[Barry Robertson]

My standard rig up is 4lb flurocarbon with 2 droppers and a weighted fly on the point.

Apart from dry fly fishing what advantages and dis advantages does a tapered leader do instead of my normal rig up.

I never really struggle to catch but just wondered if it would increase my catch rate if i changed to a tapered leader.

Thanks
Baz

[Sandy Nelson]

Baz

Using a tapered leader will improve the turnover of the flies, so as the cast ends the power from the flyline is transfered to the leader in a more progressive manner, the leader will tend towards being much straighter on the water.
I nail knot the taper to the end of the fly line, as a braided loop kills the transfer of power and acts like a hammer.
if you pull the taper through till the butt of the leader is about 3/4 of the diameter of the flyline tip ,then it will work well.

I never use more than 2 flies these days and have gone back to nylon recently, much less breakages. Worth a thought.

Sandy

[Barry Robertson]

Nylon , flurocarbon and mono !

What is the difference in them as far as fishing goes?.

What would make a buzzer move better?
Any thoughts?

[Peter McCallum]

Barrie,
 
Nylon & Mono are the same thing, a single filament of nylon.

From what I've read (I'm not a scientist) Flourocarbon is either a different polymer(flourocarbon) or nylon coated with flourocarbon, which tend to be cheaper than flourocarbon.

Personally I use flourocarbon extensively...... I got a 50m spool of airflo sightfree G3 and find it is excellent.........................for ribbing flies!!

Yes I can't say I like the stuff for fishing, I did try but the number of breakages due to knot failure was ridiculous, (not just me before any of you say it) despite tying knots very carefully.

I've been happily using Hardy copolymer for several years but last year I tried Bayer Perlon (standard nylon), on the principal that if it's good enough for Ollie Edwards, it's good enough for me. This year first chance I get to go to haddo I'll be having some spools of Mikes nylon. If it's as good as the lines it will be well worth the trip!

As for tapered leaders, I agree with Sandy they do improve turnover though if you fish a weighted fly on the point this should do the job on an untapered leader. With a single dry fly or nymph it's a different story.

Peter

[Barry Robertson]

Thanks peter.

So really its personal preference at the end of the day or would you say its better to fish with Nylon?.

[Peter McCallum]

As they say whatever floats your boat, though if you are prepared to take the risks with a big fish on flourocarbon your a better man than i am gunga Din.

[Barry Robertson]

I am obviously not catching big enough fish to test my flurocarbon by the sounds of it - either that or i have just been lucky.

If i wanted to fish a 4lb tippet what would i start my tapered leader off at?

10 lb ?

[Peter McCallum]

Tapered leaders are generally sized by their tippet strength, diameter or 'x' rating(comes from the days of gut & is based on diameter). personally I'd go for diameter, different materials have different rated breaking strains for dia. I must admit I use a tapered leader of one size up for the tippet e.g. 7lb leader - 5-6lb tippet and tie a little silver ring at the end of the leader to which I knot the tippet, saves using up the leader when adding tippets.

[Rod Mackay]

One point to add on my own personal experience with this.

I used to fish with sight free flourocarbon and had my fair share of A) breakages and B) fangles.  : At the tail end of last year I switched to Mikes nylon "Trout Cast".  Since switching I've only had 1 breakage (lack of fishers talent  : ) and no fangles at all.

Plus its much cheaper than the sightfree.

[the water buoys]

Hi i went right of sight free after to much breakages using 5lb leader ,but since reading about sight free leaders .One thing stuck out 8lb 10lb was the leader cast most top anglers were using. : So i gave the sight free another go no more breaks. Lot of use might be thinking 10lb sea fishing gear ,iwas thinking the same but the dia of 10lbsight free is about the same as some 6lb florocarbon.Plus sight free is more flexable i used to use 6-8lb mamba and it looks and feels stiff compared to sight free.So if you are getting to much breaks go up size .It worked for me i am happy using 10- 8lb sight free and confident to which is the main thing.No diffrence in catch rate.Better than pulling up the anchor to find lines and flies all the time.       Henry from thewaterbouys   :

[Derek 365]

Hi Baz ,
            I think with fluorocarban it's the diameter and not the claimed breaking strength that's more important as there's a massive diffence between say....4lb sightfree and 4lb fulling mill.

[Irvine Ross]

The subject of fluorcarbon came up on the forum before and Magnus pointed out that fluorocarbon has two big disadvantages. Not to the angler who uses it but to the places he visits.

First, it does not biodegrade at all so if you get broken and leave a piece of leader hanging from a bush or from a snag in the water, it lasts forever and is a hazard to wildlife for decades. Not a nice thought.:

Second, it gives off very toxic fumes if it burns so be very careful if you melt the end of a piece of fluorocarbon with a lighter or throw discaraded fluorocarbon in an open fire. :

Be kind to the world. Give up fluorocarbon.    :

Irvine

[Magnus Angus]

Seems like a favourite subject on here  :

Peter

Flourocarbon is a different polymer - polyvinylidene flouride. I've used quite a few fluorocarbons. Knotting is an issue, you need to modify knots and test carefully. Linking fluorocarbon to nylon or copolymer can cause problems. Leader rings are the best way.

The advantages of flurocarbons - its more difficult to see it in water, its stiff and it sinks.
The disavantages - knots, stiffness, ecological. (I suspect some is brittle, ie shatters when whacked - unlike more elastic monos.)

I find myself coming back to flurocarbon when I need a confidence booster. In Canada, fishing for Kings, bruising fish, I used flurocarbon and broke a lot - not just on fish. Switched to (gulp!) Maxima and landed fish!

Saltwater fishing - used nylon tapers and they broke, switched to flurocabon and landed fish. My theory is the nylon was getting sunburn, flurocarbon is unaffected by UV.

There is a place for flurocarbon it can be useful but its hardly vital. It amazes me we ever caught fish on brown Maxima - fish are so much brighter and spookier now
Christ, next thing you know well need 3-weights to catch rainbows. Whatever happened to the 7- and 8-weights we used when I started?

More seriously - I'd advise anyone to taper their leaders. I'd also suggest that in the UK we talk about breaking strain too much - diameter is more important. Try getting clean turnover when you step from 6lb down to a 4lb tippet - when the 4lb tippet is thicker than the 6lb.

Magnus

[Stuart Smith]

ive used sight free for a few years now and i love it.i cant rember the last time i got broken off and its very thin.

ive spoke to alot of people who have tryed it a few time and didnt like it but i think its because they are not tying there knots write.

you have to wet it very well before u pull your knot tight or it must burns the leader a bit the weekens it.

i wouldnt change it for anything.i use 4 or 6lb sight free all the time and u dont have to greese your leader to get it to sink

i dont do much dry fly work but ive always got a sedge or something on that floats and never had any problems with the flys getting pulled under

you should play about with it for a while and see what you think

stuart

ps  peter you dont catch fish to test your leader haha

[Sandy Nelson]

When you burn Flourocarbon it excretes Hydrofloric acid, highly corrosive and if you get it on your skin it causes permanent damage, to which amputation is the only cure.

You do have to get it to a very high temp though (500' seems to ring a bell : )

I tend to use Co-poly most of the time these days, or nylon.

Purely for the ecco side of things, the enviroment takes enough abuse without me adding to it even in tiny ways ( i destroy it other ways : )

Sandy

[Barry Robertson]

Been a member for 5 months now and i have got some good feedback on all my posts which were very helpfull. Just like to say a big thanks to all the members for sharing their knowledge and helping me on my way.

Thanks again.

[Jim Doyle]

Use fluro carbon all the time, the lightest I use is 6lb, its too delicate at less than that.  If pulling I will use anything up to 14lb, at the lake or the big english ressies its needed some times. I dont find any benefit to going lower when after rainbows, get fish on buzzers and 6lb every time.  jim