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Fluorocarbon For Nymphing


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Hello, looking to try regular fluorocarbon lines instead of my tapper leader for nymphing. What brands and test lbs worked good for you. Currently I'm using 5x tippet for the bottom fly and the top fly to the leader. Thanks

5x is pretty light. Bow fish in the summer will def break you off. 4x and 3x are a better combo.

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You can also get SpiderWire fluoro in various weights fairly cheap (try Amazon). It isn't as high-quality as the Rio stuff - less abrasion resistant, I've found - but for the price you could do worse. If you're on the Bow you can probably use 10 or 12 lb test fluoro (about 0x equivalent) for a good portion of your leader, then use a tippet ring or a little swivel to tie into some lighter stuff (3, 4, or 5x) for the last 3 or 4 feet before your flies. You can also use the heavier stuff for streamer leaders.

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Use a butt length of 0X mono. Drop it down to 2X at 4 ft.with a blood knot and a further 4 ft to a blood knot with a tab end for the first fly. A further 2 ft. to the bottom fly. Place a single split shot at the first blood knot

 

4 ft of 0X mono- split shot - blood-knot > 4 ft.of 2X - blood-knot / tab for 1st.fly . 2ft of 3X to bottom fly.

Add extra weight above the 2X / 3X knot as needed.

 

In high river flows you may need to extend 0X length + add weight.

 

Any make of mono will work, the stiffer the better.

 

If you want to go shorter and lighter in the fall drop all the line sizes down 1X and shorten up the lengths with very little weight added.

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P-line and Seaguar are also good stuff.

 

I found this really intersting... Jeff Currier talked at the Lethbridge conclave about how he ties his double streamer rigs. Uses 0x fluoro for streamers, and ties two 4-5' pieces together, leaving a tag/dropper in the middle (12" or so iirc) where he ties his heavier fly, and ties his smaller fly on the bottom. I asked him after his presentation, and he said that for nymphs he has them closer together, but does the same thing in principle with the heavier one on the dropper and lighter one on the bottom (and I'm guessing just uses lighter fluoro too, but forgot to ask him what he uses). Says they are less prone to tangling this way, and cast better. Looking forward to experimenting with this.

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P-line and Seaguar are also good stuff.

 

I found this really intersting... Jeff Currier talked at the Lethbridge conclave about how he ties his double streamer rigs. Uses 0x fluoro for streamers, and ties two 4-5' pieces together, leaving a tag/dropper in the middle (12" or so iirc) where he ties his heavier fly, and ties his smaller fly on the bottom. I asked him after his presentation, and he said that for nymphs he has them closer together, but does the same thing in principle with the heavier one on the dropper and lighter one on the bottom (and I'm guessing just uses lighter fluoro too, but forgot to ask him what he uses). Says they are less prone to tangling this way, and cast better. Looking forward to experimenting with this.

 

I was doing this for nymphing, using 8lb test - using a triple or double surgeons knot - pressure on the tag end breaks (cuts?) the knot. tried it with both flour and mono. abandoned the experiment after a season.

 

May try again using a blood knot.

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P-line and Seaguar are also good stuff.

 

I found this really intersting... Jeff Currier talked at the Lethbridge conclave about how he ties his double streamer rigs. Uses 0x fluoro for streamers, and ties two 4-5' pieces together, leaving a tag/dropper in the middle (12" or so iirc) where he ties his heavier fly, and ties his smaller fly on the bottom. I asked him after his presentation, and he said that for nymphs he has them closer together, but does the same thing in principle with the heavier one on the dropper and lighter one on the bottom (and I'm guessing just uses lighter fluoro too, but forgot to ask him what he uses). Says they are less prone to tangling this way, and cast better. Looking forward to experimenting with this.

Fluoro for streamers is a waste of money. Fish only see part of the fly--usually the ass end--for a very short period of time. Either they react or don't.

Furthermore, the focal distance of the fly and the line are not matching, so one is seen over the other.

This is compared to a nymph rig, where the fly and the leader are in the same focal trough, making the leader easier to see.

Thus you choose a Tippet with the similar refractive index as water, so it "disappears."

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I was doing this for nymphing, using 8lb test - using a triple or double surgeons knot - pressure on the tag end breaks (cuts?) the knot. tried it with both flour and mono. abandoned the experiment after a season.

 

May try again using a blood knot.

 

Currier also ties an overhand in the tag around the main line after he does the surgeons. It makes the tag stick straight out, and I wonder if it might also reduce the breaks you are speaking of.

 

Fluoro for streamers is a waste of money. Fish only see part of the fly--usually the ass end--for a very short period of time. Either they react or don't.

Furthermore, the focal distance of the fly and the line are not matching, so one is seen over the other.

This is compared to a nymph rig, where the fly and the leader are in the same focal trough, making the leader easier to see.

Thus you choose a Tippet with the similar refractive index as water, so it "disappears."

 

That all makes sense. That said, I've wasted money on things a lot more foolish since I wandered into this addiction. Broke out my abacus and took off my socks, and even if you were using fluoroflex plus tippet, that would still be less than $2 per leader

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I like fluorocarbon as tippet when fishing certain dry flies. For nymph rigs 6lb seaguar red label fluorocarbon does all I need it to do. Hard to break off, minimal stretch and good knot strength.

 

Bought berkley vanquish once and never again.

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I like fluorocarbon as tippet when fishing certain dry flies. For nymph rigs 6lb seaguar red label fluorocarbon does all I need it to do. Hard to break off, minimal stretch and good knot strength. Bought berkley vanquish once and never again.

 

I dislike vanish as well. I use flouro exclusively on dries as tippets. I have had poor experiences with flouro coated. Seagar is first class. For the dries I like rio flouro.

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I buy the fancy stuff. I like frog hair. The pricy flouro has way better strength to diameter ratios and tends to be much more supple as well.

 

I'm a cheap sob at heart, but I consol myself with the fact that even stripping off a whole leader length of frog hair is cheaper than cracking a can of Budweiser.

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