Power pro braid fails

[Lou Bruno]

I just tested with a Bimini, pulled on just the braid..
Loop and single running line..DID NOT fail.

Tied a double surgeons loop pulled on just the loop and
Single running line...DID NOT fail!
Tested a second time with double surgeons knot..did not fail.

So, was it possible that a LONG length of the braid had issues...like you guys think?
I must have tied about 15 surgeons loops to test....that's a good length of line. That much line made me think it wasn't a manufacturing flaw....wrong, based on my recent findings.

In all my years fishing, I never heard or experienced this problem.

Power pro braid is popular here in Southwest Florida. It can survive the harsh conditions.
But, any recommendations for a saltwater braid substitute?

Also, I'm going to tie up some IGFA tarpon leaders, any suggestions on material...all nylon. Fluro? Suggestions on what line to use?

Thank you
I was pulling my hair out on this.
You all allowed me to keep what hair I have left on my head!!!
Lou

[Paul Arden]

Hi Lou,

I never use Fluorocarbon. I don’t even think we should be making the stuff. It supposedly takes thousands of years to degrade. I’ve found it has less knot strength than mono and despite the marketing I can see it in water. It sinks quicker than monofilament, which may sometimes be an advantage, but we can also tie weighted flies.

So I’m not comfortable using it. Monofilament works for me and has always worked for me.

Braid on the other hand is something quite special and I used it for leaders and tippets when I need strength. For example dry fly fishing for Giant Gourami. That, what I consider to be a smart fish, will eat a dry fly attached to opaque braid tells me some interesting things about how fish see. If they will eat a fly attached to black braid then the invisible nature of fluorocarbon (that is visible to me in water) makes zero difference when fishing, even if it was “invisible” which it’s not.

I don’t tie IGFA leaders and always use the strongest tippet I think I can get away with. That may be 7X, it may be 50lb mono. Whatever it is that I think won’t affect the desired action of the fly in the water and will give me the greatest opportunity to land and release the fish as quickly as possible. But I’m not chasing records. One of my clients does and it’s important for him. I do find that weird, but not many people find me normal either.

Of course there are times when we might want to intentionally position a weak link in the leader. We certainly always want it to be weaker than the flyline!

I don’t buy “fly fishing” mono because I think that’s a ripoff. Instead I buy my mono in larger spools intended for the coarse or sea fishing market. I’m choosy about diameter (not what it says on the spool, but I buy according to what it actually measures), I completely ignore what it says on the spool regarding strength, I don’t want it too stiff and I don’t want it too soft.

I use hollow spectra from BHP Tackle and my current tippet braid is a brand called Tomman which is available to me locally. I did come across a brand of braid that was pre-waxed. I liked this but couldn’t find it again. I think some cobbler’s wax could improve braid for tippets. I often pull it through a bar of soap to help it sink through the surface film.

That’s about all I can say on the subject

Cheers, Paul

[Lou Bruno]

Paul

I'm with you on fluro...or I used to be. I tested the opacity of different fluorocarbon lines in my swimming pool and came to the same conclusion. I'm recently trying fluro, I have hard mono,, which I tried. But come back to buying large spools of nylon, I measure my lines too. Most of the fly fishers here in Southwest Florida use a shock tippet of fluro to protect against ebration from fish and oyster bars. I did a recent guide trip, the guide had a looped connection from the butt section to the rest of his leader, why? When the tippet needed changing the looped connection made it quicker...a work around for not using fluro.
I haven't taken the time to try braided leaders...not sure how they would work in our SW environment. They look complicated to build.
Anyway, thanks. I'll be tested the spinning rigs with the surgeons knot today.
Lou

[Graeme H]

.
But, any recommendations for a saltwater braid substitute?

I assume we are talking about backing braid, rather than making leaders with it …

I am a huge fan of the hollow gel-spun braid used by the big game fishermen. When it’s used as it should be, by splicing loops and joins, it’s possible to make a system without knots from the arbor to the first leader knot.

It is soft to the touch and highly visible (in white, at least).

I buy mine from BHP Tackle in the US. I also bought the needles required to make the loops and spliced joins from them.

Cheers, Graeme

[Paul Arden]

The fact that some of the claims of fluorocarbon are obviously misleading at best makes me question abrasion resistance.



I think it’s marketing. What do anglers think they would like from leader and tippet material? Invisibility, sinks well, high knot strength, better abrasion resistance. Those are the claims. It certainly sinks quicker. Accidentally I bought some for Snakehead fishing and it kept sinking while waiting for the shot, making it completely unusable here.

The interesting thing about fluorocarbon is not only are you paying much more for it, but it’s also an inferior product.

Cheers, Paul

[Lou Bruno]

.
But, any recommendations for a saltwater braid substitute?

I assume we are talking about backing braid, rather than making leaders with it …

I am a huge fan of the hollow gel-spun braid used by the big game fishermen. When it’s used as it should be, by splicing loops and joins, it’s possible to make a system without knots from the arbor to the first leader knot.

It is soft to the touch and highly visible (in white, at least).

I buy mine from BHP Tackle in the US. I also bought the needles required to make the loops and spliced joins from them.

Cheers, Graeme

Graeme

I recall you mentioning this before. I took the time to buy some Cortland hollow braid. But haven't tried it, but I will.

I was researching an online store that sells tapered braided leaders, but recall a video posted on SL how to build your own.

Regards
Lou

[Graeme H]

Hi Lou,

The stuff I use is Jerry Brown Hollow Spectra in various breaking strains.

Cheers, Graeme

[Mangrove Cuckoo]

Lou,

Most of my leaders for fishing here in South Florida are made from Ande mono. It is relatively inexpensive, comes in 1/4# spools (a lifetime supply) and has a nice amount of stiffnes. If you can find the "Ghost" variety, I think it is even better, since it seems to be the regular stuff except it is not polished to a shine. If you let it soak in strong tea or old coffee for a few days it will get lightly tinted by the tannins and match very well to our back country mangrove stained waters.

As for fluro, like the majority of tarpon anglers I know, I use it for the shock tippet. I know from experience that a large snook can easily abrade through 40# mono when it does the dog-with-a-rat head shake with its head above the water. But 40# fluoro holds up! So, in my limited amount of personal experience I believe fluoro is really more resistant to abrasion than mono.

Another thing about fluoro is that it is more dense than mono. That means it can be incorporated into a leader and get a similar mass transfer through a smaller diameter.

That has proven to be an intriguing option when trying to turn over large flies or when trying to get flies deeper. So, I don't think everything about fluoro is BS, but you need to pick and choose where you use it.

Gary