Cane pole line help?

[GoodOlBoy]

I was wondering if anybody knew a source for good old fashioned cane pole fishing line? The stuff we used when I was a kid was either cotton, or linen, or dacron, or who knows. I just remember it was black, unbraided, and typically had a faded whitish core to it if it frayed. My great grandfather always said you had to burn the end of it or the knot wouldn't hold. I don't know if it is true, but the knots always held (and we had always burned the end of it). Anyway just wanting to rig up some river cane soon, and I can't find a line that fits the bill.

Thanks

Richard

[Jack]

Burning the end of the line suggests a synthetic, like nylon or dacron. Natural fibers like cotton or linen wouldn't benefit from burning the end.
You can still get the old style braided fishing line - I think it was dacron. I don't think that's exactly what you describe, but braided dacron fishing line is used on cane poles by a lot of people.

[GoodOlBoy]

Yeah that's probably what I am going to go with even though what we used wasn't braided stuff. I was just hoping somebody would go "hey knothead here's where ya find it!"

Richard

[Rapier]

Here is what you were thinking of, but note is is antique silk line and the spool is a collector's item today. :D

http://advertisingantiques.com/mermaid-brand-black-river-fishing-line-spool/

I switched to clear nylon 5-10# test back when I was a young man, just kept it straight by cutting it about 2 inches short of the pole length and putting the hook into the end of the pole when it was put up. I usually carried two poles with me to the lake, a split shot with a cork (bottle cork) and a float / swim pole. Oh, used black sewing thread to catch minnows on a 3-4 ft pole made from the tip, just split a worm in 4 pieces at the end and the minnows would grab the split worm and hang on until dropped into the minnow bucket. Catch minnows in a ditch. Bass and Specs love them.
Ed