[Mike Barrio]

You have just entered a tackle shop and they only have two brands of tippet on the shelf.

You haven't heard of either brand, they both look OK and they have the same price ...... which would you choose?

Brand (A)
0.10 - 2.38 lb - 7X
0.13 - 3.52 lb - 6X
0.15 - 4.55 lb - 5X
0.18 - 6.24 lb - 4X
0.20 - 7.61 lb - 3X
0.23 - 9.65 lb - 2X
0.25 - 11.35 lb - 1X
0.28 - 13.97 lb - 0X


Brand (B)
0.10 - 2.38 lb
0.12 - 3.18 lb
0.14 - 4.31 lb
0.16 - 5.00 lb
0.18- 6.24 lb
0.20 - 7.61 lb
0.22 - 8.97 lb
0.24 - 10.45 lb

Please enter your choice in the Poll

[Iain Cameron]

What colours are the tippet materials...


Since their strength & diameter ratios are the same (it seems), I'd probably have to try one of each and see how they behave on the water.


For me, have the X info is less important than the breaking strain info. I tend to look for the breaking strain info first, then check the diameters. If the diameters differ, then I'd tend towards the thinner diameter for river work.


I understand relationships between fly size and X size, but still tend to think of breaking strain first. Habit.


iain

[Euan Innes]

Same here.
What am I fishing for and where? What does each nylon feel like and look like in the light? How does each knot?
So the choice goes like this - river or loch, look and feel and finally does it break with an Orvis knot?
On the info provided, brand A 5x.

 

[Mike Barrio]

Interesting, there are differences in the diameters and breaking strain of the two brands and everybody that has chosen a brand so far has chosen brand A.

I wonder if this would have been different if I had added the X values to brand B?

Cheers
Mike

[Rob Brownfield]

The X's mean nothing to me as I was brought up on breaking strains, not the "x" factor

Of the two, I would probably go for the stiffest one as they are similar. Stiffer should mean better turn over and less tangles if using droppers and so I would spend more time presenting the fly properly, and thus catch tons of fish! I wish!

Certainly I have followed Bens advice he gave me about using a heavy, stiffer tipper for tubes, and have carried that on the streamers. Pike flies and even heavy tungsten nymphs.

[Marc Fauvet]

and i would chose supple over stiffer any day 

[Rob Brownfield]

and i would chose supple over stiffer any day 

Interesting...why would that be?

[Lasse Karlsson]

Same as Marc, supple over stiff 

And of the two, if it was for my normal fishing, it would be A since B is too thin.

Cheers
Lasse

[Ben Dixon]

For most stuff I always go for supple, stiff where presentation is important is shit, really shit.  Only time I really look for stiff as a property if using very heavy flies, 2" or above copper tubes or other heavily weighted stuff and I'm also interested in the abrasion resistance which such flies.  That's as important.

I look at diameter first then the breaking strain.  Breaking strain means absolutely nothing to me without diameter as this is the factor which determines how the fly will cast and fish.

That said, it's while since I looked at anything, I use one brand or fluorocarbon and one brand of copolymer that I have confidence in.


Cheers

Ben

[Sandy Nelson]

Interesting...why would that be?

Drag.

[Marc Fauvet]

Interesting...why would that be?

as Sandy mentioned, drag once the whole lot is on the water. a stiffer mono doesn't bend and flow to all the myriad micro currents half as well as a supple one.

casting wise, a stiffer mono opens up the leader's loop and doesn't provide a smooth energy continuity from the fly line, hence Ben's comment on poor presentation.
a maybe good analogy would be a bicycle chain. one is dry and maybe a little rusted and the other is well lubed. the latter curves and straightens easier as it goes and is more efficient.

stiffer stuff may help on the bigger flies, tubes, big pike-type flies but Mike's range is clearly more typical trout-type flies oriented.
cheers,
marc

[Rob Brownfield]

Fair enough, I picked up what Ben told me slightly wrong....heavy tubes, heavy flies, stiff... I get what he was saying now.

To be fair, I use supple stuff when using a dry fly. I steer clear of "fly" tippet and look towards the pole anglers list of hook length material. Tends to be thin and supple.

And to be honest, I fished mainly salmon and streamers last year so using heavy leaders.

[Ben Dixon]

Hi Rob,

The other time I tend to use something stiff is when pulling traditional loch patterns which will be pulled and I normally use 3x (0.008") fluorocarbon. Using stiffer and thicker than the fly size may require as I'm usually fishing that stuff in a blow and the flies are often quite air resistant.

I do fish trout streamers on stiffer heavier diameter material, even light ones but, I fish them on a loop so as not to hinder movement. 
Cheers

Ben

[Derek Roxborough]

I prefer stiff with my 3 fly casts, tends to stop droppers tangling ,easgach 1

[Allan Liddle]

One of each and try 'em both