Fluorocarbon Material Vs Mono

[RussC]

I am looking for advice re: fluorocarbon tippet to a mono leader.

I have heard that if you are adding a fluorocarbon tippet to a leader, that the leader must be fluorocarbon as well (not mono). Or the fluoro will cut through the mono because it is a tougher material. Any truth to this? Can you put a fluorocarbon tippet with a mono leader?

 

Thanks in advance Russ C

[chidders]

A ha! I just learn about this recently (difference between mono and Flouro and how to use them) You sure can use a mono leader with flouro tippet. In fact this is the great set up. The mono provides a little shock absorber while the tippet will sink slightly and provide stealth. As long as you have a descent knot between the flouro and mono this should cause no troubles.

[toolman]

I use a 4 wrap surgeons knot to connect tippet materials, Fluro to Mono, Fluro/Fluro, or Mono/Mono.

I have been using Frog Hair tippet in both FluroCarbon and Monofilament. Simply the best that I have used and I have tried just about every brand. If there is a large diameter difference between the tippet sizes, then I would use a loop to loop connection, especailly for dissimillar materials. I tie the 4 wrap surgeons knot for dropper tags as well.

As Chidders mentioned, having the stretch and shock absorbtion of a mono leader section will protect finer Fluro/mono tippets from breaking. You can still use a section of straight or tapered Fluro leader, with Fluro tippets attatched, but it is a good idea to tie a 10'-20' piece of level 20lb. Mono, as a shock absorber/running line, between the fly line and Fluro leader/tippet, connected via loop to loop method, with prefection loops. For Surface fishing, I use Mono leaders/tppets, sometimes with short fluro tippets and I use FluroCarbon or DC sinking polyleaders leaders with Fluro/mono tippets added, for sub surface methods. (Nymphs & Streamers)

Mono floats and FluroCarbon sinks.

[dryfly]

I used to hate fluoro . Now it's my new best friend. I tie fluoro tippets to mono leaders and use fluoro tippets extensively. My experience and practice is different than TM's. I like fluoro a lot and have learned to make it work for me. Initially, I had trouble with knots and breakage. It seems that fluoro has a high "coefficient of friction" (Terry??) and that knots better be tied right--or they break. Here's what I have learned to do:

• Never drop more than two X diameters when connecting two tippets or leader to tippet (i.e. 2X to 4X, but not 2X to 5X..bad idea anyway) and a drop of one of better. i.e. 3X to 4X.
• Wet the knot loops very well to the point of dripping when closing and tightening the knot
• Here's where TM and I differ....I never tied more than a double surgeon's knot with fluoro...3 loops were breaking on me.
• My clinch knots were 7 wraps for years and years..with fluoro I limit the twists to five...seven is too many and the knots seem weaker. Maybe. Maybe not. Seems so.

I still use fancy tippet material in mono and have one $12, 30-m spool of 5X fluoro tippet. But using Vanish fluoro fishing line works very well--and thanks to the guys here or at FFA who put me on to this! A 100-m spool of Vanish fishing line is about $6 compared to about 12 bucks for a 30-m spool of fluoro tippet. The "real" tippet seems more flexible. BUT for most uses the Vanish is just fine. And because the fluoro is more or less invisible in the water you can tippet up a size or two. We were using 10-pound fluoro Vanish on Bullshead the other day. It is something like 2 X or so. Works fine for leeches and backswimmers.

 

Kinda like Bass Masters...ya can yard the trout through the weeds. That actually is not very accurate--nor good practice. BUT you can force the trout a bit and keep them OUT of the weeds in the first place.)

 

Cheers!

 

Clive

[toolman]

DryFly, Frog Hair 30m Fluro tippet costs...ready for this...$17.95. Frog Hair Mono 30m...$10.95

[DonAndersen]

RussC,

 

I too use Flourocarbon as tippet on lakes only and like some of the others have had a lot of failures @ the mono>flouro junction. I use 10 lb. Vanish as a transition material. Vanish is 0.001>0.003" larger in OD for the test rating. eg 8 lb. Vanish may measure from 0.009>0.011" depending on how well things went that day.

 

catch ya'

 

 

Don

[monger]

For lake fishing I've been tying 10lb Berkley Transition (gold fluro) on to 14lb mono with 5 wrap cinch knots. Very rarely do I have any breakage. It's a great system for dragging fish through the weeds.

[bloom]

I sure like the flouro for lakes. I use straight tippet and no leader at all. My normal system is ~8' of cheap flouro (ie. P-Line or Vanish), a barrel swivel, and about then about 14'' of good flouro (love the frog hair) to the first fly, and then tie a dropper onto another 12' of the tag.

 

In a lake, the fish get such a long time to look at the fly (especially when chironomiding) that I think the flouro really helps.

[monger]

The only problem when using long fluoro leaders is that they sink between the fly line and corkie. This is not an issue at BH since you are fishing in shallow water. At other lakes where you need 20+ ft leaders, it is better to use a mono leader with fluoro tippet.

[rusty]

I agree with the .002" max diameter difference between fluoro and mono. I use Rio Sightfree - it comes on 50m spools, which I like, and it holds up great. I use a really well lubricated triple surgeons for tying it to mono. Pull all four lines (the two main lines and the two tags) at the same time and you'll be good to go.

 

The key for fluoro is to thoroughly wet the knots, regardless of what you're tying.

[toolman]

It is a good idea to use a knot lubricant for Flurocarbon. I have a bottle of George Gehrkes "Knot Perfect" that ties a beautifull "Tight" knot, which is critical for Flurocarbon. No slipping.

[Guest bigbadbrent]

im all over 8lb vanish

[ladystrange]

now this may seem like an odd set up but i came about because i was perched on a ledge in desperate need of leader due to some previous fish issues that i wont get into but...

 

to start i tie my leader directly to my WF6F line. there are a million reasons and other ways to do it, but it has always worked for me.

 

earlier this year i was fishing grotto pond on a bright and fairly clear day, very clear water. i was using 8lb test leader down to 4lb mono. the fish stopped looked at the fly, and continued on. another friend suggested switching to flouro. what the hell, i thought, not catching anything anyway. i did my usual blood knot with lots of spit for lubrication, again 8lb test mono to 4lb flouro - no intermediary and no breakage or problems. still didnt catch anything but at least the fish stopped looking at the line and started approching the fly. my poor presentation with a wet fly i'm sure was the issue there.

 

later in the season, i discovered the problem with mono to flouro could have been also the 8lb to 4lb, not sure what the happened exactly. the knot didnt break at the junction but somewhere between the tippet and the fly. and this was once i actually had a fish on. so it broke me off. must have been a good one.

 

my buddy on the other side of the gorge told me to try the flouro as a leader. so he tyed his 12lb flouro on to his line and casted it over to me. note i still had the 8lb on. so i cut that off and did a nail knot with a piece of grass as i do not carry nails with me, hanging off a rock with my rod in my teeth. long story short - i now have 12 flouro as my leader tied directly to my WF6F line and tied down to 8 and 4lb for tippet. works great, no problems and have caught more fish with dries that way and a few more while nymphing than i had with my other set up. i have not had it break or a fish break me off yet.