Lines

In the meantime, there are a number of lines which the sellers claim are
100% fluorocarbon. I don´t know whether this is in fact true. All the
lines tested by myself and others were coated copolymer.

I would not use them in any case.

MC

For some info on fluorocarbon, see here;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorocarbon

MC

Sorry, I don´t know. The safest way to dispose of nylon line is to fold
it up and cut it into small pieces before disposing of it in the
appropriate recycling container. In most places it lands in the trash,
as recycling has not yet been implemented in many places to the same
degree as it has in Germany for instance.

When simply left lying somewhere it is a very considerable hazard to
various wildlife, and this is completely irresponsible.

Burning most plastics is not a good idea, and it is certainly a very bad
idea to burn anything containing fluorocarbons. I don´t know the actual
results, but it is certain to produce a range of poisonous and other
dangerous results. Doing this is also highly illegal here, and would
result in heavy fines or even imprisonment.

The use of many fluorocarbons in various forms is now forbidden or
restricted in many places, as a result of the severe damage they cause
to the ozone layer among other things.

I would assume that fluorocarbon compounds when used on lines for
instance, are more or less inert under normal circumstances, that is why
they do not decay like nylon. The products of combustion are however
likely to prove very very dangerosu indeed.

It is indeed unfortunate, but I am not going to provide information
which allows others to ridicule me in public. If you have copies of
various things from me, then you may use them for your own personal
benefit, but you may not use them commercially, or indeed elsewhere
without my knowledge and permission.

I am not a scientist, I am a retired engineer. I do my best to be as
accurate as I possibly can, but it is up to you to know what you are
doing before you mess on with various chemicals etc. Even natural
dyestuffs can be extremely poisonous and dangerous. Just because
something is "natural" does not mean it is harmless. This is a popular
misconception.

There are various sites on the web which give information on extracting
natural dyestuffs form various things. I don´t know all the answers to
your questions here, and I can only give information on things I know
about. Even then, I only give it with the proviso that you do anything
at all at your own risk.

Sorry, but I don´t know anything at all about dyeing fluorocarbon. It
would however seem to be somewhat pointless, as one of the major selling
points, at least as fishing line, is that it is "invisible" in water, as
it has roughly the same refractive index as water. Aside from the fact
that I don´t believe that, and neither will anybody else who looks at a
piece in water, dyeing it any colour at all would normally tend to make
it more visible, not less.

There may be ways of achieving this. It is quite easy to dye ordinary
nylon, and this can render it less visible in water, at least to human
eyes. Personally I believe the fish tend to ignore such things, as long
as they don´t do anything untoward. There is no way a fish could know
what a piece of line is, that it is attached to a fly, or the purpose
involved, so I don´t think it actually makes any difference what colour
one uses. Of course if you use bright fluorescent pink or orange etc, it
might spook the fish. It is usually the shadow of a line, or the fact
that the line disturbs the surface in an unnaturla mannetr which spooks
fish.

One can indeed make picric acid quite easily from aspirin for instance,
but I don´t advise trying this. Most chemists will sell you a small
amount in aqueous solution, ( which is the only safe way to keep
it!)although you will doubtless have to sign the poisons register. The
crystals are highly explosive, it is a very dangerous contact poison,
and there are a number of simpler and far less dangerous ways of dyeing
fly-dressing materials.

A simple search on "picric acid", or "Trinitrophenol" ( TNP ) will tell
you all you need to know.


Regards and tight lines!

Mike Connor