As many of you will know I have owned a Thebault DT 4 silk line for a while now. As this was my first silk line I really didn’t know what to expect or how it would perform against a modern synthetic line.
The first thing to say about this line is that new, out of the box it is incredibly stiff -like half cooked spaghetti. It’s also rough to the touch and far, far thinner than a synthetic line of equivalent weight. It comes in a nice box with instructions [in French] and a generous tin of Thebault Line Grease.
Having translated the instructions I set about breaking-in the line. This involves massaging the grease onto the whole length of the line on a regular basis over several days. After greasing I kept mine in a zip-loc bag so that it didn’t dry out between massage sessions, I’m not sure that this achieved anything but it seemed sensible to me at the time. I’m convinced that no-matter how much time you spend on the breaking in process you will only ever achieve a line that is barely fishable until it has actually been fished several times.
The first time I fished with this line I was disappointed to say the least. The thing that strikes you is the noise this thing makes when it’s going through the rings – it rasps through in a very disagreeable way. It doesn’t want to shoot, possibly as a result of residual stiffness and excessive amounts of grease adhering to the line. It’s almost impossible to mend and parts of the line start to sink after only an hour or so on the water.
You take it home and go through the ritual of stripping it from the spool [get a line winder] drying and reapplying the grease, then reversing and winding back on to the spool before you take it out fishing again. Not forgetting to add yet more grease before you go.
After only a few trips you will notice that the line is more supple, is not so rough to the touch and positively sings through the rings. It floats better and lifts off effortlessly as it floats on the water rather than sitting in the sufrace film. I’ve used it on both my Bob Farrand cane and a Greys GRXi and it is equally impressive and super accurate.
Please go out and buy one. If you can’t get on with it I’ll take it off your hands for a fiver 
this is exactly the advice and reassurance i needed, a silk line out of the box is daunting but i now have a nearly supple line ready to cast and i know what to expect, many thanks
If you ever want to hear a reader’s feedback
, I rate this article for 4/5. Detailed info, but I just have to go to that damn msn to find the missed bits. Thank you, anyway!
I’m sorry that you felt that the review fell short of what you were looking for and I hope you found the information elsewhere. Would you mind leaving a comment with the extra information you found?
Hi,
Re, this post on silk lines! Thanks!! A most informative explanation of how to use and what to expect from a silk line! I’m thinking of getting one for my new #3,weight cane rod!
Thanks for your help!
Glad to be of service
BTW – I have a Bob Farand Cattenach 6332 and it’s a dream. If yours is half as good when it arrives, you’ll be delighted!