Tippet – Flouro vs Mono?
- This topic has 20 replies, 16 voices, and was last updated May 5, 2012 at 1:54 pm by
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Ok I can take a shot at this…
Fluoro has a few benefits over mono. It refracts light better than mono, which means that when it is IN the water, it is harder to see. It also has a higher specific gravity, which means it gets into the water easier than mono. Lastly it has high abrasion resistance and knot strength. It’s important to get the tippet into the water (reason for the downward bend of the eye of most dry fly hooks?). Line on the water creates huge distracting dimples in the surface which splashes light everywhere spooking fish. The fluoro gets into the water quickly and is practically invisible once it’s there.
Is it worth 3x the price for mono?..that’s the real question. I can tell you this though, when I worked at my local shop and got a 50% discount I only used fluoro. Now that I’m back in the real world I only buy mono.
not worth paying 3.5x more for it!…i say no need for flouro in standard type trout fishing. I will use it sometimes when great lake steelheading but thats it….
I also just saw a quick google search that had Orvis Mirage fluoro spools going for $9.99.
Another trick is asking shops if they have stuff that’s expired. Most of the time their material has been out of the sun in the storage in back and should still be good. They’ll usually give you a good deal on the expired stuff.
i dont think you want the whole tippet section to sink when fishing dries…thin flouro tippet won’t automatically sink as soon as it hits the water either…needs a little help and when it does break the film then yes it sinks faster which is bad IMO…now you have the tippet section sinking below that meniscus area which i think results in drag…I use mono tippet for dries and will sometimes just rub a little dirt /mud on the last 6″ to sink a bit….thats it though.
A long time ago, Charlie Fox and Vince Marinaro did an experiment which was chronicled in Fox’s book Wonderful World of Trout. Japanese beetles were dropping into the water and the fish were keyed, so Fox and Marinaro started dropping beetles in the water from a bridge to get the fish eating , then they strung pieces of mono through the beetles to see
what would happen, the fish continued to take even with coarse butt material stuck through the beetle. The conclusion, as long as the drift is natural, the fish don’t care about stuff sticking out of the bug.
That said, flouro sinks better and is stronger and more abrasion resistant, and if you can buy expired stuff (which I do at Orvis for 1/2 price) it’s great for the salt and for nymphing. Mono is more flexible and still cheaper.
JCI use fluorcarbon most of the time for tippets, but I fish most of the time in saltwater, where abrasion resistance and sinking ability is more important.
The tippett I use depends on the fishing situation/conditions…similar to what Bob observed, I use the right tool for the job philosophy.
For tailing bone fish in still skinny water I use fluro. Same situation for a slow drift in gin clear water chasing trout…fluro.
Largemouth bass, Trevally and various other species appear unfazed by the line attached to the fly.When the water conditions are active/cloudy/churning I am not so particular because the fish aren’t. I carry a couple of spools of fluro. and use it when the situation (or species) dictates the need for it.
A long time ago, Charlie Fox and Vince Marinaro did an experiment which was chronicled in Fox’s book Wonderful World of Trout. Japanese beetles were dropping into the water and the fish were keyed, so Fox and Marinaro started dropping beetles in the water from a bridge to get the fish eating , then they strung pieces of mono through the beetles to see
what would happen, the fish continued to take even with coarse butt material stuck through the beetle. The conclusion, as long as the drift is natural, the fish don’t care about stuff sticking out of the bug.
That said, flouro sinks better and is stronger and more abrasion resistant, and if you can buy expired stuff (which I do at Orvis for 1/2 price) it’s great for the salt and for nymphing. Mono is more flexible and still cheaper.
JCCharlie and Vince forgot more about fishing in one day than I will ever learn in a lifetime. Having cut my teeth on some of their home waters I believe they knew what they were talking about.
However, that example to me seems a bit skewed. In a situation like that the fish (trout) can become a bit “stupid”, and lose their often noted personal characteristic of attention to detail.
Much like the beetle example, friends who fished the cicada hatch a few years ago said you could basically tie a 3 strand cable to a cicada fly and get a take on every cast. This just isnt a helpful data set for determining the value of mono vs. floro, in my opinion.
I have both, fish both and honostly could not tell you the value of one over the other. I just don’t catch enough fish to say anything helpful.
But to the original poster…I would not pay $17.50 for a spool of tippet.
I use fluoro for nymphing here in CO, over the past few weeks we have had great days with numerous fish going 22-25 inches. In the small confines of the tailwaters, they really do a number on your leader against rocks and I notice a difference in the abrasion resistance with the 6x I use. The price difference doesn’t make much difference to me, it is an expensive sport, but I don’t need to pay for a boat or gas, so it is still much cheaper than regular fishing. BR
I used to be averse to spending the extra money on flouro, but have since completely changed my tune. Your leader and tippet is what actually connects you to the fish, and is largely responsible for getting a fish to take in the first place. I find it quite funny when people have rods that are in the $600 range, reels that are $300+, and yet they refuse to pay an extra $5-10 for the piece of equipment that actually connects them to the fish. The same goes for flies…people often try to find cheap flies, which are inevitably tied on cheap hooks. Again, hooks are the piece of equipment that actually connect you to the fish. Is it worth having a hook bend out because you opted for the $.95 budget internet fly versus the $2 fly from a quality manufacturer? Is it worth wondering if the trout of a lifetime that was an absolute sitter spooked because of your tippet? Is it worth doing everything right and getting a 10lb bone to follow your fly for 20 meters, only to turn away at the last second, leaving you wondering if you should have been running flouro instead of mono?
Personally, I think that mono is sufficient in the vast majority of situations. But you never know when that 10% or 2% situation is going to arrive that you may have had an advantage by using flouro. I still use some mono leaders, but have transitioned to always using flouro tippet. On top of all the scientific data, in my experience, it knots better, it sinks better, and it casts better than mono. However, in my opinion, the most important benefit is that it gives you an increased breaking strength at the equivalent diameter to mono. For example, Orvis 4x is 0.007″ in diameter and has a breaking strength of 7lbs in flouro, compared to 6 lbs in mono. That’s the real difference for me. The tippet diameter is most important characteristic of your tippet in terms of minimizing drag, and not all tippet is created equal. I look for the maximum breaking strength with the minimum diameter. That way, there is no reason to wonder if your gear let you down.
However, back to the original question, would I pay $17.50 for a normal 30m spool of flouro? No. No way. Scientific Anglers makes great products…some of the very best lines on the market, great leaders, great tippet, etc. However, I think they will find that they have priced themselves out of contention at that price. Will I buy a $10 spool of flouro over a $4 spool of mono? Yes. But like Bob said so well,
It is a tool like any other tool. Use it when appropriate.
Fluoro doesn’t need to be changed each season 😉 Yet, I have both fluoro and mono and use them for different situations. Just buy some one of each in 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x and stick em in your pocket and use both.
I agree with Tim. When I consider what a day’s fishing costs including equipment investment, gasoline or diesel for the truck, time off from work, etc. I won’t skimp on hooks or tippet.
I plan on living forever, so far so good.
I gone (almost) full circle on this one. I initially switched completely to fluoro because it is less visible but also became you never have to throw it out. Which, of course, we now know means that all our scraps stay in the stream for eternity.
Now I’m back to mono for everything except the tippet on nymphs and wet flies. For example, I might have mono to a small dry and then a nymph on 6 inches of fluoro behind it.
If you want fluoro and don’t mind a little stiffness, buy some P-Line. It’s fluoro at a much lower cost. I know people that swear by it for nymphing in theWest.
I liked flouro when it was at a minor premium in price. It’s benefits hit home on a Pennsylvania river when I was tearing ’em up and my buddy couldn’t buy a fish. I rigged him up identically and he still couldn’t hook a fish. Using his rod I couldn’t tag a fish. It was something to see and quite an issue. Bad rod mojo was all we could think.
On the drive home we realized he was using mono, I was using flouro. Case closed for me. We were nymphing and because of that experience any time I fish deep its with flouro.
To be honest, I’m not afraid to use it on dries either when the dries have a high degree of bouyancy and the water is clear and slow. Despite what many say, flouro does not sink like a rock but will, in light diameters anyhow, hover just under the surface until the next drift. This indeed eliminates the tell-tale ‘foot print’ of floating mono.
To each their own. I use both but flouro more than mono.Seems like its all been said. A perfect time for me to say it again…
I use FC for all subsurface applications and I use mono for all dry situations. FC is more abrasion resistant, sinks and is more invisible underwater. I use mono for dry fly applications because its more supple and floats. The three most important words in gear selection – application, application, application.
From my research (8 years ago) there was one company – Seagar – that held the patent on all 100% FC material. They then outsource to all the other companies who then coat their mono with FC. Therefore, I buy huge spools of 4,6,8,10 pound Seagar FC ($20 each) and wind it onto tippet spools that go in my pack. I keep the huge spools in zip locks inside a duffle bag that stays home. Done! I buy FC “tippet” once every 5 years.
For what its worth.
Kb
It’s benefits hit home on a Pennsylvania river when I was tearing ’em up and my buddy couldn’t buy a fish. I rigged him up identically and he still couldn’t hook a fish. Using his rod I couldn’t tag a fish. It was something to see and quite an issue. Bad rod mojo was all we could think.
On the drive home we realized he was using mono, I was using flouro. Case closed for me.I have had the exact same experience twice – once with trout and once with smallmouth.
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