Best Tippet 2014

« **Reply #25 on:** 19/02/2015 at 16:46 »

Quote from: Marc Fauvet on 19/02/2015 at 16:27

something about the size of a basketball should do perfectly...

« **Reply #26 on:** 19/02/2015 at 17:27 »

Quote from: iainCameron on 06/02/2015 at 19:15

Maxima Ultragreen 3lb tippet on rivers.
4lb drennan sub on lochs when pulling.

What sort of diameters does that equate to Iain, I don't usually think of my tippet in lbs?

Cheers
Mike

« **Reply #27 on:** 19/02/2015 at 20:29 »

Quote

That looks like an outrageously expensive gadget

£70 Mike! I found it on Marcs site so please feel free to put all the blame on him

It would match my Abel nippers nicely. Great site Marc. Spent a slow day in the office looking at it.

Spool size around 50m with the actual spool being the Drennan type size. The Maxima ones are just a wee bit to big.

Marc, the Ultragreen is sized like this
3lb, 0.127mm, 6x
4lb, 0.152mm, 5x
(According to Leadercalc3)

« **Reply #28 on:** 20/02/2015 at 08:29 »

hi mike

a chart I made earlier (winter, not enough fishing, too much time thinking about it!) comparing diameter (mm) & Breaking Strain (Lbs) of stroft ABR, Maxima Riverge, Ultrgreen & Sub surf

had to attach the chart; couldn't get an image to load for some reason (tried on PC & Mac). odd.

« **Reply #29 on:** 20/02/2015 at 09:28 »

Hmmm, doesn't seem to like pdf files Iain, I can't remember why

( I've converted the file to an image file )

« **Reply #30 on:** 20/02/2015 at 10:23 »

What did you make of the Stroft Iain?

Cheers
Mike

« **Reply #31 on:** 20/02/2015 at 11:42 »

Love the nylon chart Iain.

I have something similar with Drennan and Superstrong that I will try and post tonight.

I think that overall the reason that I fish with what I use, is down to how the nylon knots. In Uist I had two breakages with Riverge and gave the spool to Iain and went back to Drennan. This was probably my own fault as I only ever use the Orvis knot and have done for 22 years now. Riverge no likey Orvis knots but normal nylons do. Twenty years ago "double strength" nylon and flourocarbon were very expensive and usually pretty crap and it was only when Hamish and I got that sample of Riverge that I looked else where. Birds nests on a windy day in a boat soon put me off Riverge!

« **Reply #32 on:** 20/02/2015 at 11:48 »

Euan ..... Can you try uploading an image here please?

I'm trying to work out if it is only Iain that has the issue? ..... I can upload images today fine.

Cheers
Mike

PS: Doesn't have to be Euan, can any forum member try to upload a test image please

« **Reply #33 on:** 20/02/2015 at 22:22 »

here's a pic of Sweden from Spain, Mike !

« **Reply #34 on:** 20/02/2015 at 22:44 »

Thanks for doing the photo test post Marc ..... you're a star

Cheers
Mike

« **Reply #35 on:** 22/02/2015 at 12:09 »

Finally got round to posting this (work, work, work...)

I like the Profil sizes and the Ultragreen matches nicely so we will see what this year brings.

« **Reply #36 on:** 23/02/2015 at 07:11 »

Quote from: Mike Barrio on 20/02/2015 at 10:23

What did you make of the Stroft Iain?

I didn't use it much. Cannot remember why. I like its colour.
The spools were toooo big for my usual tippet pocket, and that irked. (to be fair, that annoys me about Maxima too!).
I'll give it anohter outing this year, as I know my pal Matt is a fan. Maybe i found it too soft? hence prone to fankling.

It's perhaps simply that i have riverge as my good/expensive thin flouro, and ultrgreen or drennan sub for cheap mono, and didn't want to complicate my life with too many options!

i

« **Reply #37 on:** 24/02/2015 at 13:56 »

The only thing i'd question with the Maxima is the 'best by test' selling feature. Didn't occur to me until i started taking close up shots of flies on the leader (especially in the fish's mooths when nylon wet) and then you see how really stirking it can be (other types similarly so especially in comparable diameters). So obvious answer is Maxima is simply telling porkies, 3lb is actually 4lb etc???? Going to try 2lb more this season in hard times and post results later.

« **Reply #38 on:** 24/02/2015 at 21:08 »

This always interests me having sold the stuff for years.

Best fluoro I ever used was Orvis Mirage Max Knot Strength but it was discontinued after a couple of years as the factory where is was made in Japan decided to stop producing it. Standard Mirage is my go to fluoro and provided I am careful with both choice & tying of knots then I have no problems and have used it down to 3x with the right gear for salmon. In my experience, 4 turn water knots will break as will tucked half bloods, avoid these and it is fine and has never let me down. Only ever really use fluoro for stillwater subsurface stuff, lures, traditional wets or salmon these days. Super Strong tippet for most trout fishing and always Super Strong tapered leaders.

As Alan points out, all 3lb mono is not equal. 3lb Maxima will cope with a decent size of fly, 3.5lb Super Strong will not as it does not have the required diameter. I use the thickest / strongest material I can that will still allow the fly to behave as I want it to.

Cheers

Ben

« **Reply #39 on:** 25/02/2015 at 07:43 »

Quote from: Dryflee on 24/02/2015 at 13:56

So obvious answer is Maxima is simply telling porkies, 3lb is actually 4lb etc????

The original Maxima Chameleon was a very popular line with coarse anglers back in the 80's. They did a series of tests against leading brands, which was not many back then, but included Perlon, Sylcast, Stren etc. and it came out on top. I think this is when they coined the Best by Test phrase.

The tests included knot strength, abrasion, visibility in different settings and so on. Remembering Maxima was never a "leader" but always a main line, I guess there claim is correct.

Interestingly, there was an article in a carp magazine the other day saying that trading standards have been asked to look into the claims of fishing tackle manufacturers, with line diameter and breaking strain being one of the points to investigate. Seems many companies are a little bit "liberal" with the truth.

Maybe not much use to fly anglers, but here is some results carried out by a leading tackle shop down south....worth noting the Flurocarbon results...

http://www.tacklebox.co.uk/images/line-test/Tackle-Box-Line-Tests.pdf

« **Reply #40 on:** 05/03/2015 at 09:36 »

For dry fly fishing brooks and medium size rivers in Britanny :
- Maxima Chameleon (not boiled) as tapered leader with 0,450 0,350 0,250 0,150 mm (double uni knots or barril knots).
- Maruto monofilament as tippet and shock tippet 0,148 0,128 or 0,104 mm (surgeon knots).
Simple and suitable for overgrown banks......and fitting my skills !
Kenavo.

« **Reply #41 on:** 05/03/2015 at 09:45 »

Welcome to the forum Jako

Best wishes
Mike

« **Reply #42 on:** 05/03/2015 at 10:52 »

shock tippet for dry fly fishing ?

« **Reply #43 on:** 05/03/2015 at 10:59 »

Quote from: Marc Fauvet on 05/03/2015 at 10:52

shock tippet for dry fly fishing ?

That'll be to cope with the shock of occasionally having to fish sunk flies.

W.

« **Reply #44 on:** 05/03/2015 at 13:09 »

« **Reply #45 on:** 09/03/2015 at 10:41 »

Here is another interesting one, irrespective of brand, what is the lowest diameter tippet in mm that you use?

Cheers
Mike

« **Reply #46 on:** 09/03/2015 at 10:48 »

8x - 0.10mm in 'extreme' cases with teeny-tiny flies and small targeted fish.
7x - 0.12mm is the in-between.
6x - 0.14mm is my 'standard' for local Pyrenean waters.

this all assumes typical trout-type dries and light nymphs.
cheers,
marc

« **Reply #47 on:** 10/03/2015 at 14:33 »

0.18 or 0.20 for me which is Drennan in case no-one has worked that out

As Ben said, it depends on the size of fly and how I want it to behave.

« **Reply #48 on:** 10/03/2015 at 16:06 »

Really hate going below 5x (0.15mm).

Even if you have the best knots you're really vulnerable to nicks/abrasions/variability in quality on the cobweb stuff.

Very occasionally I've used 6x (0.127mm) for Caenis #22's to #24's and I can't see to tie on any smaller than that.

I've made #22's work on 5x though.

W.

« **Reply #49 on:** 12/03/2015 at 07:39 »

0.14 riverge grand max
0.15 maxima ultraGreen

Mike Barrio

Mike Barrio

Euan Innes

Iain Cameron

Mike Barrio

Mike Barrio

Euan Innes

Mike Barrio

Marc Fauvet

Mike Barrio

Euan Innes

Iain Cameron

Allan Liddle

Ben Dixon

Rob Brownfield

Jacques Kerspern

Mike Barrio

Marc Fauvet

Will Shaw

Marc Fauvet

Mike Barrio

Marc Fauvet

Euan Innes

Will Shaw

Iain Cameron