john michael white
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That makes since Tim….thanks for sharing how the company you worked for tested tippets.
I could see how the breaking strength could be higher with no knots introduced into the equation. Still, it seems to me that you would want to test it with knots to get a “true” feild equivalent to put on the spool, since we all have to use knots to fish. I guess there are just too many variables to control when you intorduce a knot.
I do lubricate the knot with saliva before setting it.
I read somewhere, and I can’t remember if it was IA or another forum, that you don’t have to worry about flouro breaking down like regular mono due to exposure in sunlight or a hot car…is this correct? I store my gear indoors, and when I fish, it is on me, so not much time for it to be sitting in a hot car etc. but can’t remember how long ago I bought this 5X spool, even though it says it’s good until 2012.
This has been an enlightening little experiment 😀
Wow Gael, good eye. I never noticed the error in the diagram for Step 1. Luckily, I have always tied it according to the written instructions and the diagram for Step 2.
**PS** Did test #2 as described above. The section of 5X tippet itself again broke just above the triple surgeons knot joining it to the 4X tippet on the scale leaving the knot intact. The non slip knot connecting the 5X to the fly also was left unharmed. It broke at 3.2 lbs, which seems to be the average breaking strength of this tippet from all of the tests I did.
I am really surprised to find it consistently breaking over a pound less than the stated strength on the spool.
Thanks for the link Tim.
Just to clarify on the tests above – I was pulling the tippet at a very slow rate, as you suggested, to try and give it the best chance at reaching a higher breaking strength, but also to be able to watch each increment register on the digital scale.
Went home during lunch and did test #1 above. Used a 7″ peice of 4X tippet at each end of a 20″ piece of 5X tippet. Attached 5X to each peice of 4X with triple surgeons knot. Used improved clinch knot to tie each end of 4X tippet to the nail and scale respectively. All tippet was fluoro.
The result was that the 5X tippet itself broke above the triple surgeons knot leaving the knot intact, and the scale said 2.8 lbs when it broke!
I was suprised by these results, but it tends to confirm my onstream experience the other day. Maybe I got a bad spool of tippet?
*Post edited to remove name of tippet company*
The other day on the river, it appeared to have broken at the surgeon’s knot, as I lost everything clean including the 5X. When I was doing the crude tests yesterday at home, I could not seem to find the end that broke, so it may very well (appears to) have broken at the knot. Last night I was able to get the 5X to break at 3.5 lbs using an improved clinch knot on both ends with about an 19″ peice, so that was closer.
This evening, I plan to test two more rigs, which I think will be better at isolating the part that breaks:
1) Do as Keith B. suggested and put 4X on each end of a piece of 5X using triple surgeons and see if the 5x breaks or either of the triple surgeons knots break
2) Attach 5x to a fly using the non slip knot, and then triple surgeons to attach 4X to the 5X. Hang fly on nail and attach 4x to scale. Should break at either the non slip knot, 5x tippet, or triple surgeons.
Another possibility is that the scale is not exact, but I think it should be close. It is a Berkley digital fish scale.
I use the double (or triple sometimes) surgeon knot for tippet connections, and the non slip knot for my flies http://www.flyfishingconnection.com/nonslip.html which is supposed to be 100%. I have had no problems in the past with these knots.
I didn’t see a review for the non slip knot on knot wars, and from what little I read about the surgeons knot, they said it is supposed to be one of the strongest knots out there for joining tippet.
I’ll run another round of tests, but I am pretty particular about my knots, so I don’t think the problem lies there, but we’ll see.
I am wondering if it is based on a certain length of tippet material…. a shorter piece will not stretch as much as a longer piece.
Really cool Neil. That first shot is just “wow”! I also especialy like the Lady Madonna and Frankenslaughter shots as well.
That would be sweet if you could get some shots of the fox emerging from it’s den.
Believe it or not, I was looking out the window at my inlaw’s house yesterday afternoon, and trotting through the backyard/greenbelt area was a gray fox! It completely took me by suprise, (and was trotting at a fast clip) as I would never in a million years have expected to see a fox there. I think the chances of seeing it again are almost nill. Maybe if I had a wounded rabbit call, or something. Is that what you are using John? Of course, then there are the neighbors who probably wouldn’t go for sustained wounded rabbit calls..
