Tippet Material of Choice?

[dcabarle]

I'm curious to know what tippet materials you've tried and have
possibly compared with others. I've been using the Orvis stuff for
years and have been completely satisfied. This past year, I switched to the new Orvis Material and I think it's great but, there's gotta be better.

Speaking with a friend recently, he mentioned he only uses the Mirage Chamelion. Al Caucci I believe usies Rio and I think the folks in the Catskill fly shop also use Rio.

I picked up a few rolls of Varivas tippet material, and the stuff in
my opinion is Crappola.

Here is the scenario; You're fishing a 5wt med/fast action rod for wild browns and bows in your favorite trout stream. Before leaving for the stream, you have the following spools in front of you... Which do you pick up when you walk out the door and why? Multiple choice is acceptable, but if you choose more than one, please state your reason(s).

Orvis
Rio
Cortland
Umpqua
Frog Hair
Dai Riki
PowerFlex
Airflo
Loop
Mirage
Climax
Varivas
Other

DennisC.

 

[NJFred]

None of the above.... I like Seaguar Grand Max Flourocarbon. Extremely stong for diameter and supple to reduce drag. It's also a bit more strechy. The downside to this material is that it can pig tail and you do need to be careful with knots. Need triple surgeon as opposed to double otherwise it can break when it shouldn't.

Note that I only use Flourocarbon for my tippet or very end of leader (I hand tie mine). Fluorcarbon sinks and as I fish 80% dry flies a whole leader of Flurocarbon is not optimal (not to mention the stuffs expensive). BTW... it's also not environmentally sound as Flurocarbon takes much longer to degrade.

 

[BozemanSteve]

I use Segaur as well but need to be very careful about
setting the knot, had one slip on a big D rainbow, wasn't
happy. Have tried the Rio and like it for nymphing. For streamers
I use 2X fluoro as well.
How do you dispose of the excess tippet material? I put my
wasted tippet into the zippered pouch on my waders.

 

[tommye]

I like to fish w/light tippet, but I general need the stronger line for the diameter (I seldom fight the fish for more than 5 min ... Like My fishing buddies say, 'I put alot of faith into the tippet')

For my 5x,6x, & 8x I use Seaguar Grand Max Fluorocarbon, but for my 7x (which I use the most of) I use orvis mirage.

I haven't been disappointed with Seaguar or the Mirage, so I don't really test out the other brands (If It's not broke, don't fix it )

As for disposal, It goes in my wader's pouch or the plastic bag I bring to the stream to clean other people's !@#!@#!@# stuff.

 

[njflyguy]

I use mostly Orvis tippets...and haven't really had a complaint....I tried frogs hair it doesn't do anything special for me.

 

[fcch]

I guess I'm in the minority.

I like Maxima material (Chameleon). Use it for the leader (I tie mine) as well as the tippet. Mostly like it because it's so stiff (versus the stuff y'all seem to prefer, then again, I'm usually after larger fish using larger flies (sorry that's not quite in line with the actually scenario of the poll.

... my 0.02 $

Chris

 

[A Polinger]

For the past two years I have been using Cableas leaders and tippit made by climax. This year I am trying Frog Hair.

AP

 

[Joe D]

Depending if I'm fishing salt or fresh water, my tippet material can be any of: Orvis Super Strong, Orvis Mirage, Segaur, Ande, Canadian Wire (Maxima)

 

[JeffK]

Maxima is great for building a butt section or for tippet for heavy flies since it is stiff. Also use a stiffer tippet for droppers for traditional wet flies to keep the flies from tangling.

For tippet I have been going back and forth between Varivas, Rio, and Orvis. The good and bad thing about Varivas is that it is very soft. I use it mostly for midges and tricos when a very soft tippet is needed to get a good drift. Most of the time I use Orvis or Rio and don't see a huge difference.

I am not keen on fluorocarbon.

 

[Trout Nazi]

Do you use the fluoro for drys also? I was thinking of picking some up for streamer/nymph fishing since they say it sinks. How does it work for drys?

 

[JeffK]

I have one more question. I saw Charles Jardine at the Somerset Show and he claimed one difference between Americans and English is that the English generally rub their tippets with mud to take off the gloss and that is more important than the mono/fluoro debate for low visibility. Made sense to me and I will try it this year. Does anyone here have a view on this?

I am also on the fence about using different tippet materials. For years I did the AKS approach of only using one brand for familiarity and consistency. Now I am trending towards different stiffness leader materials to get a nice stiff butt with a soft tippet with varying degrees of "softness" for the conditions. Each approach has its pluses and minuses and I don't have a strong opinion except I like to use very soft tippets for small spinners on flat water.

 

[onemorecast]

I have one more question. I saw Charles Jardine at the Somerset Show and he claimed one difference between Americans and English is that the English generally rub their tippets with mud to take off the gloss and that is more important than the mono/fluoro debate for low visibility. Made sense to me and I will try it this year. Does anyone here have a view on this?

I have also heard of de-glossing, but in the context of removing the chemical coating and thereby the floatability of tippet and leader material so it drops into the film. Floatant is applied only to the line and fly. The theory being that tippet floating on top of the surface is garishly obvious to the trout.

So, Jeff, was that the same concept as what Jardine was talking about? I don't really have a view on it without any personal experience or knowledge, but I'm interested in what the more learned folk here have to say, too.

 

[azcat1]

I use frog hair (gamma) and i used to use Climax (now Cortland?). I agree that the Varivas is very soft- good for tippet in certain situations but not for the whole leader. When I nymph I tie my own leaders with suffix flouro and frog hair tippet (flouro). I never use flouro for dries. Out of curiosity and other than an Orvis shop, have you ever seen a shop endorse anything other than Rio? O can't remember the last time. I have a feeling that the reps are comping this stuff to shops (because it is the cheapest thing that most manufacturers make). Any thoughts on this?
AZ

 

[Montauklax]

. Out of curiosity and other than an Orvis shop, have you ever seen a shop endorse anything other than Rio? O can't remember the last time. I have a feeling that the reps are comping this stuff to shops (because it is the cheapest thing that most manufacturers make). Any thoughts on this?
AZ

Rio isn't comped any more or cheaper than other leaders/tippets. Most shops endorse Rio simply because it's a great product. Rio markets extremely well and stays on the cutting edge. They make top notch products from saltwater lines down to 9x fluoro.

 

[Trout Nazi]

Since I fish almost completely in a vacuum (till I joined this site), and being a scientist, he mud thing is something I came up with on my own. I tried rubbing it on the last couple of inches before the fly to try and make that section sink, since it just did not look right in flat water, seeing line on the surface going all the way to the fly. Does not really work too well for me though. I consulted the experts at the local shop to see if I could buy something that makes the end sink, and they told me that I'm just being anal, and that it does not really matter. Reading some of these posts though, it sounds like it does, and logically, it makes sense to at least have that last couple of inches sink. Fluoro would achieve this, but will 12 inches of fluoro drag the fly under, or is buying some sinking gink a better approach?

 

[Pete]

Re: "De-glossing", "mud thing" & etc.

Roughing up a leader will allow mud, algae, pond scum, and whatever (ie dirt), to accumulate in the "scratches" and break the surface tension.

I first noticed this while using a old beat-up leader. Later, I read about it in a magazine.

Be cautious with light tippets. It will affect the breaking strength.

 

[Corndog]

A wise old man once told me, and it was at the NJ Flyfishing Show many years ago, when fishing drys, put sink on the tippet from the fly to the first knot in the leader (12"-24"), to sink the tippet. I've been doing so ever since.

Always looking for another edge over that wary trout.

Cdog

 

[Joe D]

...will 12 inches of fluoro drag the fly under...

No, it won't.

 

[JeffK]

The fluoro sinking thing is a little overdone in my mind. The specific gravity of PVDF (the material used for fluoro tippet) is 1.7 and the specific gravity of nylon is about 1.07. On one hand the difference is great, but both are light compared to surface tension for fine tippets and need to be wet to sink. Once wet the sinking speed of either is very, very slow and I don't see much difference when actually fishing.

 

[azcat1]

Rio isn't comped any more or cheaper than other leaders/tippets. Most shops endorse Rio simply because it's a great product. Rio markets extremely well and stays on the cutting edge. They make top notch products from saltwater lines down to 9x fluoro.

thanks Montauklax. I don't get into too many shops but it just appeared weird to me so I'm glad to hear your reply.
AZ

 

[Trout Nazi]

I'll probably go with some sinking-gink type stuff to coat the first few inches of the leader instead of investing heavily in fluoro. The mud has not been working, maybe I'm not scoring the material enough to break surface tension. I may give fluoro a shot for some heavier streamer leaders though. Thanks for the tips.

 

[bkill]

never heard of the Mud Treatment..Will have to try it...

I have tried different stiffness on my leaders and it works well with some nymph and wet fly rigs but you shoulduse a uniform stiffness for dry flies or you will affect the turnover of the leader..

I have also used Flouro with dries and didnt notice much of a difference in the floatability but did in the turnover, which kinda relates to what I was saying above...

Just my 2 cents..Try it, it may work for you or the situation...

 

[Bert Brehm]

I have one more question. I saw Charles Jardine at the Somerset Show and he claimed one difference between Americans and English is that the English generally rub their tippets with mud to take off the gloss and that is more important than the mono/fluoro debate for low visibility.

Brits, like Oliver Edwards, use Fuller's Earth to degloss their nylon leaders. He fishes wets, spiders and czech nymphs.

 

[trico mike]

frog hair frog hair frog hair ever since i started using it i will use no other. From 6 @8 lb fluro for steelhead to the 7x for trout nothing beats it only wish they made an 8x in fluro but i have fooled many of trout with the regular.

 

[emerger]

I really like Rio and dai Riki tippet. Both are very strong and turn over well.

 

[AKSkim]

Looking at the numbers and how close the poll is between Orvis and Reo.

Sometimes I just have to ask, ever wonder who manufactures these products for these companies?

You go to the supermarket and they sell Campbell's soup at $1.00 a can, the supermarket has their own label soup for $0.79 a can. Would you be surprised if I told you that the supermarket label soup was actually made by Campbell's?

 

[Corndog]

Looking at the numbers and how close the poll is between Orvis and Reo.

Sometimes I just have to ask, ever wonder who manufactures these products for these companies?

You go to the supermarket and they sell Campbell's soup at $1.00 a can, the supermarket has their own label soup for $0.79 a can. Would you be surprised if I told you that the supermarket label soup was actually made by Campbell's?

Yea I've been wondering that for years. Any ideas???

I was in Korea for a year while in the USAF and went on a tour at a factory that made rods and reels. I was shocked to find out that they made many different brands to include Diawa, Quantum, Zebco, Okuma, Shimano, and many others. The tour guide said they make rods and reels for 40+ companies.

Cdog

 

[The_Sib]

Mostly Orvis, I bought some Frog Hair last year to try.

Satisfied with both. I think the FH may be a little stretchier.

I, for one, would not hesitate to buy tippet from any manufacturer and try it.

 

[Drossi]

Maxima Chameleon (sp)

 

[Burtbords149]

Chameleon for the tippet? I use it for leader butts but for tippet I think it's too stiff for a decent presentation, it's weaker than co-polymer tippets and even though they say it blends in I don't like that it has a color. Just my $.02 but whatever works, works.