Most fishermen are using mono-filament fishing line although we have seen some Thais fishing for Mekongs using 120lb braid. Fixed spool reels can be harsh on mono-filament lines especially when casting big bait balls or fighting feisty Mekongs so some choose to use braid often with a mono or fluorocarbon leader. Multiplier reels are much kinder to fishing lines so mono-filament is usually fine.

There seems to be a lot of very poor quality fishing line for sale in Thailand. Here are a few of the mono-filament lines we have found to be good.

For anything up to 35lb breaking strain Line Winder Coastguard line is all you need. It’s reliable and inexpensive, usually ฿85 or ฿90 for a 1/4lb spool, for example 410m of 35lb or 780m of 20lb. Unfortunately 35lb is the strongest they make this line. I used Coastguard 35lb on a 6500 size multiplier to land a 39kg Mekong. It can be purchased from TK Sports or the shop along soi Siam Country Club.

We have found Relix Sea Mark to be a good quality budget line, it feels soft and ties a nice knot. I have seen it up to 100lb breaking strain but it doesn’t seem to be as widely available now as it was a while back.

Berkley is an American brand, their Trilene Big Game is widely available in Thailand from 8lb up to 130lb. It’s the best line available in Thailand but rather expensive at ฿400-฿500 for a 1/4lb spool. No point in buying this unless you need 40lb or stronger (get the Coastguard instead). Berkley Trilene Big Game is available at Rigger and TK Sports.

Berkley ProSpec is our favourite line for fishing Bungsamran. It seems to hold stronger at the knot than other lines we have tried. It can be purchased from 7 Seas.

A friend recently discovered another good quality cheap fishing line. Champion Big Game Pro Type. It seems to be very soft and ties a good knot but also strong. It is available in a variety of strengths from TK Sports.

← Rods and ReelsTerminal Tackle →