Last updated: July 25, 2023
Back when I was just a wee water-whipper, my Grandpa taught me how to build fly fishing leaders from differing lengths and diameters of catgut. Catgut leaders had to be greased with floatant when used with dry flies.
In my teens, I could construct leaders with blood knots and monofilament nylon (“mono”), which did not have to be greased. Later, thanks to Eagle Claw and better technology, tapered, knotless leaders, extruded from mono, hit the fly shops. Life was good.
In the past decade, fluorocarbon (“fluoro”, “Fluro-Flex”) knotless, tapered leaders and tippet have hit the shelves, claiming increased catch rates due to their being “invisible” to our finned quarry. Fly anglers, being the addicts they are for any new rod, reel, line, leader, fly, hat, or prayer that will bring more fish to their net, drank the Kool-Aid.
While on the sticks in my Clacka, I have heard all the arguments presented by friends and clients as to which is better…mono or fluoro? It is my opinion that the question is moot; there are fishing situations where mono is better than fluoro and vice-versa. Please allow me to present my opinions and recommendations to a candid world.
I would be remiss to discuss nylon and fluorocarbon materials without noting the fact that leaders and tippets, lost to fish and snags, will not degrade for 600 and 4,000 years, respectively. Leaders and tippets that stay in the environment as tangled messes spell injury and/or death to fish, birds, and mammals.
When you cut out that snarled mess caused by two-nymph rigs or grab someone else’s mess they left behind, stick it in your pocket. Very likely, at the takeout or parking lot, Trout Unlimited or some other conservation organization has provided a receptacle to recycle mono and fluoro. Leaders and tippet can be recycled into plastic products, most notably benches alongside river trails.
Based on my research into the advantages of mono and fluoro leaders, plus many, many years of flogging the water with a fly line, I feel confident in recommending when mono or fluoro should be used when fly fishing.
If I have spent over $4k on a bucket list trip to Turneffe Flats in Belize (dream, dream) to chase bonefish and tarpon, it is no time to get frugal with my terminal tackle. I am going to purchase and knot on the best fluoro leader and tippet for its abrasion-resistance, tensile strength, and resistance to UV rays. Trust me, if you try to use mono leader and tippet, your guide will probably refuse to leave the dock.
Here’s a thought if you are convinced that fluoro tippet is truly stealthy. Onto your mono, tapered leader, tie on a length of fluoro tippet. Don’t use a blood knot, though, tie a triple-surgeon’s knot. The hard fluoro tippet can cut into the soft mono, leading to disaster when that big smallmouth bass hits your offering.
Better yet, if you are nymphing with a bobber or euro nymphing, tie an appropriate length of tapered, mono leader to your fly line and at the terminal end, tie in a tippet ring. To the tippet ring, tie in a length of fluoro tippet. This “hybrid” leader formula also takes advantage of fluoro’s ability to withstand the gnawing jaws of toothy fish.
I use mono whenever trout, panfish, carp, etc. are targeting bugs on or near the surface. The suppleness and floatability of an inexpensive knotless, tapered, mono leader makes it ideal for casting dry flies or emergers. Being limber, it will turn over that #18 Sparkle Dun with ease. Every angler could do better throwing dry flies with an extra-long leader that can present an Elk Hair Caddis with less disturbance on the water. Yet, most knotless, tapered leaders come in 3-packs of nine-foot lengths. Buy 9-foot, 4x leaders and then tie on a 3-foot length of 5x tippet with a triple-surgeon’s knot. That knot gives you a gauge so you know when it is time to add more tippet after changing a few flies.
Like most fly anglers, as I progressed in my fly angling adventures, I went from wanting to catch some fish, to expecting to catch many fish, to now targeting big fish. Piscivorous, meat-eating fish such as brown trout, northern pike, tiger muskies, steelhead, and salmon get huge because they are apex predators. Big, carnivorous fish are in constant attack mode either inhaling smaller fish or smacking those who would dare invade their personal space. Hence, they are not leader shy.
You need a short length of mono leader/tippet through which you can receive instant feedback when Mr. Nasty grabs your Intruder or Muddler Minnow. Thousands of steelheaders every year trust Maxima Ultragreen coated mono for its abrasion-resistance and unmatched tensile strength. My standard leader formula when hunting browns with my 5 wt. spey rod, Skagit line, and T-8 sink tip is two feet of 20 lb. Maxima Ultragreen, (stiff for turning over big streamers), tied to a 1.5 mm tippet ring, and then 18 inches of 12 lb. Maxima Ultragreen, (to pull through snags), tied to an articulated streamer with a non-slip loop knot. The tippet ring makes it easy to add tippet when necessary.
Other advice which you may find helpful:
Well, there you have it. I hope my research and experience with mono and fluoro leaders and tippet have been helpful to you. To me, the controversy over mono -vs.- fluoro really is nonsensical. Certain fly fishing scenarios demand one or the other. And, let’s face it, fly anglers would have more fishy hookups if they concentrated on presentation, drag-free drifts, and used quality fly tying hooks that they sharpened frequently.
Jim Hissong, Content Writer & Blogger
Jim Hissong lives with his wife, Susan, and Wrigley, the fishing dog, in Mountain View, WY. He is currently president of Upper Bear River Trout Unlimited in Southwest Wyoming and a certified guide who plans to be on the sticks more often when he retires soon. Jim is a part-time product description writer and blogger for jans.com and vailvalleyanglers.com. You can encourage his blogging by contacting him at wyohiss@gmail.com.