The more I fish braid the more I like it. I lost six or seven steelhead up in Canada this fall using mono. Long casts and line-stretch were killing me, so I switched to 30-pound PowerPro in frustration and consequently didn't loose a fish after doing so. Hard to argue with those results.

Mono works fine side-drifting because the boat drifting away from the fish loads the rod and takes up the stretch. I also don't think it's a huge benifit to use braid while float fishing because the float often tacks the hook and gives you time to pick up any belly. If anything the slack line you often deal with and the tendancy for braid to rap around the tip make braid a detriment to float fishing.

I'm convinced braid is the ticket for drift fishing. Little or no stretch opon hook-set alleviates the need for a stepping back or reeling down in the process. Same with swinging a spoon. As far as brand or color that is personal preference.