Bioline" and I'm thinking of buying some. Cabela's and BPS aren't selling it yet but I'll be grabbing some when I find it. Has anyone seen this yet. It breaks down in 3-5yrs instead of 600yrs!

I'm also thinking of making some glass weights but not sure if broken glass in the river would be the way to go....If anyone can think of a use for glass in fishing gear I'm all ears...I've been blowing glass for 10+ years and I'd like to come up with a way to incorporate it into my love of angling. Glass floats were used back in the day and I always thought that was cool...

What about glass beads?

 

[TTFishon]

I wonder if you could make a glass crank bait that was durable enough to withstand a big brown?

 

[xltom]

The weakest points would be glass loops for mounting hooks and leaders....the smart way would be to build up glass over a wire frame...tough to do without burning up the wire. People make earings out of glass with wire but iit's usually done in a fusing oven.

 

[Green_Tackle]

By the way, I just read that those old lead weights you love are illegal or something...

No, lead is not illegal just yet in Oregon or Washington. But, it has been banned in a few states, national and state parks, and many other countries. We see legislation come up just about every year (it was a big controversy just last year in Washington) but typically doesn't pass. Personally, I would much rather see us--anglers and tackle makers--getting lead out of our tackle through a demand for alternatives and innovation. Often times (but not always) this legislation is proposed without bringing all necessary parties to the table with careful consideration of the economic impacts or the viability of a broad-based ban.

That being said, I never use lead when there is a viable alternative available. There are a lot of alternatives out there and more popping up every year. Bismuth/Tin alloy makes great jig heads, egg sinkers, worm weights, and slinky weights. Tin makes great split shot. Tungsten, if you can afford it, is fantastic. Brass and stainless steel also replace lead in certain applications. But there are still situations in which lead is the only viable choice and that's okay... unless you have an innovative new idea.

 

[troutdude]

Begging your pardon, but how the heck are glass jigs & lures more bio friendly?

Isn't there already enough broken beer & pop bottle glass in our streams?

Plus, a manufacturer still pollutes our environment too produce the glass in the first place.

Is this just the lesser of two evils?

 

[xltom]

Begging your pardon, but how the heck are glass jigs & lures more bio friendly?

Isn't there already enough broken beer & pop bottle glass in our streams?

Plus, a manufacturer still pollutes our environment too produce the glass in the first place.

Is this just the lesser of two evils?

Broken glass is a danger for swimmers and possibly some fish I could imagine if there was a ton down there HOWEVER!! it won't be leeching lead into the water for years and years. Eventually the sharp edges of the glass would be smoothed out by the water just like pieces you find on the beach. You have a good point about pollution in manufacturing the glass(mostly burning metals) but I would guess that it's less than melting lead or even petroleum based plastic lures. Chemically though glass would be cleaner I think. There's actually naturally occuring glass all over the place(obsidian ect...).

In any case it was just a thought and I couldn't say for sure that it's the better option.

 

[Green_Tackle]

Is this just the lesser of two evils?

Exactly. That's sort of the nature of "green". Just like a compact fluorescent light bulb has it's own environmental downsides and yet we prefer it over the regular bulbs. The car I drive today gets 30MPG where as my previous car got 18MPG. Hopefully my next one gets 200MPG. But they both pollute and they both have environmental impacts from the manufacture and the distribution. We ask ourselves those very questions you have presented (Where and how was it made? Does it just present an array of different problems? Is it a wash?) and we make the best decision we can with the information we can obtain.