I have noticed there has been one or two posts relating to the knot strength, or lack of, of flourocarbon.
I would like to open a debate/ discussion on the pros and cons of our usual leader materials.

Please offer up your feelings and I will edit this post to hopefully provide a comprehensive list of the merits of each.

NYLON

1)Knot strength, good to fair
2)Invisability, (to the fish), fair
3)Abrasion resistant, good
4)Stiffness, fairly limp
5)User friendly, good
6)price, cheap as chips
7) sinkability, poor
8) stretch, very
Co-polymer

1)Knot strength, fair
2)Invisability, (to the fish), fair
3)Abrasion resistant, good
4)Stiffness, fairly limp
5)User friendly, good
6)price, slightly more expensive than nylon
7) sinkability, good
8) stretch, as nylon

Flourocarbon

1)Knot strength, poor????
2)Invisability, (to the fish), invisible?
3)Abrasion resistant, ?????
4)Stiffness, stiff
5)User friendly, not great
6)price, shocking
7)sinkability, like a stone.
8)stretch, very little to none.

This list is not exhaustive, please feel free to add your thoughts.

I have used them all and I have settled for co-polymer for most uses. Flourocarbon I see as a fringe player for when the going gets tough, but not for everyday use.

__________________
It is in truth not glory,nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting,but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with his life.(Declaration of Arbroath, 1320)

2 points on the flouro

invisible??? If so why does Ian Barr talk about long droppers so the fish can't see the knots?

sinkability. only in the higher diameters, in my experience over .20

just my thougths on the matter.

That is what I am looking for mate.

__________________
It is in truth not glory,nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting,but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with his life.(Declaration of Arbroath, 1320)

I've tried fluoro for dry fly tippets in flat-calms and found it just as difficult to get it to break through the surface tension as Maxima. Knots can be a nightmare and, according to J. R. R. Tolkien, only ithildin, an alloy of mithril, is invisible, except by starlight or moonlight of course.

__________________
*
How poor a thing, sometimes I find,
Will captivate a greedy mind - Isaac Walton.

~~*~~~~~
*****©(

Co-poly.
not in my experience.

Very prone in lighter weights to going curly on you.

Jim

__________________
The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

what type of knots are we talking about ,simple blood knot, or tucked blood knot, 3 turn water knot, whot not,[ baffled]

Recently tried' Maxima Clear' mono.never again, very poor knot strength, lost a good fish on the lift. this is not normal for me. won't happen again

Jim

__________________
The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

With regard to the knot strength of the various materials, you'll get lots of subjective opinions from people with their own favourites. I'm sure formal testing must have been performed by someone - if not I'll do the tests if somebody wants to donate the materials.

James.

Im always hearing of people having problems with fluorocarbon leaders and knot strength, but surely it must depend on what knots you use and how much pressure you apply when tying the knot. ??

I have regularly used drennan fluorocarbon leader, 7lb for wets and 3lb for going small and using dries, and can honestly say i have never lost a fish during a hook up, ever...! (including a brown of 11lb 12oz from chalk springs!) Its sinkability is another matter, i have yet to find a leader that sinks just the way you want it to. I have found that if i apply to much force when tying the knot it snaps quite easily...i just grease the line with a bit of gob, a small gentle pull to tighten the knot and away you go...

Never used copolymer though.....??

__________________
'' if at first you don't succeed........then skydiving is not for you....

Been done on here.and T&S . but I can't find it

Jim

__________________
The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.