I do a lot of fly fishing for fish with teeth. I keep getting told to try and switch over to florocarbin line since it is suppost to withstand some of the nastiest teeth around and makes for a great leader matts. I tried the stuff jigging for walleyes and the stuff was bad it broke easily and was by far not abration resistant. I know since then things have changed a little so is it worth it. I tend to use 17# and 20# test for my 9wt and 12wt so what lb. should I be looking at?
Florocarbin and teeth
- Thread starter MrEsox
- Start date
chuck s
Well-known member
Fluorocarbon will work somewhat and there are those who say the increases in strikes will offset a cut off now and then. I'd go with at least a shock leader of about 8 inches for smaller pike and use at least 40 lb. For the big boys use a full foot and go up to at least 60 or even a tad more. I've tried Fluorocarbon, Heavy Mono, Braid, single strand wire and braided wire. My favorite thus far is some of the new really fine wire that's out there and with some toothy species GSP braid works fine.
swirlchaser
Well-known member
When I get into a Bluefish blitz I switch to 8-10' of knotable wire. It doesn't make for the neatest presentation but when there's hundreds of teeth slashing around in the water it really helps.
hmmm...knotable wire, that is something that is not known to me. I usually use 8"-12" southbend wire leaders. Since I can get them in that 12lb-18lb test it matches the mono I use very well. I have tried a number of braids and have had small pike (less then 5lbs) go right thew it and have seen what a 20lb pike can do to some spiderwire type braid. I myself have not have an issue with toothy critters shying away due to a leader. Off hand I can only think of one story of someone who I made some flies for his pike trip in Canada. The pike would not hit it if it had a leader, but the moment he took the leader off they hit the fly the moment it hit the water and of the 12 I made him he has 3 left. I think after reading the info posted, Im goona stay with the smaller leaders I use now