PE rating, Spectra, Dyneema demystified. What’s the difference and what’s the best to use for each application?

Guys here popping and plugging and even jigging refer to their braided line as PE. West Coasters call their braid Spectra. You even hear the word Dyneema occasionally. Do they mean the same thing? What is the best line for your application?

Here’s a quick read to get that all sorted out.

Technically all braid is made from PE (polyethylene). Both Spectra and Dyneema are made from PE and Spectra filaments are usually thicker and more robust, while Dyneema filaments are thinner. Line companies use different number of strands (4, 8, 12 or 16) and line coatings which affect the roundness and castability of the braided lines.

Spectra is what the West Coasters call their braid because the first braid they used (Izorline, Tufline, PowerPro) was made from the trademarked name Spectra.

Dyneema is used by the high end Japanese companies to make thin, higher strand line. Dyneema is generally cheaper than Spectra per strand so lower end line companies using Dyneema put out inferior braid.

PE Scale pertains to the thickness of braided lines not breaking strength. When we Westerners were first exposed to this new form of rating braided line, we did a simple conversion from PE thickness to max breaking strength. For example PE5 = 50lb max breaking strength. Well it turns out that is inaccurate. Some brands of a certain thickness of braid will test lower than other brands of the same thickness.

So keeping this short and simple, what’s the best braid to use for your application?

Braided line thickness and breaking strength are what you should be concerned about. If you just want an all around braid for your reel, focus on matching the breaking strength of the line to your rod/reel. If you want to maximize castability, get a thinner diameter line, but if you need abrasion resistance, you have to factor that in also. Thicker braid is more abrasion resistant than thinner braid.

The higher end braided lines from Japan try to marry thin diameter with high breaking strength and decent abrasion resistance.

What braided line do you use?