I’ve been using Seagur fluorocarbon fishing 🎣 line for my streamer, steelhead, and salmon fly fishing and Spey tippit for a while now. Budgets Man! Has been working just fine.
Thank you for watching and commenting! I'm with you!! I have a lot of confidence in it! The Euro Police can't convince me the expensive stuff is better!
Thank you for posting this. Well organized and really enjoy the chart you provided. Such a great idea and a way to save money for those of us who try to watch how we spend on our hobbies.
If you are using a whole spool of tippet on a single trip, you must be catching as many trees and rocks as I do! One tip I have found useful is to pull all snags by hand. I don't use the rod to pull snags anymore, I put my hands on the line and have much better control. This keeps rock snags from becoming tree snags and keeps the line from wrapping around the rod tip as soon as I get it off the rock. It takes a little more patience, but it saves me retying about half the time. Nothing is worse than getting unstuck and immediately creating a birds nest on your rod tip.
Ha! I do find an occasional tree! I do a lot of adjusting! It's rare that I use a spool in a day! But I definitely can go through it! I also don't want to be restricted in making adjustments because of cost. I fish a lot of tandem rigs. So I'm constantly adjusting length, etc. I like your idea about hand pulling though!
What brand are you referencing on the left side of your chart? I would be curious to know because that is the worst breaking strength I have ever seen for a fluorocarbon tippet. Every fluorocarbon tippet that I have seen in fly shops have breaking strengths that are significantly stronger than the ones you listed under "Popular Fly Shop Brand". If there was a 4x fluorocarbon tippet with a 4.8lb straight breaking strength it would certainly not be popular in any fly shop. Cortland Ultra Premium Fluoro in 4x has a breaking strength of 8.4 pounds and I can't think of another brand that has a 4x diameter tippet with a breaking strength less than 7 pounds. If you like to fish Seagur fluoro there is nothing wrong with that, but fly fishing tippets are more expensive because they are stronger at the same diameter. I do not think that your chart is a fair comparison.
Thank you for watching and commenting. Here's the link to the chart where I got the info from: images.app.goo.gl/ViF943wTaT7caRmh6 It's TroutHunter. I'm not convinced the claims of some of the FF brands are accurate.
@@troutstrike Thank you for the link. I agree that not all fly fishing companies are completely honest when it comes to their tippet. Umpqua lies about the diameter of their 6x in their Deceiver X series. But that does not necessarily mean that all companies are being dishonest. You compared the knot strength of Trouthunter to the tensile strength of Seagur instead of comparing the tensile strength of each.
If you are looking for a middle ground, try Cortland Fluorocarbon. I don't mean Ultra Premium, just the regular fluorocarbon. around $13 dollars with better strength to diameter ratio than Seaguar and cheaper than RIO.
The strength rating from different brands can be all over the board. The diameter is what I have been looking at. I found Sunline FC Sniper. I focused on this line because they offered fluoro in 1 lb. increments from 2 thru 8 lb test. They have bigger lines but they start jumping up more than one pound increments after 8 lb's. The diameter is what's important. Since they have lines in 1 lb increments I have more choices of diameter. The 2 lb Sunline FC Sniper is the same diameter as Trout Hunter 6X and the 8 lb is similar to Trout Hunter 2X. That gives you an idea of the comparison. Here is the line rating and diameter listed: 2 lb - .128 mm / 0.0050" 3 lb - .148 mm / 0.0058" 4 lb - .165 mm / 0.0065" 5 lb - .190 mm / 0.0075" 6 lb - .205 mm / 0.0081" 7 lb - .219 mm / 0.0086" 8 lb - .235 mm / 0.0093" I have been very happy with how the FC Sniper fishes. If you want to go smaller than 6X you will have to find something else.
Sid, Thank you for reaching out. This is the type of discussion I was hoping for! I really want to learn about what other people are doing! I'm planning on writing a follow up to this video with thoughts and suggestions from other anglers! This is great! Thanks for the lead on the FC Sniper! I'll check it out!
Soft Steel Tatakai Fluorocarbon 4 lb = 5X tippet Soft Steel Instinct Fluorobarbon 4 lb. = 5.5X tippet P-Line Soft Fluorocarbon 2 lb. = 7X tippet I’ve fished these three here out West (Madison River, South Fork Snake, Henry’s Fork Snake, Provo River, Weber River) for years and they have served me well. Much like what you’ve presented, it saves me tons of money, but performs just as well in my opinion. Thank you!
Having said that I still use filler spools as leader line because it’s much more affordable even when I found out it was different. I’m still using my filler poles. I can’t notice that much of a difference for what I do.
Rio claims 8lb+ break strength on 3x fluoro, and 7lb+ for their 4x. That's quite a bit more than same diameter Seaguar, P-Line etc. I dunno if Rio is really that strong since I ain't spending $20 a spool on tippet that I burn through like crazy. I've done fine with various Seaguar and P-Line products. However, if the Rio (and others) strengths are anywhere close to being accurate it begs the question of why aren't the fluoro lines geared towards conventional tackle that strong.
Thank you for watching and commenting! I really appreciate the discussion. I have had conversations with some reputable people in the industry that fly fishing brands exaggerate those claims. I don't think gear companies are as concerned about marketing the strength...4 lb test is 4 lb test in their eyes.
Not poo-pooing on your channel but, I did find something incredible recently. My wife and I were at a local farm supply store and in their fishing section they had Rio tippet spools for $5 each! I bought all they had. If that supply runs out, I;m definitely going to switch to this. Thanks!
@@troutstrike I'm new enough at this I didn't even know they made two types. Anyway, surprisingly, the spools don't say. The only thing they say is Powerflex and that it's copolymer. What do you think?
Legit advice - Seaguar is HUGE in the saltwater fishing line market, it's the original company that brought fluorocarbon to the fishing world over 50 years ago. No company has more history making fluoro than Seaguar. I've used their lighter weight fluoro as flyfishing leader material for decades just like in the video. I also use it for heavier leaders too - 2X is 8lb, 1X is 12lb, and 0X is 15lb. Yo-Zuri is another really good brand of fluorocarbon line.
Thank you for watching and commenting. There are some people who are quick to dismiss it and call it garbage. I don't get it. It gets the job done and I don't have any fear of snapping off fish with it than I do the expensive stuff. I appreciate the feedback!
@@troutstrike This is only a question of buying high quality line in bulk versus on a cute, tiny spool that is easy to put in your pocket or onto a tippet holder. Once you have a compact set of cute spools why wouldn't you reload them in bulk? Anyone who thinks fly shop fluoro is somehow "better" because it costs 2-5x as much is deluding themselves. Withe the money saved on tippet, support your local shop and go buy some tiny flies that are tedious to tie.
Great info. I have used invizx. Mostly gear fishing. Love the stuff. I didn't know about icex. I will be looking into that. Thanks again!! Keep up the great work.
Hi Donald! Thank you for watching and commenting. Happy New Year! I appreciate you contributing to the discussion. I always want to support local fly shops, but I just can justify paying those prices for fluoro!!! Glad to hear you had a similar experience with invizx!
@troutstrike I also support my local fly shops. I have noticed the expense stuff is very supple. But has a high breaking strength. I am still getting through this tippet. Having spent the money to try it. I'm a big fan of the Cortland premium fluorocarbon and their other euro nymphing products. I have done research myself on cheaper avenues. Once again, I will be looking into the icex.
Happy New Year! Thank you for watching and commenting!! It's definitely worth giving it a try! I would start with the InvizX 4 lb to start to see if you like it!
Hey Scott! Thanks! Check it out! If you like InvizX, I think you’ll approve! I was on the Tully yesterday using 3lb icex. Got into a bunch down deep with an egg & zebra midge combo.
@ Awesome to hear. I was there about 10 days ago and my buddy was there Sunday, we both fish it for 2.5 hours, we both got skunked. Probably a couple more warm days and warm rain got them on the bite. Thanks for the update.
I’ve been buying larger spools instead of tippet for years, my Uncle who first taught me fly fishing preferred Stren mono over tippet spools. I’ve used Invisix and P-Line for years now with no complaints, and it’s much easier on the wallet than fly shop tippet. For the guys that really can’t let fly shop tippet go, Bozeman Fly Works is a better value than the popular brands. How do you transfer to the smaller spools?
HI Mark! Thank you for watching and adding to the conversation! Tell me more about P-Line? I'll have to check out the Bozeman Fly Works! I just spool by hand. It takes a few minutes. I don't normally put the whole 200 yards on the fly shop spool. I usually put on about 50 yards at a time. Cory from Old Dominion Trout Bum has a cool video on his channel where he uses a drill to transfer tippet onto a spool. I'm not that sophisticated!! Happy New Year!
@@troutstrikeI’ve heard of people using drills so I was curious if you did that or by hand. The P-Line was fluorocarbon coated co-polymer line (they named it “fluoroclear”), it’s pretty widely available and inexpensive and a range of breaking strengths. But for nymphing I’ve come to like the seaguar much more and don’t mind the little bit of price difference from the P-Line
Great vidio Yes I’ve been doing this a while now much more cost effective, I keep my large spools wrapped I tinfoil and in a dark place when I’m not spooling my small spools away from sun light ,
First off, I fully agree with your suggestions in the video. For years, to save $ I've used Seaguar off of large spools. I'd tie entire leaders out of the various sizes, and it worked well. I might add, if you're really into pinching pennies, you can buy large spools of mono too. One thing I've always wondered about however is shelf life of these products, both mono and fluoro. I think manufactures would have you believe that these materials "wear out" or weaken as time goes by. I don't recall anybody ever posting strength-lost vs time studies. I often read the materials should be replaced every year. I just keep mine inside, in a drawer, so temp and UV are not an issue. I'd like to hear positions on that subject, but I'd like to see data to back up the claims.
Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Happy New Year! I've stuck with the 200 yard spools for that reason! I would imagine it may take me a few years to get through a 600 yard or larger spool. Honesty, I've never noticed age as an issue with fluro. I can't say the same with nylon.
I think you nailed it - keep it out of UV light and in a cool, dry place. If it takes forever to break down in nature, then it surely isn't going to break down on a spool if stored properly. I would take a reactive approach to the situation and if I start experiencing failures, might look to replace a spool.That's a big "if"!
@@troutstrike Well, this subject certainly stirred men's soles! Again, I agree re: the nylon losing its strength in time. I have no data, but you can just sense it... usually with a SNAP! 😄
My son and I have been using Seaguar invizx for over 4 years now with no issues whatsoever. We spool it up on tippet spools just like you do. I used icex for the first time last summer and I felt that it was pretty legit. I still carry a couple spools of TroutHunter in 6x & 7x but I have rarely feel the need to use them. I go through these cycles where I fish the 4x then switch to 6x and honestly I catch a lot of fish with both. I know the 4x creates more drag but I don’t think it really matters unless we are fishing highly pressured fish. Yeah, if we are fishing the Madison after the 4th of July we are usually fishing smaller diameter tippet but otherwise if I’m catching fish I don’t drop down to 6x-7x. Of course if I fishing gin clear slow shallow water then I’m fishing 7x with single fly rigs. Long story short, I fish the Invizx 4x probably 60-70% of the time.
Happy New Year! Thank you for watching and adding to the conversation! I'm with you on switching between 4X and 6X. For me, it really comes down to the size of the fly. I was out yesterday, fishing a trailer rig. I had 4 x to my egg pattern and then used 6x to my trailing zebra midge. I find the 4X creates drag with really small or lightly weighted nymphs. The 6X allows for more natural movement. I try to stick to single flies when when strictly using 6X or 7X to prevent tangles.
I’ve been using Berkley Vanish for several years now with no issues whatsoever. I buy it in 2, 4, 6, and 8 pound spools and reload it onto smaller spools for field use. Zero issues with knot strength or performance. Using only a few sizes of fluorocarbon has really simplified my time on the water and kept more cash in my wallet. For the few times I dry fly fish, I have Maxima Ultragreen I reloaded onto smaller spools. Tippet selection and sizing need not be complicated (or expensive)!
Exactly!! I may check out the Berkley Vanish product. I would like to have a true 5X. I'll have to check out the diameter of their 4lb. Happy New Year! Thanks so much for watching and adding to the conversation!!
@@troutstrike Their 4# is .007, and it's the size I use for the bulk of my tightlining. If the water is gin clear or I'm fishing really small stuff, I may switch to 2#, but 4# is my workhorse. You're looking at +/- $15 for a 250 yard spool at most retailers. That's almost a lifetime supply! Happy New Year to you as well and tight lines in 2025!
I been using trout hunter tippet for last 7-8 years and at 50 meters a spool it lasts me over a season. We sometimes get into some big trout 25”+ and 3x works great. A buddy uses vanish and is always getting breakoffs ! For bass n steelhead I use climax.
Thank you for watching and commenting. TroutHunter is great stuff. If costs were the same, I'd choose it over Seaguar, but at the rate I go through the 4X, I'd spend a lot of money. I've not experienced any more breakoffs using Seaguar than any other brand, but I only catch small fish! LOL
If cost were not an issue, I would go with the fly shop brands. That said, I've been pretty impressed with the seaguar products. The material is soft and I have a lot of confidence in it! Thank you for watching and commenting! Happy New Year!
Thank you for watching and commenting! I honestly don't know about shelf life. I assume if you protect if from light, it's fine. But I stick with the 200 yard spools. I usually go through the 4 pound once per year because that's what I use the most.
Used it all for steelhead browns and king salmon . Drenen is the best by far IMO . But I don't think fluorocarbon is always necessary . When it isn't , maxima ultragreen is the best
@@GARYDefilipps I used to use all nylon. When I started tight line nymphing, I made the switch. It’s just more durable in thinner diameters. Happy New Year. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Respectfully disagree Flourocarbon is brittle , has little stretch , and it may be more abrasion resistant but if it does get nicked or compromised , its break strength goes down dramatically. And that's a problem catching big head shaking powerfully fish on light tippet. For fly fishing nymphs buggers and or egg patterns , the flouro sinks the fly which really helps . Mono is way more durable and forgiving I'm my experience and I fish a lot I have a love / hate relationship with flouro .
Unfortunately everything in Fly Fishing industry is more expensive. The conventional fishing world is so much larger of a market. Love the ideas in both your article and video. Nice work!
Happy new year! Thank you so much for watching and checking out the site! I try to support my local fly shop! But this is one way I can spend money in other areas (I spend plenty on tying materials!!!). Give the Seaguar a try! The purists swear it's not as good, but I've found it to be a really great solution!
There have always been economies of scale. I think you are having a go at the flyshops without good reason. If you buy in bulk and respool its going to be cheaper, but it doesn't look as if you have a shop, I maybe wrong, but if you dont; you dont have the expenses of rates heating and insurance to provide for. The other issues for shops they buy in whats available and some anglers may only want 30mtr spools. Shops also have to carry many products in stock to satisfy the need of anglers. If they go out of business it will be a real shame for fishing as much information is shared within their walls.
2 วันที่ผ่านมา +1
Man... As a comp angler I have a boat load of things to say but 99% of the people will not care. All I will say is, I wish we could see the testing method and protocol followed for the results shown. All I will say is, you're 100% spot on, for any rec angling scenarios the Seaguar 100yrd or 200yrd spool are absolutely worth it. I use the STS 8LBS for my entire season of river salmon fishing including Steelhead. I even use it in still water scenarios. For the river game, it's a completely different topic. I fish 7x or 8x. If the fish and current are too strong I might bump to 6X. The biggest thing I would say is that diameter. It's the ONE actual component that will change a lot of the friction and "resistance" induced by wind and water or both. I'd actually recommend you try to fish with just one fly and play with 7 or 8x. Then maybe you won't think it's time to go home anymore.
Thank you for watching and commenting! You're right. If I was a competitive angler or money wasn't an object, I'd opt for the expensive stuff! But I'm a recreational angler, and I'm really confident in Seaguar. I don't hesitate to make adjustments on the water either when I'm not worried about wasting $1.00 per foot fluoro!
วันที่ผ่านมา
@troutstrike comp fly fishing has absolutely no money rewards so ... Trust me I am absolutely watching my $ amount whenever shopping around for materials. The testing protocol and machine used as well as calibration is different, knot strength is also playing a factor. At the end of the day it's absolutely a user preference and I think that a lot of tippet material for fly fishing is super hype. But I get it, companies and fly shop have to make money somehow.
Thanks for watching and commenting. Not trying to take money away from fly shops! I'd rather spend my money at the fly shop on other things instead of fluorocarbon. I'm not going to overpay for a product just to benefit a fly shop! I"ll gladly buy all my fly tying materials and other gear there. My local fly shop sees me plenty! Maybe if we all save a little money on things like fluoro, we can buy better gear. Perhaps its the companies that make the fly shop fluoro should pay attention to this.
I’ve been using Seagur fluorocarbon fishing 🎣 line for my streamer, steelhead, and salmon fly fishing and Spey tippit for a while now. Budgets Man! Has been working just fine.
Thank you for watching and commenting! I'm with you!! I have a lot of confidence in it! The Euro Police can't convince me the expensive stuff is better!
Thank you for posting this. Well organized and really enjoy the chart you provided. Such a great idea and a way to save money for those of us who try to watch how we spend on our hobbies.
I appreciate you watching and I'm glad the chart was helpful!
If you are using a whole spool of tippet on a single trip, you must be catching as many trees and rocks as I do! One tip I have found useful is to pull all snags by hand. I don't use the rod to pull snags anymore, I put my hands on the line and have much better control. This keeps rock snags from becoming tree snags and keeps the line from wrapping around the rod tip as soon as I get it off the rock. It takes a little more patience, but it saves me retying about half the time. Nothing is worse than getting unstuck and immediately creating a birds nest on your rod tip.
Ha! I do find an occasional tree! I do a lot of adjusting! It's rare that I use a spool in a day! But I definitely can go through it! I also don't want to be restricted in making adjustments because of cost. I fish a lot of tandem rigs. So I'm constantly adjusting length, etc. I like your idea about hand pulling though!
I'm addicted to the Cortland Ultra Premium! It has far better performance than anything else I've found, but is not affordable at all.
Yet you can use literally any flouro/mono and catch the same amount... You just like brands
What brand are you referencing on the left side of your chart? I would be curious to know because that is the worst breaking strength I have ever seen for a fluorocarbon tippet. Every fluorocarbon tippet that I have seen in fly shops have breaking strengths that are significantly stronger than the ones you listed under "Popular Fly Shop Brand". If there was a 4x fluorocarbon tippet with a 4.8lb straight breaking strength it would certainly not be popular in any fly shop. Cortland Ultra Premium Fluoro in 4x has a breaking strength of 8.4 pounds and I can't think of another brand that has a 4x diameter tippet with a breaking strength less than 7 pounds. If you like to fish Seagur fluoro there is nothing wrong with that, but fly fishing tippets are more expensive because they are stronger at the same diameter. I do not think that your chart is a fair comparison.
Thank you for watching and commenting. Here's the link to the chart where I got the info from: images.app.goo.gl/ViF943wTaT7caRmh6
It's TroutHunter. I'm not convinced the claims of some of the FF brands are accurate.
Rio 7x is 2.4 not 1.5
@@jawnmorrison110. That’s their claim. I’d like to know how they test that.
@@troutstrike Thank you for the link. I agree that not all fly fishing companies are completely honest when it comes to their tippet. Umpqua lies about the diameter of their 6x in their Deceiver X series. But that does not necessarily mean that all companies are being dishonest. You compared the knot strength of Trouthunter to the tensile strength of Seagur instead of comparing the tensile strength of each.
If you are looking for a middle ground, try Cortland Fluorocarbon. I don't mean Ultra Premium, just the regular fluorocarbon. around $13 dollars with better strength to diameter ratio than Seaguar and cheaper than RIO.
@@jamesmccreery250 That’s a great suggestion. I’ll give it a shot! Thank you for watching and commenting! Happy New Year!
The strength rating from different brands can be all over the board. The diameter is what I have been looking at. I found Sunline FC Sniper. I focused on this line because they offered fluoro in 1 lb. increments from 2 thru 8 lb test. They have bigger lines but they start jumping up more than one pound increments after 8 lb's. The diameter is what's important. Since they have lines in 1 lb increments I have more choices of diameter. The 2 lb Sunline FC Sniper is the same diameter as Trout Hunter 6X and the 8 lb is similar to Trout Hunter 2X. That gives you an idea of the comparison.
Here is the line rating and diameter listed:
2 lb - .128 mm / 0.0050"
3 lb - .148 mm / 0.0058"
4 lb - .165 mm / 0.0065"
5 lb - .190 mm / 0.0075"
6 lb - .205 mm / 0.0081"
7 lb - .219 mm / 0.0086"
8 lb - .235 mm / 0.0093"
I have been very happy with how the FC Sniper fishes.
If you want to go smaller than 6X you will have to find something else.
Sid, Thank you for reaching out. This is the type of discussion I was hoping for! I really want to learn about what other people are doing! I'm planning on writing a follow up to this video with thoughts and suggestions from other anglers! This is great! Thanks for the lead on the FC Sniper! I'll check it out!
Soft Steel Tatakai Fluorocarbon 4 lb = 5X tippet
Soft Steel Instinct Fluorobarbon 4 lb. = 5.5X tippet
P-Line Soft Fluorocarbon 2 lb. = 7X tippet
I’ve fished these three here out West (Madison River, South Fork Snake, Henry’s Fork Snake, Provo River, Weber River) for years and they have served me well. Much like what you’ve presented, it saves me tons of money, but performs just as well in my opinion. Thank you!
P-Line is pretty popular amongst western trout guides. I've found it to be a great option.
Seaguar was invented in 1971 so your username is on theme.
great info , always looking for alternative products
Thank you for watching and commenting! Happy New Year!
Fluorocarbon leader has two extra process to make it a little stiffer and abrasion resistance it’s not the same as filler spools.
@@duanelamon243 Gotcha. Good info! I’d say I don’t notice that as much with the 3X and 4X. I haven’t been using the icex long enough to say.
Having said that I still use filler spools as leader line because it’s much more affordable even when I found out it was different. I’m still using my filler poles. I can’t notice that much of a difference for what I do.
Great validation. I've been using the Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon 2lb as my 5x.
@@FishinDadBodSquad I won’t tell the Euro Police if you don’t!
Rio claims 8lb+ break strength on 3x fluoro, and 7lb+ for their 4x. That's quite a bit more than same diameter Seaguar, P-Line etc. I dunno if Rio is really that strong since I ain't spending $20 a spool on tippet that I burn through like crazy.
I've done fine with various Seaguar and P-Line products. However, if the Rio (and others) strengths are anywhere close to being accurate it begs the question of why aren't the fluoro lines geared towards conventional tackle that strong.
Thank you for watching and commenting! I really appreciate the discussion. I have had conversations with some reputable people in the industry that fly fishing brands exaggerate those claims. I don't think gear companies are as concerned about marketing the strength...4 lb test is 4 lb test in their eyes.
Thanks for this info Jeff. Great breakdown. I have previously used PLine Flourocarbon and it was OK. Going to try out the Seaguar.
Happy New Year! I hope it works well for you! I was using the icex yesterday and it worked really well!
Happy New Year. May we get plenty more rain/snow for some great 2025 fishing.
5 rio guide spools later....and i could have bought a decent rod. The seaguar does work pretty good and will save you alot of $. Good review
@@bmo72 Thank you for watching and commenting! Happy New Year!
Not poo-pooing on your channel but, I did find something incredible recently. My wife and I were at a local farm supply store and in their fishing section they had Rio tippet spools for $5 each! I bought all they had. If that supply runs out, I;m definitely going to switch to this. Thanks!
Were the spools fluorocarbon or nylon?
@@troutstrike I'm new enough at this I didn't even know they made two types. Anyway, surprisingly, the spools don't say. The only thing they say is Powerflex and that it's copolymer. What do you think?
@@raylowry1265 Powerflex is nylon, not fluorocarbon.
Legit advice - Seaguar is HUGE in the saltwater fishing line market, it's the original company that brought fluorocarbon to the fishing world over 50 years ago. No company has more history making fluoro than Seaguar. I've used their lighter weight fluoro as flyfishing leader material for decades just like in the video. I also use it for heavier leaders too - 2X is 8lb, 1X is 12lb, and 0X is 15lb. Yo-Zuri is another really good brand of fluorocarbon line.
Thank you for watching and commenting. There are some people who are quick to dismiss it and call it garbage. I don't get it. It gets the job done and I don't have any fear of snapping off fish with it than I do the expensive stuff. I appreciate the feedback!
@@troutstrike This is only a question of buying high quality line in bulk versus on a cute, tiny spool that is easy to put in your pocket or onto a tippet holder. Once you have a compact set of cute spools why wouldn't you reload them in bulk? Anyone who thinks fly shop fluoro is somehow "better" because it costs 2-5x as much is deluding themselves. Withe the money saved on tippet, support your local shop and go buy some tiny flies that are tedious to tie.
Great info. I have used invizx. Mostly gear fishing. Love the stuff. I didn't know about icex. I will be looking into that. Thanks again!! Keep up the great work.
Hi Donald! Thank you for watching and commenting. Happy New Year! I appreciate you contributing to the discussion. I always want to support local fly shops, but I just can justify paying those prices for fluoro!!! Glad to hear you had a similar experience with invizx!
@troutstrike I also support my local fly shops. I have noticed the expense stuff is very supple. But has a high breaking strength. I am still getting through this tippet. Having spent the money to try it. I'm a big fan of the Cortland premium fluorocarbon and their other euro nymphing products. I have done research myself on cheaper avenues. Once again, I will be looking into the icex.
Happy New Year! Great info. Definitely going to give this I try.
Happy New Year! Thank you for watching and commenting!! It's definitely worth giving it a try! I would start with the InvizX 4 lb to start to see if you like it!
@@troutstrike Thanks and all the best in 2025 to you and family.
Hey Jeff! Very well done 👍🏻. I didn’t know about IceX. Thanks
Hey Scott! Thanks! Check it out! If you like InvizX, I think you’ll approve! I was on the Tully yesterday using 3lb icex. Got into a bunch down deep with an egg & zebra midge combo.
@ Awesome to hear. I was there about 10 days ago and my buddy was there Sunday, we both fish it for 2.5 hours, we both got skunked. Probably a couple more warm days and warm rain got them on the bite. Thanks for the update.
I was down in the leisure area. I have a video of it coming out on Friday.
I’ve been buying larger spools instead of tippet for years, my Uncle who first taught me fly fishing preferred Stren mono over tippet spools.
I’ve used Invisix and P-Line for years now with no complaints, and it’s much easier on the wallet than fly shop tippet.
For the guys that really can’t let fly shop tippet go, Bozeman Fly Works is a better value than the popular brands.
How do you transfer to the smaller spools?
HI Mark! Thank you for watching and adding to the conversation! Tell me more about P-Line? I'll have to check out the Bozeman Fly Works! I just spool by hand. It takes a few minutes. I don't normally put the whole 200 yards on the fly shop spool. I usually put on about 50 yards at a time. Cory from Old Dominion Trout Bum has a cool video on his channel where he uses a drill to transfer tippet onto a spool. I'm not that sophisticated!! Happy New Year!
@@troutstrikeI’ve heard of people using drills so I was curious if you did that or by hand.
The P-Line was fluorocarbon coated co-polymer line (they named it “fluoroclear”), it’s pretty widely available and inexpensive and a range of breaking strengths. But for nymphing I’ve come to like the seaguar much more and don’t mind the little bit of price difference from the P-Line
Great vidio Yes I’ve been doing this a while now much more cost effective, I keep my large spools wrapped I tinfoil and in a dark place when I’m not spooling my small spools away from sun light ,
@@spmillar61 Grear suggestion! I appreciate you watching and commenting. Happy New Year!
First off, I fully agree with your suggestions in the video. For years, to save $ I've used Seaguar off of large spools. I'd tie entire leaders out of the various sizes, and it worked well. I might add, if you're really into pinching pennies, you can buy large spools of mono too. One thing I've always wondered about however is shelf life of these products, both mono and fluoro. I think manufactures would have you believe that these materials "wear out" or weaken as time goes by. I don't recall anybody ever posting strength-lost vs time studies. I often read the materials should be replaced every year. I just keep mine inside, in a drawer, so temp and UV are not an issue. I'd like to hear positions on that subject, but I'd like to see data to back up the claims.
Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Happy New Year! I've stuck with the 200 yard spools for that reason! I would imagine it may take me a few years to get through a 600 yard or larger spool. Honesty, I've never noticed age as an issue with fluro. I can't say the same with nylon.
I think you nailed it - keep it out of UV light and in a cool, dry place. If it takes forever to break down in nature, then it surely isn't going to break down on a spool if stored properly. I would take a reactive approach to the situation and if I start experiencing failures, might look to replace a spool.That's a big "if"!
@@troutstrike Well, this subject certainly stirred men's soles! Again, I agree re: the nylon losing its strength in time. I have no data, but you can just sense it... usually with a SNAP! 😄
My son and I have been using Seaguar invizx for over 4 years now with no issues whatsoever. We spool it up on tippet spools just like you do. I used icex for the first time last summer and I felt that it was pretty legit. I still carry a couple spools of TroutHunter in 6x & 7x but I have rarely feel the need to use them. I go through these cycles where I fish the 4x then switch to 6x and honestly I catch a lot of fish with both. I know the 4x creates more drag but I don’t think it really matters unless we are fishing highly pressured fish. Yeah, if we are fishing the Madison after the 4th of July we are usually fishing smaller diameter tippet but otherwise if I’m catching fish I don’t drop down to 6x-7x. Of course if I fishing gin clear slow shallow water then I’m fishing 7x with single fly rigs. Long story short, I fish the Invizx 4x probably 60-70% of the time.
Happy New Year! Thank you for watching and adding to the conversation! I'm with you on switching between 4X and 6X. For me, it really comes down to the size of the fly. I was out yesterday, fishing a trailer rig. I had 4 x to my egg pattern and then used 6x to my trailing zebra midge. I find the 4X creates drag with really small or lightly weighted nymphs. The 6X allows for more natural movement. I try to stick to single flies when when strictly using 6X or 7X to prevent tangles.
I’ve been using Berkley Vanish for several years now with no issues whatsoever. I buy it in 2, 4, 6, and 8 pound spools and reload it onto smaller spools for field use. Zero issues with knot strength or performance. Using only a few sizes of fluorocarbon has really simplified my time on the water and kept more cash in my wallet. For the few times I dry fly fish, I have Maxima Ultragreen I reloaded onto smaller spools. Tippet selection and sizing need not be complicated (or expensive)!
Exactly!! I may check out the Berkley Vanish product. I would like to have a true 5X. I'll have to check out the diameter of their 4lb. Happy New Year! Thanks so much for watching and adding to the conversation!!
@@troutstrike Their 4# is .007, and it's the size I use for the bulk of my tightlining. If the water is gin clear or I'm fishing really small stuff, I may switch to 2#, but 4# is my workhorse. You're looking at +/- $15 for a 250 yard spool at most retailers. That's almost a lifetime supply!
Happy New Year to you as well and tight lines in 2025!
I been using trout hunter tippet for last 7-8 years and at 50 meters a spool it lasts me over a season. We sometimes get into some big trout 25”+ and 3x works great. A buddy uses vanish and is always getting breakoffs ! For bass n steelhead I use climax.
Thank you for watching and commenting. TroutHunter is great stuff. If costs were the same, I'd choose it over Seaguar, but at the rate I go through the 4X, I'd spend a lot of money. I've not experienced any more breakoffs using Seaguar than any other brand, but I only catch small fish! LOL
Great info! Is invizx and icex just as supple as fly shop brand tippet?
If cost were not an issue, I would go with the fly shop brands. That said, I've been pretty impressed with the seaguar products. The material is soft and I have a lot of confidence in it! Thank you for watching and commenting! Happy New Year!
You must fish a ton. What is the shelf life of those big spools/flourocarbon?
Thank you for watching and commenting! I honestly don't know about shelf life. I assume if you protect if from light, it's fine. But I stick with the 200 yard spools. I usually go through the 4 pound once per year because that's what I use the most.
I've been using Segaur Red & Yellow label for about 4 years now. Its good stuff and I'm happy with it.
Happy New Year! Thanks for watching and commenting! When I first discovered this, I used the Red Label. I was thrilled with it until I found InvizX!
Used it all for steelhead browns and king salmon .
Drenen is the best by far IMO .
But I don't think fluorocarbon is always necessary . When it isn't , maxima ultragreen is the best
@@GARYDefilipps I used to use all nylon. When I started tight line nymphing, I made the switch. It’s just more durable in thinner diameters. Happy New Year. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Respectfully disagree
Flourocarbon is brittle , has little stretch , and it may be more abrasion resistant but if it does get nicked or compromised , its break strength goes down dramatically. And that's a problem catching big head shaking powerfully fish on light tippet.
For fly fishing nymphs buggers and or egg patterns , the flouro sinks the fly which really helps .
Mono is way more durable and forgiving I'm my experience and I fish a lot
I have a love / hate relationship with flouro .
Unfortunately everything in Fly Fishing industry is more expensive. The conventional fishing world is so much larger of a market. Love the ideas in both your article and video. Nice work!
Happy new year! Thank you so much for watching and checking out the site! I try to support my local fly shop! But this is one way I can spend money in other areas (I spend plenty on tying materials!!!). Give the Seaguar a try! The purists swear it's not as good, but I've found it to be a really great solution!
I just compared Rio fluoro against the Invizx stuff and Rio is about 20 percent thinner for the same breaking strength.
How did you compare it? Did you measure it? Did you actually test the breaking strength? Thanks for watching and commenting!
There have always been economies of scale. I think you are having a go at the flyshops without good reason. If you buy in bulk and respool its going to be cheaper, but it doesn't look as if you have a shop, I maybe wrong, but if you dont; you dont have the expenses of rates heating and insurance to provide for. The other issues for shops they buy in whats available and some anglers may only want 30mtr spools. Shops also have to carry many products in stock to satisfy the need of anglers. If they go out of business it will be a real shame for fishing as much information is shared within their walls.
Man... As a comp angler I have a boat load of things to say but 99% of the people will not care.
All I will say is, I wish we could see the testing method and protocol followed for the results shown.
All I will say is, you're 100% spot on, for any rec angling scenarios the Seaguar 100yrd or 200yrd spool are absolutely worth it. I use the STS 8LBS for my entire season of river salmon fishing including Steelhead. I even use it in still water scenarios.
For the river game, it's a completely different topic. I fish 7x or 8x. If the fish and current are too strong I might bump to 6X.
The biggest thing I would say is that diameter. It's the ONE actual component that will change a lot of the friction and "resistance" induced by wind and water or both.
I'd actually recommend you try to fish with just one fly and play with 7 or 8x. Then maybe you won't think it's time to go home anymore.
Thank you for watching and commenting! You're right. If I was a competitive angler or money wasn't an object, I'd opt for the expensive stuff! But I'm a recreational angler, and I'm really confident in Seaguar. I don't hesitate to make adjustments on the water either when I'm not worried about wasting $1.00 per foot fluoro!
@troutstrike comp fly fishing has absolutely no money rewards so ... Trust me I am absolutely watching my $ amount whenever shopping around for materials. The testing protocol and machine used as well as calibration is different, knot strength is also playing a factor. At the end of the day it's absolutely a user preference and I think that a lot of tippet material for fly fishing is super hype. But I get it, companies and fly shop have to make money somehow.
We Are!
Ha! I'm an alumni and my daughter just graduated!!! Glad you noticed that!! Big win last night!! Go State!!
Take money away from the local shop then complain the shops are closing
Thanks for watching and commenting. Not trying to take money away from fly shops! I'd rather spend my money at the fly shop on other things instead of fluorocarbon. I'm not going to overpay for a product just to benefit a fly shop! I"ll gladly buy all my fly tying materials and other gear there. My local fly shop sees me plenty! Maybe if we all save a little money on things like fluoro, we can buy better gear. Perhaps its the companies that make the fly shop fluoro should pay attention to this.