Tippet sizes - X, Dia, Lbs, Kgs

[Babyson]

Hey Rob

I use Diamond Araty too, their "3X" and "2X" equivalent diameter mono. It's AWESOME "verby"!
Then on 0X, 1X, 4X, 5X I use the DoubleX Platinum Plus mono's.
Stroft is good, although you have to seat your knots very carefully, I've snapped off a few times...I find the DoubleX Platinum Plus more forgiving. Stroft is very strong though...excellent diameter vs breaking strain. Price is heavy though.

Still trying to find really good 6X and 7X substitutes...I agree with Herman B, the Rio Powerflex is very good, I still use their 6X and 7X.
I've heard some good things about the Suffix mono's as well.

Braid...now there's a new tippet substitute experiment for summer!!

Mike

I'm also using the Araty in 3X, which is pretty much my staple for nymphing the Vaal. I am definitely going to look at the double X platinum in 4X & 5X though, thanx Mike.
Just a quick question for you and some of the other yellows on dry guys, what "X" tippet do you guys use for yellows on dry in winter? I know its dependent on expected fish size, water clarity etc, but in general what do you guys use. Would 5X be a good starting point? TIA.
Rob

[kelly]

I think more importantly, go as light as the situation lets you. You are gonna struggle to land a fish on 6x with reeds and structure around. That said you could easily land a decent fish on 6x with open water to fight it in. 2c

[C J]

i reckon 5 x is spot on. for a confidence boost use rio powerflex.
i only use 6x powerflex , once get used to it - its no big deal.

I second that. I dont know if you guy's noticed it, but yellows dont fight that hard during the winter months because of the cold. I got 6 fish the other day on 4X, but thats just because I forgot my 5X at home. I would have easily doubled my catch rate if I had the 5X there. Lesson learnt!!!

[Nymph+O-]

Nice one Mike! thanx for the effort in laying it down.

I see there were some questions on leader setup/length and so on.... though I have posted it in the past
here
is the link to download the "Leadercalc". Awesome little program to calculate leader lengths or customize your own with all the math build right into it for optimal results. Hell you can even make your own labels in this program - a true gem!

I've used various of the leadecalc leaders on trout, bass and yellowfish with great results at a fraction of the price.

[ShaunF]

Mike, I'm not saying that it's break strength will suddenly sharply decrease and it will simply snap, but the properties of the monofilament certainly do tend to change over time. Everything I have read seems to concur that after about 3 years the stuff does start to degrade, even if not exposed to sunlight.

As an example based on my own experience, I used to tie up my only leaders and so have rolls and rolls of Maxima Ultra Green at home. They're all about 5 years old now. My wife needed some mono to hang some stuff at work or something and so went and bought a roll of the same stuff at the tackle shop in the mall she works in. She brought it home. Comparing this new roll with the old roll of same diameter/break strength I have, there is a distinct difference between the two. The new roll feels much softer than my old roll which is now quite stiff. The old stuff also doesn't knot as easily. This despite the fact that all these rolls are stored in a dark cupboard and have never been out of my house.

I regularly notice this with the leaders I fish with, but it happens much quicker due to the exposure to sunlight. Fish the same leader for a couple of outings and then take a new leader out and compare the two. Even if the old one is in good condition, it's normally a hell of a lot stiffer than the new one. Over time this stiffness will turn to brittleness no doubt.

[nicholas]

Ok stupid question Time...........If mono breaks down over time surley you would need to know the production date of the product??You could otherwise be buying stuff that has been sat on shelves for a couple of years!!

Does it have a use by date???

[ShaunF]

Ok stupid question Time...........If mono breaks down over time surley you would need to know the production date of the product??You could otherwise be buying stuff that has been sat on shelves for a couple of years!!

Does it have a use by date???

Hi Nic, some brands, like Orvis for example, stamp the production date on the tippet spool.

I remember a couple of years back, buying a spool of RIO Powerflex tippet at a shop I don't normally go to. The first time I used it, I kept getting broken off, again and again. Swopped to another spool and this stopped happening.

As the shop was close to work, I took the spool back. The guy behind the counter refunded me, apologising that it was old stock. They are more of a conventional tackle shop and so don't turn over the little bit of fly fishing stuff they did have in stock.

[Herman Jooste]

. They are more of a conventional tackle shop and so don't turn over the little bit of fly fishing stuff they did have in stock.

Damn, you were lucky, or you have a decent shop owner. Why not help them to stock the right stuff and encourage f/f as I'm trying to do in the Vuildriehoek.

[Fisher]

............in the Vuildriehoek.

The realities of life, no very clean outside the driehoek aswell.......

Moet ek lag of huil ?

[Herman Jooste]

The realities of life, no very clean outside the driehoek aswell.......

Moet ek lag of huil ?

Ons kan lag, ons kan huil, wat saak maak is dat ons ander mense leer hoe om die Geeles te beskerm en nie as 'n voedsel vronds te sien nie.
Daar is meer as genoeg Baars en Karp in die Vaal Rivier om duisende mense honger te laat oorkom.
Kyk net na die Vangste van die klubs: 20 Hengelaars het 800kg vis gevang ALLES Karp, met een of dalk twee Baber.
Lees Stywe Lyne en Jy sal sien hoe min Geele's deur Aas hengelaars gevang is. Daai wat well gevang is, is in die die hounet gaplaas vir die inweeg, daarna of huis toe gevat vir Geelviskoekies, of "vrygelaat" om te dood binne in 3 minuute.
My opinie is dat ALLE Karp wat in "n Kompetesie gevang is moet aan die naaste "sukkelde" Gemeeenskap gegee.
Daarin sal die getalheid van die Karp verminner word en die oorblyvend grooter word.