Fluorocarbon vs Regular tippet and leader

[FlyPoppy 0]

Since starting I have been following my fishing buddy's lead on a lot of material. I typically use RIO or Orvis superstrong. I have asked about the fluorocarbon and have received mixed reviews. I understand it is suppose to be invisible in water. I have also heard it is not as strong or tough as regular tippet or leader. what are your thoughts?

[heavynets 0]

The main thing to remember is that not all flourocarbon is alike. You usually get what you pay for. Now read this:

 

http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/15586686/pro-tip-the-pros-cons-of-fluorocarbon-fishing-line

[SilverCreek 0]

http://www.flyfishamerica.com/content/fluorocarbon-vs-nylon

 

I use fluorocarbon for nymphing because of abrasion resistance, less visibility, and no loss of strength due to water absorption.

 

You have gotten it backwards. Fluorocarbon is tougher and slightly stronger than mono for equal diameter materials.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FlyPoppy 0]

thanks for the information. i was mostly paying attention to the price point more than what the product did.

[Bryon Anderson 0]

The price point is a very significant difference, and in my opinion fluoro does not deliver enough added benefit to justify the extra expense. If it was just a dollar or two more per spool that would be one thing, but that stuff is typically at least double the price of mono, which, to my mind, means I would need to hook twice as many fish before it would start to pay for itself. Perhaps this is an oversimplified view, but then I'm a simple man.

That being said, I do use it occasionally -- typically for fishing streamers on sink-tip lines, as fluoro sinks faster than does mono.

[rsimino 0]

My experience is if you wait for a sale and buy last years tippet, stay away from the mono and stock up on fluoro. Frog Hair (Gamma) is the exception for mono, it seems to last.

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Flouro does sink faster than mono as Bryon said. I like using it on my floating/diver balsa bugs as it helps pull them down below the surface. Not sure how it would act with tiny floating flies, it may actually sink them??

 

Kirk

[SilverCreek 0]

Fluorocarbon does not sink "significantly" faster than mono. Mono is actually heavier than water and Fluorocarbon is heavier than mono. However, in the diameters that are used for dry flies, both will float due to surface tension.

 

"monofilament leaders and tippets generally have a specific gravity in the range of 1.05 to 1.10, making them just slightly heavier than water.

Fluorocarbon has a specific gravity in the range of 1.75 to 1.90. Tungsten it ain’t, but it is significantly more dense than nylon. But is it sufficiently dense to quickly and reliable break surface tension and sink all by itself, even at zero contact angles, and even in the smallest diameters? No, it’s not. Our testing reveals that most brands of fluorocarbon tippet material in 0X to 8X diameters are no better than nylon at breaking surface tension and sinking on their own. Larger diameter fluorocarbon materials do demonstrate a slightly better ability to break surface tension without the assistance of current or other external influences, but for practical fishing purposes fluorocarbon has little benefit over nylon on this measure."

 

http://www.flyfishamerica.com/content/fluorocarbon-vs-nylon

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Silver, man, that was a great read! I'm going to share that link on some other forums i frequent.

 

Thanks,

Kirk

[hopperfisher 0]

This may sound kinda ghetto but I use Berkley Vanish Flourocarbon fishing line for tippett. I grease it with floatant if I'm fishing drys and it sinks fine with nymphs and streamers and it's only about $10 for 100+ yds at Wally World! I've never had an issue with tippett shy fishing spooking on it either.

[SilverCreek 0]

I generally use Rio Fluoroflex for my fluorocarbon tippet material but after reading that Davy Wotton uses P line Halo, I ordered a spool to try. It is not as strong per diameter as the Rio, but I figure I can at least try it in the 4 lb size. The 4 ln size is 4x diameter so the strength is not nearly as strong as Fluorflex.

 

Here is Davy Wotton's post:

 

http://flyfishingarkansasandmissouri.yuku.com/topic/8581/Re-pline-fluro?page=-1#.USkHHI6kMrg

 

I got a great deal on the line here with free shipping.

 

http://www.sportchalet.com/product/301664_1848640.do?kwid=p+line+4+lb+halo+fluorocarbon&gclid=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportchalet.com%2Fproduct%2F301664_1848640.do

 

 

 

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

A friend of mine in the Keys said that for Tarpon and other saltwater fish he found the the flouro by Orvis to be the best.

 

Another friend, a bass fisherman told me that alot of bass guys joke about Vanish brand flouro is called Vanish because that is what happens to the fish that you hook with it, they vanish. Just heresay of course.

 

Kirk

[gaffer 0]

This may sound kinda ghetto but I use Berkley Vanish Flourocarbon fishing line for tippett. I grease it with floatant if I'm fishing drys and it sinks fine with nymphs and streamers and it's only about $10 for 100+ yds at Wally World! I've never had an issue with tippett shy fishing spooking on it either.

Not ghetto in my mind.

 

I use P-line flouro-clear for my flouro leaders. I have a spool of 10# and 6#, 4# in my bag all the time, and a 4# mono. On a triple nymph rig I tie 10# to the anchor fly and 6# between the others. If you like you can go down to 4# between the second & third fly. Essentially what you have is a tapered leader tied between your files.

 

I will also surgeons knot tippet onto my store bought leaders to make them last longer. Flouro for streamers, mono for dries.

 

If you like you can also reload your little tippet spools with line from a big spool if you like.

 

A

[Peterjay 0]

Regarding tippets over 10 pounds: I've tried a lot of brands with varying degrees of success, but I've been using Seaguar fluoro for years for saltwater tippets. I've found that it holds up better on the rocks than regular mono. As far as visibility goes - I can see it, and if I can see it, most likely the fish can see it. The small spools labeled "leader material" can run you into serious bucks if you go through a lot of tippets - buying regular fluoro line in big spools is a lot cheaper. Maybe there's some minute technical difference, but in the real world, I've never noticed it. Anything that'll stand up to tuna will stand up to anything.

[Primescuba 0]

Flouro does sink faster than mono as Bryon said. I like using it on my floating/diver balsa bugs as it helps pull them down below the surface. Not sure how it would act with tiny floating flies, it may actually sink them??

 

Kirk

I'm going to share that link with my community members !