How to untangle "fishing line used as control lines?

[frank mccune]

      Hi All:

      As a subject line asks, how does one untangle the fishing lines when they get tangled?

      Last night when we were flying, a Thunderstorm blew up and as I was placing my lines on the reel, the wind blew the two ends of the lines into a knot.  A friend of mine picked up the lines and suggested that I untangle the knot when I got home.  It sounded good at the time but after the pile of lines rode for an hour on the front seat of my car, they wer in a flat "bird's nest. 

      After spending four hours picking at the bird's nest, I noticed that I had only about eight feet of line freed.  The tools of choice included two straight pins, tweezers and reading classes.  I figure that it will take about 7 more hours to get the lines free of knots. This line is very difficult to push through the tangle.   At this time. I decided that new lines were the choice of the day.

      Any suggestions as to how one may untangle fishing line?

                                                                                                                     Tia,

                                                                                                                     Frank

[Keith Miller]

No special tricks - just time and patience.
I'm betting you could make a couple new sets of lines in the time it would take you to untangle the nest.

[phil c]

loosen up the tangle by gently pulling the free ends of the line into it and spreading the slack around.  Then start working it towards one end of the lines.  As you go the tangle will gradually disappear(assuming you didn't tie knots in the lines when bundling them up).

[PerttiMe]

Sometimes, it can be easier if you think of it as removing one line from the tangle, instead of untangling two lines.
Where ever you can, get some slack, and try not to tighten anything.

[Tim Wescott]

What everyone else is saying: work one end from the tangle, repeat as necessary.

[Douglas Ames]

Life is too short to mess with something so trivial and cheap. Make a new set.
Chances are they are kinked and have a twisted "set" anyway.

[Phil Krankowski]

Your "friend" owes you a new set of lines!

Slow and steady wins this race...or cut the eyes off and tie a new pair!

Phil

[John Craig]

I think it will be safer, easier, less frustrating, & certainly less time consuming to just tie a new set.

[George]

I will have to agree with replacing the lines. If you are using pins and tweezers to untangle the lines, there is a good possibility that you have/will damage them.

It would be REALLY frustrating to get about ten feet from the other end and damage them. You are probably doing this for maybe ten cents an hour.

...BUT, your choice. Good luck either way.

George

[Steve Helmick]

I fish with braid on some rods (usually have 4 or 5 to choose from on the boat just for me). Problems arise while fishing also, but a little extra care cures most of them. Some suggestions I've seen are to use a candle to wax the line...stiffens it up a little. Others suggest using line conditioners like fly line treatments or KVD Line & Lure Conditioner. http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Kevin_VanDams_Line__Lure_Conditioner/descpage-VDLL.html You can get it at Bass Pro Shops or Cabela's, if you have one close to your location, but Tackle Warehouse has a more thorough description and customer reviews (all very enthusiastic). I have not used it yet, because I have "Blakemore's Line & Reel Magic" on hand, and it works very well, tho haven't used it on braid. I had a guy in my backseat once complaining that he couldn't cast far enough. I sprayed his line and reel down with "Blakemore's"
and his next 3 casts were onto the shore. I think he was impressed, 'cause I was! Another tip would be to try Power Pro "Slick" braid. Has some sort of coating that makes it a wee bit stiffer, from what I've read. Generally, being more careful is still a requirement.

I like the old fashioned 7-strand stainless cables and see no reason to change. Tom Morris seemed shocked and dismayed that I didn't want the 19 strand lines last time I ordered lines from him. Everybody seems to think that the smaller wire in the 19 strand will be more likely to be damaged, and I agree with that logic. Best not to drag your lines around on hard surfaces, anyway.  Steve

[Phil Krankowski]

... Another tip would be to try Power Pro "Slick" braid. Has some sort of coating that makes it a wee bit stiffer, from what I've read. ...

I LOVE power pro.  3 of my 4 reels are spooled with it.  ALL my flying lines are made from it.  It is ROUND!  Seriously, the line is round in cross section, not the flat weird not-exactly-twisted shape spiderwire has, ROUND like braided rope!  In fact if you pick at it the plait separates and the heavier diameters appear to be an 8-plait.  (BTW reel #4 has spiderwire, and it is pretty OK for fishing)

Phil