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Fluorocarbon tippet

3K views 54 replies 30 participants last post by  GAT 
#1 ·
Mine always breaks. On the fly, halfway, doesn't matter.
I mostly use Rio, fluoro plus.

I get that it becomes brittle with age, but I've lost confidence.

Should I quit using it for nymphing or be buying a different brand?
 
#6 ·
I agree that heavier tippet will help. I've also found that, despite its "in the lab" increased strength and abrasion resistance, when you get fluorocarbon out "in the field", while it may be *more* abrasion resistant, once it does, in fact, abrade, its strength is *drastically compromised. So while a piece of 4 lb test mono might get scuffed up and drop to 2 lb, a fluoro 4 lb section might last longer before it gets seriously scuffed, but once it does, it may drop to 0.5 lb.

I've also encountered the occasional spool of tippet here and there (mono and fluoro alike) that, for whatever reason, were just bad spools. It really hurts when it's an occasional spool of Seaguar Grand Max that's a turd, but we're talking maybe one bad spool, across all sizes and brands, every other year. If you've got several spools giving you issues, I'd say it's you, not the material.
 
#10 ·
I agree that heavier tippet will help. I've also found that, despite its "in the lab" increased strength and abrasion resistance, when you get fluorocarbon out "in the field", while it may be *more* abrasion resistant, once it does, in fact, abrade, its strength is *drastically compromised. So while a piece of 4 lb test mono might get scuffed up and drop to 2 lb, a fluoro 4 lb section might last longer before it gets seriously scuffed, but once it does, it may drop to 0.5 lb. (Quote)

I've found the same thing with fluoro tippets. I used to use Maxima a lot for my sub-surface, steelhead/salmon fishing due to it's durability. I was used to seeing a bit of abrasion and not worrying too much about it unless it was bad. That has not been the case for me with fluoro, however. If I see any signs of abrasion, I immediately change tippets for the reasons you mentioned. That being said, I had a friend who was a saltwater fly fishing guide and he swore by fluorocarbon. He said that he did an experiment where he rigged some rods with standard mono and fluoro on others. He said the fluoro consistently caught more fish. I've not been able to verify that with my own experience though. I still use fluoro much of the time (just in case...i.e. why take a chance etc) but....
 
#7 ·
I rarely use flouro. Mostly because I'm a cheap bass turd, but also I've never really felt like I needed it. I can think of a few times using extremely small bugs or really finicky fish when it comes in handy, but for 90% of my trout fishing it isn't necessary.

I nymph A LOT, and almost always use a double nymph rig. I run 4x mono to the big fly and use 5x or 6x for the dropper. Trout around here don't seem to shy away from 4x mono, and I've landed lots of big bows in the Yak on 6x no problem.
 
#11 ·
First, you don't need 6x. 5x super floro is stealthy enough for any nymphing. Second, if you are using 5x, you should not tie on anything bigger than a 16. If you are using 14's they will break off regularly. Go to 4x super floro. Third, floro is not particularly bothered by sunlight. It is really, really chemically stable. Your problem likely lies elsewhere.

My suspicion is that you are using flies too big for your tippet. By super floro I mean the good stuff. I like seagar grand max but Rio's best is equivalent.

And, yes, once in a while (few years) you can get a spool with problems. I strip off about 8' and try it again. Mostly that works.
 
#12 ·
Second, if you are using 5x, you should not tie on anything bigger than a 16. If you are using 14's they will break off regularly.
I like everything you're saying in your post except this bit.

I absolutely regularly fish #14 flies on 5X tippet, in fact if I'm fishing a #14, 5X is what I'm typically going to reach for to tie it on, nymphs, dries, whatever. No breakage issues whatsoever.
 
#13 ·
Make sure your tippet is at least 12 inches in length when using 6,7, &8x I have a friend showed me how to use it I was always afraid to use 6 & 7x because of breakage, I've seen him catch some pigs on 8x I have yet to try that size i am slow on tying flies on anyway. And again I got some shitty tippet that I gave away you sure you not the person that got it:)
 
#15 ·
Cheap Berkeley, Vanish, 100 meter spools of .006 and .007. One spool lasts many seasons with very few issues. Size 18 chironomids all the way to size 4 buggers.
 
#21 ·
I used to use Rio Fluoro for streamers, made the switch to Mastery because it was on sale. No issues with either, and found it to be quite durable. You can buy fluoro tippet on closeout because it has a shelf life of 10,000 years. You can also get away with larger sizes of fluorocarbon because it is less visible.
 
#22 ·
Just a thought. Are you using 6x on a fast rod, or a five weight or bigger?

I think it is too small for today's faster rods. A soft/slower rod gives you the ability to put the same pressure on a fish without as much risk of break off because it will give easier when the fish makes a fast turn. Same goes for a lower weigh rod. Otherwise we would only need one rod no matter how big/small we are fishing.

I would never go below 4x fluoro on a five weight rod. And I fish slower rods. I might go down to 6x on a four weight. If I did, I would be very gentle with playing the fish.

By today's standards, my VSP's are considered a medium/medium fast rod. I have a orvis two weight supperfine that is a noodle. There's no way I could break 6x on a fish with it. Just put the heat on and let the rod do the work of protecting the tippit.

My two cents.
 
#29 ·
***thinking*** hmmm, turns out that super fast action rods might NOT be the best FISHING tools for trout.....hmmmm. Sage? are you listening?***

as far as fluoro is concerned, I just use Seaguar myself from 4lb all the way up to 40lb depending on the quarry. For trout nymphing, it's usually 8-6 (rarely 4--use that more for stillwaters)...with that, I very rarely break off fish and when I do, it's almost always because I didn't check the tippet for abrasions (same thing would happen with mono, just quicker). Then again, I also fish with what would be classified as a "soft" rod...
 
#31 ·
I've been using 100% fluorocarbon since the early 90's.

Here are two things that I've learned:

1) - All fluorocarbon is not the same. 100% fluorocarbon is the only way to go.

2) - Know you're knots. There are some knots that do not hold/work with fluorocarbon.

That second one is really, really important.
 
#34 ·
Sage builds or has built many suitable trout rods. When I switched to a softer rod, I switched from an RPL to a LL. My go to trout rod now and for the past fifteen or more years has been a 490 LL, 2 pc. I bought it in the late 80"s or early 90's. It's the one rod I will never part with until I can't fish anymore.
 
#37 ·
I have that exact rod. I built the first one in the mid 90's, broke it in half last year, had a new one built.

It's the back up to my biix now.

That said, I could easily use the LL, and have the IIx as a backup.

A triangle taper on that LL, is an amazing thing to cast. :)
 
#35 ·
yeah, that Sage comment was a bit more tongue in cheek...I did really like their marketing strategy for the Circa, "...we reinvented slow"...lol. The great thing is (for me), I can get 2 Steffens for the cost of one Circa and have a better casting, tougher, and more versatile rod than the one-trick-pony that the Circa is....that said, it does cast nice at least, my buddy likes his.

wait, wasn't this about fluoro? sorry for getting off-track...

For those of you using Pline, how do you like the knots with it? I usually do a nonslip mono loop and it works very well with the Seaguar (STS & INVIZX primarily)...actually, a standard clinch knot works fine too as long as I don't get lazy and don't dampen it and pull it slowly to tighten.

I'm in total agreement that Vanish is absolutely worthless.
 
#36 ·
You can butter the ant's ass, split hairs, and argue fractions of meaningless density. I bought some due to all the hype. Now, I feel like a fool with a gold spoon at Mulligan stew. Flouro is overrated. Just another ploy to suck 2000% profit from suckers. Or, is that 20K percent. But, it's your money....
 
#38 ·
Well, maybe for where you fish, but it has it's advantages.

It's not like Power Bait or something. If you don't know where the advantages are/are not, it will be a "guessing game" at best.
 
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