Four pound tippet or fluorocarbon

[Ants]

I may have arrived late for the party of understanding about this choice of materials. In the 4 pound range, I can choose tippet that had additional stretch but kinks into a mess when loaded and let loose. The 4 pound fluorocarbon leader material (Stren, Seaguar) may not provide the added stretch, but is immediately available to recast after catching a tree or the bottom (or fish).

This choice is a new one for me, but I am leaning toward the fluorocarbon. Are there other considerations that I am missing, or does abandoning the standard tippet have more positive aspects?

Ants

[WanderingBlues]

Fluoro if you're nymphing as it sinks better and disappears underwater. Regular tippet for dries. Or, furled leader and regular tippet.

[midger]

I use fluorocarbon almost exclusively now. It even works fine for dry fly fishing and I coat the last 2 feet of my leader with aquel to "help" it float more readily. I still do use regular mono for my butts and building my leaders and up to about 0X/1X when building my leaders then switch to fluoro for the 2X-5X. YMMV.

[Jimbo Roberts]

^
He right !

Jimbo

[duckdog]

Like Midger, I use fluorocarbon for everything , nymph, dry , and streamers . You need to be careful about nicks and abrasions with fluorocarbon. Nicks and abrasion's make fluorocarbon really visible.

[FIGHTONSC]

Like Midger, Jimbo, and Duckdog I use fluoro for all my fishing (wet or dry). What I really like about it is the fact that because it can't be seen in water (refraction index is low) allows me to jump up an X when using it.

For example, where I usually use a 6X tippet, I now use a 5X. This has resulted in me not getting broke off nearly as often when fighting larger fish or being stuck on the bottom and breaking the fly off. Great Stuff!

Tight lines,

Jeff

[BrownBear]

Sign me up with the floro crowd. I find I seldom need to go as small as 5x with it, except to get it through small eyes on small flies. As a rule of thumb I can use one size heavier leader than mono without spooking fish while cutting down on the break-offs.

I depart from everyone here though, in the butts. I use heavier than 0x in my butts, but PLine Floroclear Copolymer for its stiffness. Their Shinsei (same link) should be just as good, and perhaps easier to find far from Alaska salmon waters. You just won't believe the improvement a stiff leader butt will make in turning over leaders, whether with heavy flies or long leaders with dries.

One key I've found if you're switching between mono and floro in a leader. Match the diameters of the two types when you make the transition rather than stepping down one size, then continue with the step downs at the next joint. By that I mean you might go 0x,1x,2x with mono, then mate 2x floro to the 2x mono, followed by the usual 3x,4x,5x with the floro. If you go directly from 2x mono to 3x floro, it dramatically cuts down the strength of the 3x.

[planettrout]

Ants,

Here is some info on tippet material and related subjects you might want to peruse...

http://www.yellowstoneangler.com/gear-r ... oft-umpqua


PT/TB

[FIGHTONSC]

Like Brownbear, I still use a stiff nylon/copolymer butt section (normally Climax) and then attach the fluoro tippet.

The one thing I've noticed about fluoro that I don't like is that if not enough moisture/lubricant is applied when tying on a fly or tightening the tippet connection, the fluoro section tends to kink or strip slivers off as friction is applied. To solve this I now just dunk the whole connection in the stream then tighten the knot. Spit does not seem to work as well on fluoro as it does with nylon!

Tight lines,

Jeff

[Ants]

Thanks for the comments. I guess I was a little slow in catching on, but now I will have to fish more to make up for lost time.

I can easily learn more, so don't hesitate with more comments.

Ants

[clee]

One thing I like about Fluoro is that it doesn't decay as quickly over time like mono. If I have mono sitting in vest for awhile I often change it out if its too old or at least I do if I'm fishing an area with a potential of a fish of a lifetime. I don't have that worry with fluoro.

To add to what Jeff said, knots with flouro do need to be lubed well. If not you'll likely burn the line thereby weakening it. I don't find this as much of a problem though with trout sized diameters but I do when going into saltwater sized line.

[briansII]

I can't add much to what has already been said, other than fluorocarbon line is not invisible underwater. MIGHT be less visible as many tests have shown, but some tests say it's no less visible than mono. Not sure how that correlates to what a fish sees. No argument it sinks faster than mono.

I like fluoro, and use it about 75/25 over mono. That ratio varies from season and species, but I still use more fluorocarbon than monofilament. Go to brands are Seaguar, and Sunline. I've used quite a few other brands and only one or two I didn't like. Not all brands and models are the same, so it helps to read reviews and try different variations.

briansII

[fly addict]

I have not seen a difference between mono and fluorocarbon tippet when it comes to catching fish. Maybe that is because I don’t catch any fish anyway! I recommend you use whatever tippet material you have confidence. in.

[KRoberts1]

I use the 6#, 4#, and 2# Vanish or P-line for nearly all nymphing. Buy the 150 or 300 yrd spools for better price. Much more cost effective. For dries... furled and the above for tippet material.

keith

[acorad]

I used some 6x flouro for the first time recently, and caught a bucket of fish so now I really like flouro.

However, I found that when I pulled it off the spool through the little metal grommet/o-ring in the elastic band, the flouro tended to get all curly/kinky, which I didn't like.

Am I doing something wrong?

Andy