Just a quickie, really. I read that leader goes off, and you're better binning (or better still burning) at the end of the year.

Is that correct?

The nylon I am using just now has to be ten years old and still works fine. I can have the same three fly cast of nylon on my rod from one season to the next without any problems either. Maybe I'm just lucky, or don't get out enough

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Don't worry, be happy.
Sandy
Carried it in full, then carry it out empty.

I make sure each time I use mine by giving it a good strong pull, you will soon realise if its strength has gone.
Some manufacturers nylon lasts better than others, keeping it in the dark helps, but if in doubt, bin it, not worth loosing a good fish, or risk leaving a length of it in a fishes mouth for the cost of it.
S.

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"A glint of sun has warmed the air,The flies will soon hatch out, To lure and tempt from their deep lair, The bonnie speckled trout." SKB tackle supporter. I love Furled Leaders.

Mono deteriorates when exposed to UV (sunlight) so always keep the spool out of direct sunlight preferably in your pocket or somewhere dark, Flouro carbon is not affected by UV.

We have favorite rods, favorite reels, special flies, lucky hats even, but I have never heard any one nurture a bond with particular piece of used leader.
( there again I dont fish with many yorkshiremen)
They only cost a few quid, dont risk it, just treat yourself.

It always feels nicer opening the packet of a fresh one and lineing up a brandspanking new length. Like turning over a new leaf.
If you lose a fish and it looks like the old leaders at fault you'll kick yourself (and deservedly so!)

This a very old lie put about by Tackle Dealers - of course we want you to hoy it away and buy new .

Correctly kept in the dark and not too hot - 15 - 20 years lifetime .

Strange things can happen to the stuff - can lose some elasticity over the years .

Trade anecdote - once upon a time there was a 30 kilo spool of useless 3lb mono in a dark part of the Shakespeare factory - after maybe 15 years a great matchman Ken Giles spotted it , wound a bit off , and won 5 consecutive matches with it ! Issued it to the then Superteam and about 3 years later when they were getting down it they would likely have killed for the last couple of spools . It went from abject **** to the best mainline all on its own in a quiet corner and they were never again able to duplicate the stuff .

And another - in the olden days Tom C Saville used to sell Tynex - stiff and thick it was and most durable - but Tom changed his leader religiously every season - whether he needed to or not !

So give it a pull from time to time and when it starts to break easy - buy another spool !

Steve P

Thanks for that. My problem is that I have only managed to get out about twice a year for the last decade or so (wife and young kids), and so I tend to have reels with very little used hanging around. I can never really tell which is from which year and how old it is.
I'm happy to bin it if there's a problem with it, but it does seem wasteful to do so if I don't have to.

Thanks for the input.

Phil

What
How do you fish a season with out getting stuck in a Tree at least once

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Allan
Only dead fish go with the flow.

Kim Jong-Il is lookin a bit ropey, thatcher's bu99ered, Brown looks like a well rummaged sack of spuds and even Blair looks more like an elder statesman than hs should. I'd say it's only once they've been used for a good while you need to worry.

frog hair used to put a best before date on their tippet spools, i am not sure if they still do.
I change mono and co-polymer every year but fluoro seems to last a bit longer.

Its simple test the line before you plan to go fishing if its brittle buy some new line.