You'll often hear carp anglers saying that they have tied their rig using a ‘coated braid' material. But what is this? And why is it so popular?
Coated braid is a kind of hybrid between nylon line and soft braid, and essentially it enables you to benefit from the best characteristics of each material. Since its arrival on tackle shop shelves in the early 1990s, it has gone on to become the hooklink material of choice for the majority of carp anglers.
At the core is a soft, supple braid, coated with an outer layer of plastic. This makes the line thicker, but also makes it tougher and stiffer, which can help in avoiding tangles when casting – something which standard soft braids are renowned for! The coating also helps to protect the finer braid inside from any underwater hazards.
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Soft or stiff?
Coated braids come in soft, semi-stiff or stiff versions. How you want your rig to behave will determine which you choose. The stiffer the hooklink, the harder it is for carp to eject, as it won’t easily fold back on itself.
These are excellent over firm lakebeds but, over a soft or uneven bottom, a stiff hooklink can end up sitting at an unnatural angle. A softer material is able to lay flush over any contours or debris on the bottom. For this reason, a semi-stiff material offers the best of both worlds and is a good all- round option in most situations.
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Breaking strain
Coated braids come in a range of breaking strains, but typically 15lb-35lb. In weedy or snaggy swims, when you need an abrasion-resistant hooklink, pick a material from the stronger end of the breaking strain spectrum. However,in open water, or areas where there are no real hazards to worry about, the thinner diameter hooklinks will invariably result in more bites.
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Camouflage properties
When selecting your hooklink, make sure you pick one that will blend into the lakebed you’re fishing over. With so many sticks, leaves, weed and other debris on the bottom, a carp isn’t necessarily going to ignore a weedy green hooklink material fished over a patch of gravel, but it’s certainly not going to do you any harm to camouflage your rig as much as possible. This is particularly the case on some of the more pressured venues where the carp are constantly being fished for.
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Top tips
Using your teeth to remove the coating will eventually damage your pearly whites. To maintain a perfect smile, invest in a braid-stripping tool!
For stiffer braids, steaming them over a kettle will help straighten them out, making them ideal for casting into the lake.
Stripping back a small 1-2cm section near the hook can create a hinge, allowing the hook to move freely—this can lead to more hookups.
Stiffer coated braids can be crimped if you're struggling to knot them or want a neater finish. However, avoid crimping soft-coated braids, as they can slip.
If you want to save money, using a rig like a Ronnie or multi-rig allows you to swap the hook, meaning you can reuse the coated braid boom section for multiple sessions.
Adding a bit of putty to the braid can help pin it down out of sight and improve the hooking potential of rigs!
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