Hi Squid, Shimma and Accident Prone
I need to tell you that in trout fishing circles the debate about fluoro vs mono has been going on for well over a decade and the jury is still out. Just the other day a good friend who has been on the NZ Fly Fishing Team since the start told me that a lot of European competitors use mono for their tippets. To my knowledge there is not a fish in the sea that is so tackle sensitive than trout and brown trout in particular. If fluoro were to really stand out it would be on these species. Truth is some anglers use it and some don�t. The good anglers catch trout with either type of tippet material.
The glass of water test gives you the choice to either believe your own eyes or a whole page worth of marketing crap.
My own experience with Vanish fuoro only extends to 8lbs on a 250m spool, which I bought in Turangi. Total rubbish, breaks like cotton. Hardly anyone stocks it in this town. Maybe in the higher line weights that isn�t so noticeable. There is some very good fluoro tippet material around but you pay for it. I use it mainly because it is slightly stiffer in the 4-6lbs weights than the same diameter mono and causes fewer tangles and fly spins when I use the Tongario Roll Cast. I do not use it because it is supposed to be invisible to fish.
Beats me why fluoro is so necessary for SPs that have �400x more scent� and reputedly out fishes natural bait, when the bait brigade quite happily gets by with mono some of which is as thick as my little finger.
Perhaps it boils down to that in fishing confidence is important. If fluoro gives people more confidence than that will automatically give them a head start. Who can argue with that?. If that also makes the tackle dealers happy than it is a �Win Win�.
 Rainbow wrote:Hi Squid, Shimma and Accident Prone Beats me why fluoro is so necessary for SPs that have �400x more scent� and reputedly out fishes natural bait, when the bait brigade quite happily gets by with mono some of which is as thick as my little finger.
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The Advantages of Flourocarbon Line (Guest Article)
by Travis "Travbass2" Dixon
Ask a dozen anglers which is the best line for smallmouth fishing and you will likely get 13 different answers. Everyone has their favorite line and have their reasons why they like it. My answer would be fluorocarbon because it has many advantages over nylon monofilament and braided lines.
In order to understand why Fluorcarbon line is superior to other lines, we need to know a little bit about how it is manufactured. Fluorocarbon line is a cousin to the nylon monofilament line and has similarities in the way it is made. To begin, the line begins as small pellets called PVDF or polyvynillidenfluoride. These pellets are placed in a large bin that feeds them into a heating chamber. After they melt in the chamber, the liquid material is forced out of a cone shaped die, looking like a large hot-glue gun. This process forms a long strand of line that is then passed through a chamber of cold water that aids in aligning the molecules into a uniform, straight line. It exits the chamber and is pulled across some heated rollers. As the line passes over these rollers, the line is stretched and thinned out to the desired diameter for a specific pound test. Once the line is the right size, it is taken up onto a large spool where it cools off and then is ready to be transferred to the smaller spools that are packaged and sent out to retailers and then from there it becomes our fishing line and leader material. This whole process varies from company to company with secret additions to the steps, but this is the basic process for making fluorocarbon line.
The reason why this line costs more than traditional lines is in part because of the prices of materials that are involved in the manufacturing process. Some companies offer lower cost lines that use a nylon mono core and cover it with a layer of fluorocarbon to add the qualities I will discuss shortly. The other part that adds to the costs are those extra steps needed to make this line that isn't needed to make monofilament. With this line you really get your money's worth.
Fluorocarbon also contains more material than mono, is non-porous, and has a harder finish. It's virtually a solid material that's denser than water. That means it sinks and doesn't absorb water, the latter quality enabling it to maintain its rated breaking strength whether wet or dry. Furthermore, it has a diameter that's comparable to or smaller than monofilament of the same strength, and also has very little stretch. Both features enhance fluorocarbon's sensitivity and hook-setting ability. Lastly, fluorocarbon is very abrasion-resistant and less susceptible to damage from the sun and chemicals.
On the down-side, original fluorocarbon is much stiffer than nylon mono-filament and retains a fair amount of memory. That's why fluorocarbon has excelled as a leader material, but hasn't been manageable as a fishing line. Another drawback has been price, since fluorocarbon leader material costs considerably more than mono-filament and braided lines.
However, all that is about to change with the arrival of new fluorocarbon fishing line. Banking on the popularity of fluorocarbon leaders, several manufacturers have recently introduced technologically advanced formulations of fluorocarbon that are slightly "softer" and more flexible than the original material. Although these new fluorocarbon products retain nearly all the advantages of the leader material, they're intended for use as a primary fishing line. They're reasonably priced, and are already becoming quite popular with salt water anglers.
Four parameters must be taken in consideration when choosing a fishing line: stretch, linear tensile strength and strength on the knot, limpness and color.
Linear tensile strength and strength on the knot
Usually line breaks at the knot. The strength of the knotted line is decreased. The reason is folding damages of the outside molecular level.
Limpness
Limp line does not form stiff coils that rub the guides. A stiff line has a harder finish and is not so vulnerable when fishing in weeds or rocks that scuff the line.
Color
Most of anglers use clear, silver or green line when fishing in clear water.
| Rainbow wrote: There is quite a bit of traffic on the merits or otherwise of Berkley Vanish fluoro. What strikes me as odd is the fact that in trout strength 250yards of Vanish costs less than 50m of most other fluoro brands. |
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