Flouro worth it??

[dorian.ducker]

When I started fishing last summer the tippet I got was the generic, non flouro (I don't know what the material is) SW brand tippet. I am looking for something to spend a gift card on and am wondering if upgrading to flouro is worth it. Any brands better than others? Is the SW brand flouro tippet any good?

Thanks

 

[MrEsox]

Unless they changed the formula I'd say it isnt worth it. I tried it when it first came out and it broke easily and did not keep up very well. I'd like to go back to it, but with the unsatisfactory original line I had keeps me from it. The idea is great, just gun shy on it.

 

[MTskibum]

I believe its advantage is it can sink faster. I havent noticed it being any less durable of equal weight regular material leader.

 

[fyshstykr]

Dorian,
I believe it's a personal preference thing, some people swear by it and use it a lot.
Myself, I don't use fluoro as I havn't noticed any real advantage with it for the fishing I do.

To me it does seem a bit more brittle, and will friction burn easily if you don't lube your knot really well before tightening, causing a weaker connection.
The cost is another big factor, I prefer to spend the extra $$ on good quality regular tippet material in the bigger spools to last all season.

As far as brands, I've used Umpqua for years and really like it, although this past season I started to use RIO's "power flex" tippet material and may go with that for the upcoming year, it seemed silky smooth and soft.
In the past I have also used Orvis and had no issues with it, really liked it for smaller dries.
Frog hair is another one I will try sometime, I just don't know when. lol

Another thought on "Fluoro" it seems like I read something a few years ago that said it does not break down as quickly as regular mono, so therefor will stay in the water system longer. I dunno?

 

[shorthaul]

I use it for some of my saltwater leaders since it doesnt have as much memory and eliminates the need for stretching as much as the mono leaders so they lay out straight (shock tippets on tarpon leaders)

 

[BigCliff]

I use it quite a bit when fishing streamers and nymphing because it is tougher and sinks faster than mono. I generally have a spool of 4x or 5x mono and one of 3x fluoro with me when fishing. Mono for dries and fluoro for streamers and some nymphs. I like mono much better for dries because it floats better and is more limp, improving the quality of the drift.

 

[FISHN50]

I use Flouro for nymphing but since you don't really have to worry about turnover I buy the 100 yd spools for spinning reels. I short line nymph most of the time & I believe them when they say it is almost invisable under water. I'm always careful with my knots ( lessons learned)so no real problem there. They advertise that it is more abrasion resistant than mono. Fishing line left in a stream is a real problem but I don't know if Flouro lasts longer than Mono left to the elements. The important info to get out is not to leave old tippits & leaders in the stream or on the banks. It seems the spin fisherman do enough of that.

 

[Biggie]

The question is one that is debated alot and my opinion on it is that it had better perform two or three times better than Mono because that is what the price justifies. Personally I have used many brands of it and I haven't seen any marked improvement on my fishing.

I would caution you though about mixing and matching it with regular mono. Mono is typically softer and trying to marry the harder flouro to each other will weaken your knots and make the product less effective. I would suggest choosing to either use mono or use flouro and stick with one or the other.

 

[fyshstykr]

That is a very good point right there, you don't want to use the two together, completely forgot about that.

 

[Frank Whiton]

Hi to all,

You do have to be more careful with your knots in Fluor. Connecting the tippet with a loop to loop connection solves the problem of fastening them together with knots. You can also use a Uni to Uni knot connection.

Here is a quote from Lefty Kreh about using Fluor. He was answering a question on a forum.

"I don't think there is ever a need to use an entire fluorocarbon leader at anytime. I have tried many fluorcarbons since they first came on th market--I am not convinced they make a difference. If you are going to use it--perhaps the only place would be in the tippet.
Hard Mason Mono is the wrong way to go on butt sections of leaders. Your line UNROLLS to the target===so must your leader. Stiff, hard Mason mono dosen't want to unroll easily. I would suggest for tarpon that you tie a butt section of 60 pound test mono that IS HALF AS LONG AS THE ENTIRE LEADER. Then drop down in size to 50--40--30--etc. The 60 pound butt has enough FEXIBLE ENERGY to cause the leader to continue unrolling.
Most any preminum SPINNING LINE is okay--indendent lab test have shown one of the best spining lines (knot strength--of comparable diameter--was well as abrasion resitance) is SUFIX TITANIUM---I think Bass Pro and Cabelas sell it and it is what I use for my leaders--but not just SUFIX--but SUFIUX TITANIUM.

Hope this answers your question--I am off to Andros Island Bonefish Club."

There is some good information in this quote. This is about salt water fishing but probably applies to fresh water also. You people who tie your own salt water leaders may want to try SUFIX TRITANIUM. Lefty seems to think it is good stuff.

Frank

Sufix Tritanium

 

[Kai]

I use it for nymphing only.

For dry flies, it seems to sink more, and have more memory than regular tippet, neither of which are good for maintaining a good float.

 

[Joni]

It is all I use and all I will ever use. I will use a regular material for for a leader, but I will tie at least 24" of fluoro to it. Furled leader, fluoro
on the end.
KAI, I have never noticed the memory in fluoro, and definitely not more than regular?!
I use it on my #32 dries, no sinking and 2lb is stronger and smaller diameter the mono. PLUS INVISIBLE! I use it on all dries, sure it isn't the line sinking?

I do swear by it. I have gone with other guides on familiar water, they don't use it, but we are using same fly set up. They catch fish, but about one to my two. We switch places and same results.

Now for type. If I buy Tippet, it has to be Frog Hair Fluoro. Most time I just buy P-LINE "PURE" fluorocarbon. You really have to read cause some are only coated. In the regular fishing isle. I get 2lb, 4lb, 6lb, and 8lb.

Proof is in the pudding and if it works don't change it ;-)

 

[fyshstykr]

Did someone mention Pudding? I like pudding.....

 

[Joni]

LMAO.....CHOCOLATE...MMMMMMMmmmmmmm

 

[Jakeway]

I use VANISH flourocarbon in 6 and 8 pound for my bass, bluegill, and streamer fishing. I use RIO non-flouro as tippets for my trout fishng, mosly because I fish for trou only a few times a year, and my tippet dispenser is too full to replace it with flouro.

Man, it's tough being a cheap bass urd!

 

[MrEsox]

I guess if I was in an area that demanded floro like some of the places I have fished in before, I'd give it a try. Though a $12 for a floro tippet (4 years ago) wasnt worth it. Though that was back in the early college years. Got to prioritize the important things, like pooding and beer. :batty:

 

[Frank Whiton]

Hi to all,

I have not used Vanish for tippet material but I have used it on Power Pro braided line as a leader. I have to say it is the worse I have used. Vanish got a bad reputation with bass fishers due to it breaking at the knot on a hook set. The hook set with regular Bass gear is a very hard hook set with no stretch braided line. Seagar is a much better Fluro.

Since I don't do a great amount of dry fly fishing I use Frog Hair mono for tippet. If I fished a lot of dry flies I would use Fluor as a tippet.

Frank

 

[Fly2Fish]

Mono Leader to Flouro Tippit Knot?

I've asked this question on other threads (without an answer), but it seems relevant here: What is the best knot to connect a Froghair Mono leader to a Fluoro tippit in the 4X-7X range? I don't like loop connections, as they always seem to hinge for me. Are extra (or less) turns needed because of the disparate characteristics of Mono and Fluoro?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[Joni]

Re: Mono Leader to Flouro Tippit Knot?

I've asked this question on other threads (without an answer), but it seems relevant here: What is the best knot to connect a Froghair Mono leader to a Fluoro tippit in the 4X-7X range? I don't like loop connections, as they always seem to hinge for me. Are extra (or less) turns needed because of the disparate characteristics of Mono and Fluoro?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

I am going to say there use to be a problem connecting the two but any more Fluoro is more flexible and not a big problem. I use a triple surgeon's knot but I always do the three as opposed to two when connection two different material or two different thicknesses.
Blood knot would work also.

 

[Frank Whiton]

Re: Mono Leader to Flouro Tippit Knot?

What is the best knot to connect a Froghair Mono leader to a Fluoro tippit in the 4X-7X range? I don't like loop connections, as they always seem to hinge for me. Are extra (or less) turns needed because of the disparate characteristics of Mono and Fluoro?

Hi Fly2Fish,

If your tippet is hinging you may be using too large of loops. I make my loops as small as I can tie and still loop together.

The triple surgeon knot is good as Joni said. I also like to use two Uni knots back to back. I have not use the Uni to Uni knot with very light tippets. The Uni to Uni knots are not as bulky as the triple surgeon knot. But with very light tippets the bulk of the triple surgeon should not be a problem.

Frank