The Vaal trip report

[Mayfly]

Teeth, a leg (preferably OVER your khaki shorts unless you WANT line burns) or even a smooth twig, do much the same thing Shane, there you go, one more thing you can get rid of.

I tried using my shirt once and it cut/burnt a hole in it and my fingers! So I'll stick to my straightener, thanks! If old man Tony can lug a whole pack around I'm sure I can get away with it!

[dizzy]

Should'nt you just tie on a new leader when you get windknotts and wrinkels, etc.?

[thrisss]

Comes down to laziness – believe me I am soooo guilty of that. Besides that stuff doesn’t grow on trees especially if you fall for the marketing ploy on the fluorocarbon tippet’s – I sure do. I know Herman refuse to buy/use fluoro on the Vaal due to the bad visibility, but since I fish trout and small cleared streams as well I believe that its beneficial to me to stick to fluoro even if more expensive…. What are your take on the fluoro guys – specifically for the vaal?????

[Scythe]

Mayfly, you're obviously way too strong

Christo, my view is cheap is just as good as expensive ...

[Mayfly]

Mayfly, you're obviously way too strong

Christo, my view is cheap is just as good as expensive ...

I've tried Flouro and hate the stuff. You have to buy the really good flouro, which is even more expensive than the cheap (but still expensive) flouro. I don't see the "vanishing" properties of the flouro any more useful than std mono on the Vaal.

[Herman Jooste]

You are right Christo, I simply can not see the usefulness of Fluoro, especially on the Vaal. I use plain Maxima 12lb for my leader and 8lb for my tippets/droppers. I make up a new leader for every trip and usually have to make up another one during fishing ( windknots/stupidity/tangles etc.) which equates to about 4 - 5 metres per trip.
Once the 100m spools are finished I'm going to go for the Araty Diamond 12lb for my leader ( R29.00 per 1000m) and stick with the Maxima 8 lb for my droppers/tippets.
My ha'penny worth

[pieterkriel]

Comes down to laziness – believe me I am soooo guilty of that. Besides that stuff doesn’t grow on trees especially if you fall for the marketing ploy on the fluorocarbon tippet’s – I sure do. I know Herman refuse to buy/use fluoro on the Vaal due to the bad visibility, but since I fish trout and small cleared streams as well I believe that its beneficial to me to stick to fluoro even if more expensive…. What are your take on the fluoro guys – specifically for the vaal?????

Fluoro or Mono thats the question. Well although the stuff is expensive, and other than it being less visible in the water, it also has a higher density, so it sinks faster, and the way I see it if I can get 2 inches longer out of a drift I'll take it thank you, longer drift = longer time for fish to spot the fly. My 2c.

[MCC]

Import some Sightfree XL (the orange label) fluoro from www.fishtech.co.uk

This is awesome stuff and I think you can still get it for about R150 for two hundred metres.

The fluoro not only sinks faster, but it also has a higher abrasion resistance.

MC

[Mayfly]

Import some Sightfree XL (the orange label) fluoro from www.fishtech.co.uk

This is awesome stuff and I think you can still get it for about R150 for two hundred metres.

The fluoro not only sinks faster, but it also has a higher abrasion resistance.

MC

Hi MC,

I have to disagree with the higher abrasion resistance of Flouro. It all depends on the make of the Flouro. I used Vanish and it "shaves or sheds" and breaks a lot more easily than any mono I've used.

I had a discussion with GGY on this and he can back the "shave/shed" statement (On the Vanish Flouro, that is). Said he had the same problem.

As for sinking faster.....when using heavy tungsten nymphs and splitshot for yellows, how much faster is the line gonna sink??

[MCC]

Hi there Mayfly

The sink rate gets a bit complicated or rather long to explain, but it sinks faster than mono and this is enough for me.

I have used only /primarily the XL for about four years now and can assure you that the knot strength and abrasion resistence is very good.

I once bought a spool of the Vanish and threw it away very fast. It did not impress me at all and I don't even think that I got as far as fishing with it. Similarly the Sightfree G3 is horrible stuff and even the UK agents did not reccommend it. It makes very good ribbing on Czech Nymphs though.

MC