Adam Clancey discusses how evolving tackle and techniques have led to changes in drag-setting strategies.

In times past, when setting a drag on a reel, the rule of thumb involved applying one third the line’s breaking strain measured through the rod. So, if using 15kg line, say, a drag of 5kg was set. Having your drag set this way allowed suitable rods to have a good working curve in them whilst also minimising bust-offs due to water pressure, line fatigue and the loss of breaking strain that can occur when knots are tied.

However, things have changed quite considerably in recent years, with modern rods, reels and lines enabling increased drag settings, so really big fish can be taken on these very compact, lightweight outfits.

To fully understand drag settings on tackle, keeping in mind the current trends, it is important to understand the capabilities of tackle and anglers alike. This starts with the drag’s function, which is designed to apply a set amount of pressure to the spool and only release line once the pre-determined pressure is exceeded. In older tackle the tolerances were not as good as many of the highly-engineered reels available today, with the materials used in the drag playing a big part in this aspect’s improvement in recent times.

The drag design is determined by the type of reel involved – freespool (lever drag or star drag models) or those found in spinning reels fitted with drag knobs. The lever-drag setup typically consists of one large metal washer that applies pressure onto a similarly-sized fibre washer, while star drags and spinning reel drags are made up of multiple metal and fibre washers of widely varying materials.

The older-style reels often suffered problems when the friction – created by the washers sliding against each other – caused heat, leading to the washers expanding or becoming glazed, resulting in erratic drag pressure. Water intrusion affected the drag’s performance adversely, too. As a result, heavy-duty drag pressure was generally only possible on the higher quality big game reels.

Another problem arose when some reels had frames that weren’t rigid enough, leading to torque and causing the gearing to be out of alignment so it wore out prematurely or failed.

Such problems are largely a thing of the past now, with reasonable quality reels no bigger than a good-size snapper reel or surfcasting reel being capable of exerting drag pressures well in excess of 15kg over many battles.

Much of this reel development was brought about by a need for reels to handle the much greater drag pressures offered by the ‘super braids’, with their relatively tiny diameter delivering very high breaking strains.

However, even though the various brands’ labels may indicate the same poundage (i.e. 24kg), they can vary a huge amount in breaking strain. This has led to the PE standard of measurement based on a numbering system known as ‘gouw’, originally created by the Japanese for measuring silk thread. The ‘PE’ stands for Polyethylene, the fibre used to make super braid lines, and provides a more constant measurement than the line’s diameter or the supposed poundage printed on the label.

As a rule, the following equation will provide you with a reasonable idea of the line’s true capabilities: PE1 x 10 = 10lb, PE2 x 10lb = 20lb, and so on. You’ll find the line will rarely test below this line strength, especially the high-end braids that use more strands and a tighter weave, resulting in a rounder, smoother finish and a higher breaking strain for the same diameter as lines of lesser quality. These top quality lines are often specialised for either casting or vertical jigging, and tend to be more expensive to match their higher quality and higher breaking strain/diameter. So research your line well before purchase, as a good deal is not always the best choice.

These braided lines have led to the development of small, high quality reels engineered to cope with heavy drag settings and large, powerful fish. This, in turn, has seen rods evolve to become thinner, lighter, but still powerful. However, modern rods often feature materials that will reach a lock-up point; take them past this and breakage can be spectacular – but is no fault of the rod.

So now we have some understanding of why we can fish comfortably with heavier drag settings, what should we set our drag at? It’s fair to say that the ‘one-third the breaking strain’ rule still holds true with mono, but with braid lines there are no hardand-fast rules, as it comes down to the fishing you’re doing. For example, if deep jigging for large kingfish, where those first ten winds to get the fish off the bottom are crucial, a fairly brutal drag is needed. So, if fishing 37kg braid, a drag setting of 15kg plus is okay – provided the tackle and angler can handle it. However, if live baiting for marlin, where long, fast runs are expected, a lighter drag setting of around 10kg, say, is fine. (Take note: on standard game-fishing gear filled with 24kg mono, the strike drag is normally set at about 8kg.) Or, if stray-lining or soft-baiting, set the drag at about 50 per cent of the line’s breaking stain to provide plenty of fish-control power but little chance of line breakage.

Deciding what you set your drag at is a personal thing, with the main considerations being:

• Is my outfit balanced and able to take the drag setting I want to set?
• Can I handle the physical forces that the drag settings will create? Be honest with yourself – are you capable of sustaining a 15kg pull for 30 minutes? After all, it might just cost you a very expensive outfit if you can’t hang onto it any longer!
• Is my drag setting suited to the type of fishing I’m doing? Sometimes a light drag and a soft rod can be more effective than brute force, because hooks can be easily bent or broken if extreme drag settings are exerted.

YOUR DRAG should always be set prior to fishing. The easiest way to do this is by setting up your rod and reel, running the line through the guides, attaching the line to a set of scales, then pulling line off. See how many kilos you are pulling and adjust the drag up or down accordingly.

After finishing fishing and perhaps washing your gear down, it pays to back your reel’s drag off to take the pressure off the washer(s), as they can become compacted down or end up stuck firmly together. Even with the best of care though, your reel will need servicing periodically.

SO TAKE A LITTLE TIME to set your drag pressure properly – knowing that you’ve set it effectively means not being tempted to continually alter the drag setting during the fight and provides improved confidence.