Hi. Has anyone used this new version of their braid?
Is it worth £20 more price tag? Cheers 👍🏻

In reply to Post #1
The fact it's a different b/s than the green (same diameter) plus the £20 price difference it looks like it's a completely diffrerent product. I'll be interested to hear the reviews too

In reply to Post #2
That's what I thought. It's now 25lb and thinner. It says a non fade material too.

Just want a bit of feedback if anyone has purchased it?

In reply to Post #3
I've loaded it onto my spools but not used it yet. I'll be amazed if it doesn't fade judging by the amount of colour that came out of it onto my hands when I was spooling up, they were completely black!

Initially it looks good but of course the proof of the pudding will be once I can use it. Just need to build up some brownie points and I'll be out again!

In reply to Post #4
It's no longer on their website maybe they have withdrawn it already

In reply to Post #5
That's why I posted. It just seemed strange they did this.

Thanks for the replies.

I might get the green original version. 🤔

In reply to Post #5
Just spoken with Gardner on this and they have taken it off sale as the manufacturer incorrectly dyed it black. It will be back April/May time roughly.

In reply to Post #7
not sure what colour they expected if it was called Hydrosink Noir

In reply to Post #7
Ok.. So is the stuff I've spooled up with no good then 🤦🏻‍♂️😂... Expensive mistake if it is...
Just spoke to them as well... The braid is fine, just excess dye.. Won't effect anything apart making a mess when spooling up and will dissipate over use leaving the braid the colour it should be, dark grey... I've seen this braid after a season of use and it does hold its colour.. Hope this stuff is the same as the sample I saw in action... I've also rubbed and soaked a metre length to work out how it will fade and seemed fine.... Time will tell... I'm not concerned though... It should be the exact same product, just more dye added which will leach out easily after a few casts...

In reply to Post #7
Thanks for the info. 👍🏻

In reply to Post #5
Any updates on this, any GT guys in the know if they will be releasing it again and when.

Cheers.

Bumping this thread - any more feedback on this line?

As Si Fisher said.... It was a fault in the final production run, the dye used floods out very quickly. There's no problem with the braid, it's bombproof. This stuff is incredible. It sinks faster than the old bullet. Its the fastest sinking braid ever produced. It's the sinking braid we have all waited for... As soon as the manufacturers resolve the dye it will be back.

Unlike others, as soon as there was a problem seen, Gardner withdrew it. It will not be on the shelves until that initial problem is resolved. The samples/prototype were not flooding dye out.

It stops after two uses. But that's still no good.

I just spoke to Gardner. January is the ETA. Loads of people have been asking 😂.

There was quite a lot of spools given to people, so lots of folks have seen it. Apart from the stupid dye, it's incredible stuff.

So much so, two months ago I got them to stash me extra of the duff dye spools, just in case. It actually goes a nice grey colour. The braid itself is exceptional. Id be using it now, but I need an entire spool of 600m .35 green hydro sink on each of my spools currently and the noir is a bit thicker.

In reply to Post #14
Sounds really good 👍

What's the outlook on long term use, does it chaff up, what's it like over bars, weed etc? Does it sit off the bottom at all or is it pinned? I'd be really interested to know.

In reply to Post #15
In addition, how well does it cast (compared to the original green version)?

In reply to Post #16
I've been using this since the first batch and I just can't fault it. Like someone said before, it eventually goes a nice dark grey colour once the dye has all come out which didn't take long. It sinks like a brick, casts very well, I've never had a birds nest and I never bother wetting the spool. It seems to be pretty robust and I can't see any signs of chafing or fraying anywhere.

I'm more than happy with it, it does everything that I need it to do extremely well and it looks to me that it is going to last a long time and I can just reverse the braid on my spools when i think its getting a bit tired but that doesn't look like it is going to be any time soon.

As Jonas said it casts well, not quite as well as hydro sink. But it's a little thicker so it's not going to. Still casts well. It sinks like a brick, you can feel it peeling off the bottom. All Gardner braids are bombproof. I've seen someone on here saying 15lb hydro sink chafes in weed. I've had 22lb on my spools for seven years. It never chafed once in the most demanding environments imaginable. Literally walking in weed beds the size of cars full of zebra mussels. Never damaged it in anyway. The Noir is even tougher. I'd love to be using it now. But I've been fishing at 500m+. I cannot go any thicker than .35 and get enough on a spool, even when over filled.

The Noir will quickly become the best selling braid on the market IMO.

In reply to Post #18
Your cheque is in the post!

Sincerely,

Richard Gardner

In reply to Post #19
😂 Thanks Phil. But if you was Richard Gardner, you'd know that I gave up my consultancy's three years ago. I have no ties to any bait or tackle company. Do not need to. I'm in a fortunate position to have two close mates, who own two of the best tackle shops in the country. Because of the hook baits, I can get gear from most of the companies anyway. I can get what I want from Gardner too. They have been very good to me. People were asking, and I knew. That's all. Then I got asked my opinion.

I like it that way. I don't need to sell myself for some free braid thanks all the same. That was an honest opinion. If it was crap I'd be using a different braid trust 😂

I use Fox buzzers, a Chris Brown net, Solar indicators, and speak to Damian Clarke more than I've ever spoken to Fox, Solar or Chris Brown. 🤪

In reply to Post #19
Blimey, mate I thought I was a cynical b@@@#&d.

I have some of the newer Hydro-Sink Noir braid coming on Monday.

Apparently the dye problem has been completely sorted now. It's rated at 25lb. I'd imagine the real breaking strain will be actually over 40lb, going by the ratings on Gardners other braids like the green 22lb Hydro-Sink.

Looking forward to getting my hands on some of this newer gear.

First session on the Noir and I catch a 30+. I'm happy! It sinks so well and beds on the reels lovely. Definitely feels a bit more wirey than the original.

In reply to Post #23
Well done Steve!

They can all feel a bit wirey when first loaded mate. Even the green does. That's the kevlar (I'm sure it's kevlar, my crap memory) wrap that goes around the dyneema. It's that which gives it the weight to sink.

That will pass once you have used it a bit more mate. It def softens up more.

In reply to Post #24
It does seem that braid technology has made a breakthrough in recent times. I remember some of the Gardner braid from around 2010 that was touted as sinking and brilliant. In reality it shredded like multistrand on the cast, and the dye that came off on your hands was ridiculous. Dreadful stuff. Glad to see they've improved it. I went back to Power Pro which is bullet proof but is 'neutral buoyancy' at best, and very occasionally yielded the birdie from hell, even if damp.
This summer, I got hold of the new Avid sinking camo braid. What a product. Sinks, casts better than a floating braid, is good in weed and snags. Impressive product for sure... If the Gardner new stuff is on the same lines, it will be a sure fire winner.

In reply to Post #25
You're getting old Roland. They all used to be cack apart from Bullet.

Hydro-Sink 22lb has been the sinking braid king for a long old while. It's often sold out mate. I replaced four spools earlier this year.... That had been on my reels for 6 or 7 years through some serious punishment. It was still absolutely perfect. I only changed it because I needed more on a spool than what I had.

The Kinetic, (non sinking straight dyneema) is as good as, if not better than Power Pro IMO. Don't let an old memory put you off Hydro mate, you'd be missing out trust me.

In reply to Post #26
If the Avid one fails me, which it hasn't so far, then I will revisit the Gardner one Mark.
The reason for sticking to Power Pro, was that it was simply brilliant on the big publics in South France. I've had it cut through snags on Salagou, not get wrecked by the boulders on Cassein or Croix, and see off the sunken stuff on the Alps Pits.
My dream braid was always sinking Power Pro. Whiplash, Fireline, Stren... All crap, not up to the job.

In reply to Post #24
Am I right in thinking the Noir has fluorocarbon in it some how aswell? You say it definitely sinks better than the gardner hydro sink 22? I have that on 2 spools and very nearlly bought a 3rd spool for 3rd rod but decided against it. Very tempted to try this noir as I was going to go back to fluorocarbon for better sinking. If the noir sinks better than hydro sink then I might have to take the plunge. Fishing braid is so much better for feeling the lead down which in my opinion one of the best things you can do to improve your catch rates

In reply to Post #28
Any more reviews on this, it looks mint and only a couple places have it in stock so I took the plunge as it looks to plug the gap I was looking to fill perfectly (ohh errr) always nice for extra reassurance when you spend £80 on line 😀

Also, any tips on working out when you get to 200m? I need to put it over 3 spools with backing on..

In reply to Post #29
I measured 100m using Google maps.

Tied to a bankstick walk out 100m loop around bankstick and walk back. You could probably cut and reel in there, but I repeated by looping around bankstick until all 600m was out so that I could make sure it was all equal.

Would be even simpler if you can get a 200m length of grass you can use!

If you do it at dawn or after rain you can even get the line lubricated as you retrieve it

In reply to Post #29
No it does not have fluorocarbon in it mate as far as I know. That's far to stiff in any form to be inside braid. All sinking braids are an inner core of non sinking braid, covered with an outer sheath of much heavier sinking outer braid. The Noir sinks rapidly. Far faster than the green Hydro-Sink IMO.

It's often this outer core that people see a slight bit of fraying on with sinking braid, and think that it's ruined. It's only the outer casing to make it sink. All the strength is in the dyneema braid inside.

That's why sinking braids are much thicker, and do not cast as well... Because they have an outer core which is not there for strength, but for weight. It makes them slightly stiffer and thicker. That initial stiffness soon goes though.

That's my understanding, but I am by no means any expert.

A very simple way to solve your exact 200m problem, is to measure exactly what one full reel turn retrieves on your reel. My big baitrunner LC take in 1m per turn. If it's not quite 1m or slightly more, get the calculator out and you can be very very exact in how much you load with a set number of full reel handle turns.

That's how I do it when I've needed too, and I've never messed it up.

In reply to Post #31
Both gd ideas.. im thinking using distance sticks, only problem is 54 wraps of braid could end up in a big bird nest.
I think the reel turns I'm likely to loose count lol.
Interesting you say def no fluoro fibres as it mentions that on the gardner website in the description. In any case if it sinks slightly better than the green, which already sinks fairly well then I'm happy 😊

In reply to Post #31
Surely the amount of line added per turn of the handle changes as the spool is filled - less per turn when you start.

That is why I decided to measure it out.

In reply to Post #32
When you asked me if it had Fluorocarbon in it, you did not mention 'fibres'... I assumed that you meant a complete solid length of fluoro running through the centre. Which it def has not.

If you already read that it has it in on the Gardner website... Why you asking me in the first place?

I don't read the Gardner website, I'm only telling you on seeing it with my own eyes regarding what you asked me.

It sinks really fast. It's the fastest sinking braid I've ever used.

In reply to Post #33
When a reel manufacturer gives a retrieval rate... It is on a three quarter filled spool. He is backing his spools, and putting 200m on at the end. The retrieval rate will be pretty constant.

I used this method for donkeys years... It's never once messed up for me.

I don't even work for Gardner anymore. I'm just going to shut up now about this braid.

In reply to Post #34
Sorry I wasn't trying to catch you out, I was just trying to visualise what it's like in the flesh, sounds spot on to be honest, notcheap but should last a decent amount of time. I'm never needing to cast over 100 yrds so even if I lost some, should be ok. Or I do what I did last time and put 300m on 2 spools but as I fish with 3 rods I couldn't possibly have 2 grey and 1 green, that just wouldn't be carpy 😆

In reply to Post #35
Please carry on! I've got a spool ready to go, but happy with the performance of the standard green at the moment...

I am a big fan of the standard Hydro Sink, which I have used since it first came out. Apart from an acceptable loss of colour, it has been thoroughly reliable. It would, therefore, take a lot of beating IMO, so I'll hold off switching to the Black version until there is some decent feedback.

DP.

In reply to Post #36
It's cool both of you I'm on my period today

You know when you are running around like an idiot trying to sort out ten million things? Yeah that's me right now.

Don't be such a tackle tart. You have the perfect opportunity to put the Noir on one spool, and keep the green on the other two. I am certain within a couple of trips you will change all three spools to Noir.

Don't get rid of the Hydro! Put it onto old spools and keep it for sure!!

In reply to Post #38
I'm a big fan of the green Hydro-Sink to Ken. Massively so.

The Noir is very, very good. Sinks like a brick. You can feel it peeling off the bottom if you fish it slack.

In reply to Post #38
Providing it arrives in time I will give it a crack next Friday, got 2nights booked 🙌

Oh yes I definitely work be binning the hydro green as I do have some apares. If anything I could keep it under the black as backing and use it whenever.

In reply to Post #42
I was involved with the testing of this as there were other braids that had better sinking properties than any of the current Gardner braids, but they all faded really bad to the point that they were almost white. It took a few samples until it was right, but yes, the Noir is incredible. It casts really well, but as Mark says, it's slightly thicker, so not as good as the hydrosink, maybe.
To be honest, after the first two samples that we had, which were ok, none of us expected the final product to sink the way it does and they made it smoother than the original samples. You do literally have to peel it off the bottom!
If anyone had the original Noir from earlier this year, that for some unknown reason the manufacturer decided to dye, it's exactly the same as the new stuff just released, which is still black, just without the excess dye!
I've had the older one on for 8 months, only really notice its gone to a dark grey when it's dry and in clear water you can't see it. I've also just put on the new stuff, but there was no point as it's the same, just not covering you in black ink!
It's landed some mega fish so far, as well!
Dan

In reply to Post #32
You can buy a line counter from angling direct or amazon for about £14, it measures the line as you put it on the spool. Makes it super easy, just return it when you're finished

In reply to Post #43
I've found it great for casting and sinking, feeling lead down etc. One thing I will say is that I've lost a couple of fish since switching to braid, wondering if the lack of stretch is bumping them off. However the only saving grace for me is that other members were bumping quite a few fish off in the autumn (not using braid) so I think it's probably just something to do with soft mouths. Will stick with it through spring to see how it goes.

In reply to Post #46
When I used it I found a 6ft fluoro leader helped. All though not as stretchy as mono it just helped under the rod tip.

In reply to Post #46
Do you still need to wet the braid before casting?

In reply to Post #46
You'll get used to it, just remember to slacken the clutch (unless you are a back-winder) at the end of the fight as it's under the rod tip where any last minute lunges can be fatal

In reply to Post #49
Cheers mate, looking forward to using it, going to be interesting compared to always using mono

In reply to Post #50
I've been thinking of going over to braid so this thread has been very interesting and informative, thanks . Having never used braid would you say it's necessary to use a fluoro leader with the noir , thanks ?

In reply to Post #51
You need to use 1m-ish of fluoro, mono or leadcore as a matter of course because braid will slice a fish under tension. Tubing is ok but only if it's really securely held at the swivel, which sort of rules out lead clips.

In reply to Post #48
I always do with any braid, however it I'd fairly thick compared to spod braid so should be fine not to unless you're giving it a big chuck.
I also used a metre length of leadcore, have gone back to fluoro for the winter just as a confidence thing but will get back on the Noir in summer. It was lovely to use, just losing those fish set me back a bit, don't want to be doing that in winter.

In reply to Post #53
How far were you getting with the noir?

In reply to Post #54
Thanks for the help . I use a helicopter set up on lead core for most of my fishing so this should be ok . I use 0.37 mono ( esp synchro xt loaded) for my fishing now . How would this compare casting wise with the noir , thanks ?

In reply to Post #55
That's what I use on my mono set up. I can cast about 120 with that so hoping to get further with braid as it's about the same diameter

In reply to Post #56
I was casting up to 150 with the standard hydro sink and 13ft Trebuchet lights.
The Noir is similar and when I stripped the mono off and replaced it I noticed a massive improvement in distance albeit I'm now using 12ft rods and wasn't trying to fish that far.

In reply to Post #51
I always use a flour leader, about 20 ft or more, usually 20 lb x line

In reply to Post #55
My first time using today. I was hitting max just below 118 on my set up with single. . Sinks well and feels good. Certainly doesn't fly off like my spomb braid.

In reply to Post #59
What was your rod and reel set up if you don't mind me asking mate?

In reply to Post #60
13ft 3.5 torrix, shim tech xt. With 3-4 foot of fluro leader and 4 lead. I'm not a big caster, so will be able to get further then me. I can hit my medium spomb on a 12ft free spirit mrs rod with spomb braid further. But spomb braid is 0.18 compared to noir 0.35

In reply to Post #61
It's never going to cast as far as ultra thin spod braid.
For a true sinking braid 118 yards is decent.

If you want a casting braid for fishing with and don't mind it not sinking very well (albeit better than most) I would recommend berkley cb2000 35lb straight through no shock leader just few feet of leader material. I was casting a baited rig 185yrds. Fantastic braid, super strong, doesn't fray or frap, just make sure you use a casting glove or you will slice your finger off.

Lastly, it's all about technique. Before I started a few years back on Rockford I had never had to cast big distance and was useless. I couldn't cast over 100yrds with mono (15lb) a yr on there and practice, help from the guys and watching casting videos and the biggest thing of all, using that braid on 13ft rods, it was almost easy.

Spod I would struggle to hit 160 but then the spod rod I was using was like a broom handle and I couldn't compress it to save my life.

In reply to Post #1
My mate got a few spools of the Noir today, and although it is stated that it's 0.35mm, it actually measures at 0.43mm which is a HELL of a difference!

In reply to Post #63
I was speaking to Lewis read regarding the new TA braid and he actually said that that is thicker than Hydro NOir even though its stated at 0.34 against Noir at 0.35. He said there is no industry standard way to measure and different companies use different methods which gives different results.

In reply to Post #64
Sounds like a massive cop out. A measurement is a measurement, if using accurate methods (Vernier caliper or micrometer) then they should be the same

In reply to Post #65
With mono that makes sense, but not as straightforward with braid. The diameter will be different under tension. If measuring with vernier callipers you could also get a different value depending on how tightly you compress the braid while taking the measurements.

In reply to Post #66
Re Vernier yeah I didnt think about compression Tbh, be interested to compare using micrometer though as you can't really overtighten them if doing it properly.

In reply to Post #67
I think with Vernier or micrometer your still relying on persons judgement when measuring braid and also not all braids are round and can give different readings when turned etc

In reply to Post #68
I agree about the profile not being round for sure..is there a more accurate measuring device than a micrometer these days? It's a lot of years since I had to use anything so accurate

In reply to Post #69
This was the response I know the likes of whiplash is always rated thinner diameter on the spool than it actually is.

"The two companies use different sources that measure braids with different methodologies .... All the companies do - it's always been a weird situation. Ta use the spec supplied by the braiding source where's Gardner use a method that is a friction test ..... both are more accurate than a full crush diameter rating used by a lot of companies ...."

In reply to Post #70
Anyone know if they managed to sort out their issues with this? Can't see anywhere stocking it so assume they didn't re-release it?

In reply to Post #69
Yeah - have use machines in labs which can measure strands of material to a 0.001mm. Then change the rig and it will pull and measure the breaking strain (but was only to 10kg)

When i tested lines on them (around 2018) there was not a huge amount of difference to what the manufactures state, what was noticeable was how much it changed +/- 2mm in a couple of meters of line.

From memory the results i got were similar to the tackle box tests, or there about's for the breaking strain and diameter

In reply to Post #72
Anybody using this and can give some honest feedback I currently have Green hydro sink on my reels that are due a re spool and unsure weather to go with the Noir or new TA SBX option.

In reply to Post #73
I've used it for a while now. I also have the original version on a different set of reels. The Noir is not as soft as the original but it sinks like a brick which I love. I'll be sticking with the noir.

In reply to Post #73
Iv had it on since start of the year. Not used it a great deal as one club doesn't allow braid.

Pros - it sinks well, seems pretty robust

Negs- this is defiantly not a distance braid, with a baited rig for the average angler I'd say hitting more then 100-110 youd be going well. Expensive

Overall, I like it, be suited for a small lake or fishing upto 80yards

In reply to Post #74
Sounds good you noticed much fading I believe the Noir is supposed to retain its colour very well

In reply to Post #76
Hardly any noticeable fading

In reply to Post #76
A bit, but not much