@txchaser Fade has never bothered me.  

The Japanese X-braids are the worst for it - a few times wet and your working line fades to pastel at best. 

But I really like the meter marks for loading spools - you can count off every 10 m, 5 m, and even single meters.   You can read jigging depth or cast distance right off your loaded spool.  

Plus you know exactly how much new line you have left on your reserve store spool, for spooling the next reel.  

 

 

I keep trying other braids based on reactions here and prefer PowerPro to them all so far.  Perhaps I should stop trying because if it isn't broken I am not sure what I am trying to fix.

On 9/23/2021 at 5:42 PM, bulldog1935 said:

The US market Stradic FL2500 reel is the 2500SHG in Japan - all reels imported to the US are high gear ratios.  

Here's the skinny on JDM models - https://www.jpfishingtacklenews.com/shimano-stradic-19/

 

The C2000S is 5.3 gears - personally, I'd rather have the lower gears for better feel and torque, and I've bought and fish a C1000S Stradic, and a C2000S Vanquish.  

I also have a C2000SHG Stradic, and had to put a longer handle on it to like it.  

 

where did you purchase the nice handle?

@throttleplate

Livre handles are indeed very nice - also spendy  

Pretty sure I bought it from Asian Portal.  FishingShopKiwi also has good discounted prices if you can find stock.  I noticed Digitaka stocks them.  Hedgehog stocks most all at strictly retail.  

Here's an English Livre catalog pdf - worth studying to identify models and understand their system, so you know what you're looking for before you begin.  

 

Gomexus makes their look alike not-quite-Livre handles.  

Two things stand out about Livre - titanium knobs, and variable-pitch handles. The 37-mm EF knob below weighs 13 g, vs. 35-40 g for big pot-metal or rubber knobs.  

If you're after the dial-in pitch, buy Livre.  If you're not keen on the pitch, Gomexus has the look for 1/4 the cost.  Though I knew a guy who put a long Gomexus double handle on a low-geared UL Shimano spinning reel, and couldn't keep up winding against charging trout.  

 

There are several Japanese companies whose bread and butter is motorcycle racing parts, and also make pretty neat and even brilliant fishing reel parts on the side - MetroTech Custom Works (MTCW), ZPI Racing, and Livre Megatech.  Their shops form and CDC-machine titanium and magnesium in batches.  

 

I've cobbled a few really functional handles using a mix of Livre and Gomexus parts, -Daiwa and Avail parts, also.   

 

 

One place in Japan that will provide any Livre handle with any Livre knob combination is SquidMania - they also offer their own Livre custom parts that no one else can, such as the hook-keeper add-on to the Livre "custom balancer"

While I believe they sell and ship direct, their website doesn't translate well.  I ordered this Union 37-43 for my low-geared Vanquish, along with several hook keepers, from SquidMania but used my long-time Japan broker, Masamichi at noppin.com.  

  

 

 

You should look to Hitena white for what you described 

also consider Finns.

 

https://hitenausa.com/super-cast-pureline/

 

Silky pink is awesome will bleed the first time in water.  After that is is using silk….seriously!

 

 

Smackdown is the only line I ever experienced breakoffs with.

On 9/23/2021 at 7:38 AM, MickD said:

Best braid I've used is Hitena Pureline.  White.  Keep in mind that lines like this are so thin that color is less a visibility problem than you might at first think.  Pricey but lasts a long long time.

With regard to pound test rating inaccuracy Hitena advertises that their pound test ratings are correct, for their lines and leader materials.  I have not tested them, but based on their overall quality reputation I expect they are correct.  or close.