Fishing The Fly Scotland
Index => Tackle Talk => Topic started by: adambrain on 04/05/2012 at 08:41
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Hi all,
I was wondering, in general what breaking strains people use for rivers (trout) and lochs (bows and browns).
I know there is going to be talk about diameters but just in general lb usage.
I like to fish fairly light and don't use anything above 5lb (nymphs/wets) and 3lb ish for dries on lochs and again 3lb ish on rivers.
I've seen some folks with what may as well be string attached to their flies. So was just wondering what the thoughts were?
Adam
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Adam,
3lb rivers, 4lb lochs, 8lb sea trout / salmon (all you need when I can afford to fish for them, ie. summer)
18 - 20lb salt water.
Rivers and loch = Drennan Sub surface
:z1
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I use 5 or 6 on the river for drys early season only going lower if I get short takes. Summer months when the trout get fussy I will go down to min 3. Last thing I want to be worrying about when a big trout takes in fast water is leader strength. As you referred to some brands will be much finer than others.
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I now only use 0.14 and 0.12 Stroft, GTM for dries and ABR for wets/nymphs on Don. I think they are approx just under or around 5 and 4 pounds BS respectively ( 5x, 6x ??). I might get some 0.10 for tiny flies and low water this year but tbh the stuff I use currently is way thinner in diam per BS than even Riverge fluro so maybe not !
Lindsay
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Lochs / fisheries - drys 7.5lb - nympin - 9.5lb - pulling 12.5lb :z4 :z4 :z4
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A few differences in opinions there i see.
One reason i asked the question is because I use 4-5 lb fluoro and do have problems with my droppers creating a weak spot and every now and then I lose a fish. think i may go up a few pounds and see if it makes a difference.
cheers
adam
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Always check the fisheries rules a lot specify min of 6lb.
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4 6 8 lb for a tapered loch cast , 6 8 10 if I go for seatrout,on a wild day I use 6lb straight,easgach1
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Lochs / fisheries - drys 7.5lb - nympin - 9.5lb - pulling 12.5lb :z4 :z4 :z4
Same for me, might drop to 6lb Riverge for 'light' work.
H :z3
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Cool good stuff will try going up a few.lb.
cheers lads
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Going up a few lbs is ok as long as your using decent fluro. I think if you were nymphing with 9.5lbs fulling mill it would be like using rope :z13
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Going up a few lbs is ok as long as your using decent fluro. I think if you were nymphing with 9.5lbs fulling mill it would be like using rope :z13
Therin lies the problem Baz as long as you work in lbs BS them different nylons/fluorocarbon/braid/gut.....whatever :shock will not give a true reading unless we talk about the same make of tippet. Dia is much more sensible IMHO though you then get into stiff or limp or semi stiff....etc.
Solution?Ttry a few and stick to the ones you like :grin
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Therin lies the problem Baz as long as you work in lbs BS them different nylons/fluorocarbon/braid/gut.....whatever :shock will not give a true reading unless we talk about the same make of tippet. Dia is much more sensible IMHO though you then get into stiff or limp or semi stiff....etc.
Solution?Ttry a few and stick to the ones you like :grin
Yup rod action and rating also critical. Fast tip action #8 might not suit a light leader material.
Nylon diameter more relevant than BS as Peter rightly states, but also take into account 'glare' and stiffness as these can have a huge bearing on your fishing.
FWTW i fish 3lb Maxima green on rivers (and lochs now as well most of the time) for all high water / surface work, with 4lb Maxima green for wild loch wets and lures, and rainbow dries.
6lb Riverge for sub surface rainbow pulling stuff.
#5 mid action Streamflex Plus 9' 5" extending to 10' rod on rivers and wild lochs or 10' #4 Streamflex (often using the extension piece out the Plus) on float tube, or for specialist river stuff (French Nymph, bugs etc) The action and rating of the rod allows me to fish much finer.
#7 10' 6" for big water stuff which means i need to fish higher rated tippet, again though paying attention to diameter etc so as not to impact on fishing as much as possible.
Slightly confusing i know but hope this helps a wee bit.
Allan
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just curious, does anyone take elasticity into account ? i would consider that before breaking strength any day and is just another reason why i refuse to use fluorocarbon.
cheers,
marc
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Marc,
I do. I am not a fan of fluro really as I find it is extremely prone to breaking under sudden loads. People say that you should up the strength of fluro because the fish can't see it. I actually think its more to do with the fact that given a sudden load, it breaks at a much lower breaking strain, so you need the extra buffer.
I actually like Maxima if I am after big fish as it is probably one of the stretchiest lines on the market and when a 20 pound Pike hits a lure o0n a short line, having a bit of stretch is useful.
Also, many of these super thin co polymer lines are "pre-stretched" which again means that they do not like being snatched at.
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Marc,
I am not a fan of fluro really as I find it is extremely prone to breaking under sudden loads.
I actually like Maxima if I am after big fish as it is probably one of the stretchiest lines on the market and when a 20 pound Pike hits a lure o0n a short line, having a bit of stretch is useful.
Also, many of these super thin co polymer lines are "pre-stretched" which again means that they do not like being snatched at.
This is exactly the reason I started this thread. It does not happen often but when it does it's it makes me very angry and that being polite.
Im in the process of experimenting with different lines and yes the maxima seems ok at the moment, ive been using fluoro for a while and getting affa bored of its crap and not sure the advantages out-weigh the disadvantages. Frog Hair was also a topper i quite liked that.
Adam.
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I actually really like the Drennen Sub Surface line. Its fine, knots well and has a bit of give to it. Being a slight green colour I prefer not to use if for dry flies.
Wychwood also do some interesting lines. I have there Fluro and don't like it but the other two are good. I use the Finesse for dry flies because its fine and clear and the sub surface for..well..sub surface..lol.
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Hi there,
I have to say I use fluro all the time and don't have any issues. From the ones I have tried Frog hair is the best and I use it for all my river fishing. I use 8lb for wets and nymphs and 6lbs for dry. I looked carefully into this a couple of years ago after getting broken all the time. I changed from drennen double strength which was giving me poor knot strength to the frog hair. This allowed me to add2-3lbs to my leader strength and actually reduce the diameter, have not been broken since. The stuff is not cheap but it has proved very good. Had a great 4lb brown out of the deveron last week and had no problems even in a strong current. With leaders also I think the line weight of the rod really needs taking into account as i would not like to fish with a 3-4lb leader on a 7wt rod, due to the force the rod can exert, it is asking to get snapped.
Cheers
Mark
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The point a lot of folk miss about double strength and some of the premium fluorocarbons is that for a given diameter say 0.0X", they have a stronger breaking strain bog standard traditional nylon of the same diameter but, a certain diameter of tippet material is required to properly carry and present a fly of given mass & size. For example, 15lb Maxima will carry a 1.5" copper tube O.K, 15lb Super Strong won't. 25lb Super Strong will carry the tube just fine but that is because it is the same diameter as 15lb Maxima, i.e it is the right diameter for the job but stronger. 15lb Super Strong has about the same diameter as 9lb Maxima would have if it existed. I think this is poorly explain by many manufacturers.
Generally, I chose line weight hence rod) based on the size of the flies being cast and build the leader of the highest diameter I can get away with and still have the fly behave naturally. I rarely get broken.
(Not an advert for Super Strong or slating of Maxima, just used the two as work with the two and know the numbers without looking).
Cheers
Ben
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Wise words from Ben as usual.
I fish a #4 for most of my fishing hence the reason that I used 3, 4, or 5lb Drennan.
3lb turns over klinks just fine at Haddo. 4lb turns over big bushy wets on a loch and 5lb does it better in a big wind.
These sizes of nylon match well with the shock absorbent characteristics of a #4. I used to have to use 6lb when I had my #7 Loomis and it really sucked at putting out little klinks - it felt more like a wire trace between line and fly. The sunk weighted patterns were fine but not the little dries.
Now for this years Assynt trip, the salty flies will mostly be tied on to 30lb Stren or some such. Flipping over BIG clousers will need big nylon.
I have used double strength and flouro nylon but it is still feckin' expensive and binning a birds nest of flouro makes me cry :z10 I like the way Drennan knots, casts and behaves. I really like the way it turns over my style of flies and at the end of the day, isn't that what it's all about?
:z1