Flourocarbon vs nylon

[MBM1969]

The post on tippet size got me thinking about leader material. I have always used nylon as the one time i used floro i had problems with knots. For those of you using flouro are you usung it as tippet to nylon leaders? What knot do you use to do this. What is the best tippet to fly knot with flouro? Is flouro more for nymphing or can you use it for small dries?

Mark
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[TylerKunz]

You are going to get answers all over the board here because I beleive it all comes down to personal preference... I stopped using tapered leaders and have since switched to furled leaders. I have been using the same leaders for over 4 months and they show no signs of wearing down. (Thanks flygoddess!) So I personally use flouro for most of my fishing. I just add 3-5 ft of tippet depending on if I'm fishing dries or wets, I prefer to attach it with an improved clinch knot to the furled leader, they have a metal loop at the end that makes it super easy. I personally like 4x for streamer and 5x for nymphing and most of the time 6x sometimes 5x for dries. Depends on the water I'm fishing. I like to think the invisibility of the line gets rid of the worry of the fish seeing your line, seems to make sense to me.
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[RockyRaab]

I fished with Orvis Guide of the Year Tim Linehan this year and asked him that very question. He uses fluro for tippet material on all rigs. He uses a blood knot and we never had one slip or break in four days. (We caught browns and rainbows to four pounds on 6X tippets and #20 nymphs.)

With dries, he believes that the fluoro - which sinks slightly - helps eliminate "leader shadow" that mono causes when it rides in the surface film. Fluoro doesn't sink enough to drown a dry fly in my experience, but it does sink just enough to do as described above.

I can tie a uni-uni knot easier and faster than I can tie a blood knot, so that's what I use. I've had them pull through when using three turns in the fluoro uni, but never with five. So I use five turns in both the mono and fluoro.
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[flygoddess]

I always fish fluoro right down to #32 dries. I use Double or Triple Surgeons Knot or Blood Knot. But I fish Furled leaders and just attach 1' to 6' of tippet to the ring (using a duncan orclinch knot).
I think fluorocarbon has come a long way. It use to be important what knot, but I don't think it is as much anymore. The material is more Supple
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[sinergy]

Up until a few weeks ago I've always used Nylon or Co-polymer type tippet after a few discussions here and doing some of my own research I thought Id give flouro a try.

Everything Ive read says flouro is better, better abrasion resistance, less light reflective equaling less visibility, ect ect...

Went out to Cabelas ( had to go there anyways ) bought a flipping 16 dollar spool of 5x Rio fluoro-flex.

Been fishing with a for a few weeks now and Ill say its good stuff but I don't think Im catching any more or less fish than i usually do with Nylon. Kinda hard to judge something like tippet I guess what Im looking for is something that wont break when fighting a fish and wont put a dent in my wallet. Nylon... Copolymer what ever you call it works and has been working for 3 bucks a spool.

I dont know if spending more than 5 bucks a spool for tippet is really worth it to me, the maybe 1 or 2 fish more you catch with flouro vs 7 to 20 bucks for for flouro.

The cost is what really puts a negative for me on fluoro I know Sportsmans has a cheaper in house brand like 7 bucks or something but still more than double the cost of nylon. Maybe if you could buy the stuff in bulk it would be less expensive but 16 bucks ???

I dont know Im not convinced with flouro, its great stuff but not 16 dollars great.

I will say allot of regular flouro 4lb fishing lines run .007 and .008 in diameter which is .001 & 2 different then 5x tippet (.006) I dont know if .002 makes a difference but for 10 to 12 bucks a 200 yard spool is worth giving flouro a second chance.
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[sinergy]

Just an Update I did find Seaguar Red Label Fluorocarbon Line 4LB runs .0065 in diameter
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[flygoddess]

BAD STUFF from what I have heard. Not worth it. Seaguar Fluoro however is good stuff, I still like P-Line.

I am going to also say I think 98% of catching fish is also confidence. It does wonderful things. Helps you put the fly where it need be and just right.
So, if you are confident in what you use, stick with it.
To get hired at Falcon's Ledge, I went fishing with the "then" manager. We hit the middle Provo. I thought it was just a fishing date, but he wanted to see how I did.
As I said, I use fluoro all the time. He didn't. I tied on same flies as he, (An olive Cripple and a black WD40 dropper 18" down)
I landed 5 to his 3. So I rigged him up same as mine and he upped his catch rate, and I got the job[]

I am confident in Fluoro.[]
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[kandersonSLC]

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[size 3][font "Times New Roman"]Somewhere I heard an expert note that of all your gear, theonly two things a fish (might) see is your fly and tippet, so they should be ofthe highest quality. I agree that $20for flouro is madness, but when I think how much I spend in gas etc.just to get to stream or lake, spending a few bucks per trip for tippet thatmay make the difference between fun and frustration, I can at least rationalizeit to be a good investment.[/font][/size]
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[size 3][font "Times New Roman"]If you keep an eye out for sales of the stuff, you can getit for a more reasonable price.[/font][/size]
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[sinergy]

I bought a 250 yd spool on e-bay for 10 bucks haven't gotten yet but I guess will see how it works. Im not doubting the performance of flouro hell Ive been searching for fluro in regular fishing lines for similar tippet diameters.

But 20 bucks a spool.... I mean I usually always have on hand 4x, 5x, 6x, that's over 60 bucks ( Sale Tax) and the way I go through tippet kind of pricey...

But the real question for me is what's the difference between 1 manufactures flouor vs another when they both advertise 100% fluoro ?
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[flygoddess]

Good question, but it is all in the recipe I think. Just like different manufactured fly lines vary so much.
As for cost, I buy regular fluoro fishing line in 6 lb. TIPPET, I buy 5X, 4X, and 6X. They last quite a while as I mostly use the regular P-Line for everything. The diameter is a little bigger than tippet however, but 250 yards for under $20.

I too use a lot. I use it for leader on sinking line meaning 6' to 10', for deep nymphing 30', off my furled leaders 3' to 6' and if need be I can taper that down.
And because of the no shelf life, it does not go to waste. If it gets tangled, I pull off what I can use again and throw the ball away.

Also, you have to read the labels, some that say Fluorocarbon, are in truth merely coated,
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[sinergy]

At 250 yards for 20 bucks isn't a bad deal its just those 30 meter spools at 20 bucks that suck. The Segular stuff was the only brand I could find online that was almost close to lbs & diameter as 5x tippet. 4lb test @ .0065 diameter is pretty close to 5x tippet. Everything elseI I found online didn't advertise the diameter or was .007 & .008 @ 4lbs.
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[TylerKunz]

I always check the discount outdoor section at walmart. I found a large spool of trilene 4lb flouro for 4.99 on sale. I just stock up everytine I see it. But I agree, spending upwards to $20 for the small tippet spools is a joke.
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[GP]

I use pretty much what Flygoddess uses. I use p-line and red Seaguar.. I m not to particular, I feel fish focus on the fly not the tippet.
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[RockyRaab]

On websites like Orvis they claim that fluoro line and fluoro tippet are made to different standards. That includes both measured diameter and consistency of diameter, limpness, abrasion resistance and maybe a few other things. That - they claim - is the reason for the price jump: tippet is much higher quality than just line.

But how much of that is mere marketing hype, I could not say. I do know that tests run by consumer labs do show differences among brands of tippet material, but I cannot recall them ever comparing line versus tippet material.
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[flygoddess]

I think there is definitely a difference between tippet material and fishing line. I do think tippet can be more supple and it is a smaller diameter. But, to quote Sinergy (sort of) is it worth it?
While I do feel fluoro is the neatest stuff since peanut butter, and I feel it ups my game, I do think for the majority of my fishing needs, P-Line is perfect. I do however buy tippet material for 6X and some 5X. More for the fly I am using however.
But, if P-Line made a 2lb fluoro......[]
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[MBM1969]

Thanks for all the responses folks you gave me a lot to think about. I think I will give Flouro another try and just attach flouro tippet to regular nylon leader. You know have me wondering about furuled leaders though.

Mark
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[flygoddess]

PM me an address Mark[]
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[sinergy]

[quote GP]I use pretty much what Flygoddess uses. I use p-line and red Seaguar.. I m not to particular, I feel fish focus on the fly not the tippet.[/quote]

Got to remember that weakest line from landing your fish is the tippet, not to mention loosing your fly along with the fish.
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[flygoddess]

Which is a good thing actually. Either that or you can keep getting new rods from the them breaking due to using too heavy of tippet like FFL[][laugh][laugh][laugh]
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[kandersonSLC]

[quote GP]I feel fish focus on the fly not the tippet.[/quote]
Exactly -- you only want the fish to notice your fly and not your tippet.
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