Cost of tippet material

[Ray Kunz]

Why does tippet cost so much more than light weight spinning line? Aren't they both simply nylon monofilament?

[johnstoeckel]

Good question! Premium fluorocarbon tippet is about $15 per 30 yards (50 cents per yard) and premium fluorocarbon spinning line is about $20 per 200 yards (10 cents per yard).

I've heard people say that fly fishing tippet is stronger per diameter and a more consistent diameter. It's also hard to find spinning line in small diameters. But is fly fishing tippet enough better to justify 5 times the cost?

I've heard of more fisherman, and especially nymph fisherman who use more tippet, who are trying spinning line. So I picked up a 200 yard spool of premium fluorocarbon line recently. It's about 4.5X and I plan to give it a good workout nymph fishing in our winter / early season.

[Greg H]

I've heard people say that fly fishing tippet is stronger per diameter and a more consistent diameter. It's also hard to find spinning line in small diameters. But is fly fishing tippet enough better to justify 5 times the cost?

I have heard the same - tippet is manufacturing has more quality control. Packaging is a large cost of any item that is sold in small quantities (even canned tomato sauce!), so that would be part of it - the convenience cost of those small spools for your vest. I use mono line for everything down to about 4X and have no problems, it's just the fine stuff (which of course we use the most of) that is hard to find in large quantities.

[Buddy Sanders]

I've switched just about completely to Flourocarbon fishing line for tippets on anything I do subsurface. Primarily Vanish. It's not as thin as 'tippet' for a given test rating, but fluorocarbon is supposed to be harder to see in the water, so I doubt it makes a difference to the fish.

Since I'm mostly fishing sinking lines in a lake, I decided to give the 'harder to see' thing a test this last season. I jumped up from using primarily 4 and 6 lb. test fluorocarbon lines for tippet to 8 pound. Used it all season, and found that I actually caught more fish. And larger fish. (larger probably because I was more fearless where I threw stuff with the heavier tippet).

4 lb. is the smallest I use for anything, even little 24s on the San Juan. Works just fine for me.

For topwater, I use plain old monofilament because it floats better than Flouro. I prefer Trilene XL, it has a bit more stretch which I like for topwater applications. Usually 8 to 12 pound for bass, 4 pound for dry flies for trout.

If you have to have those little spools to 'fit' your vest/lanyard/whatever, you can always transfer it from the larger spools to the smaller ones.

Flourocarbon Tippet, even the really expensive stuff, is pretty cheap when you compare the other costs involved in fishing. I've just found that the fluorocarbon fishing lines work better for me. Better knot strength, easier to handle, not as stiff, and less susceptible to shock breakage.

YMMV.

Buddy

[WarrenP]

My personal thoughts on this is I feel that regular tippet material is much more limber and was developed more for the dry fly or very small midge type fly fishing and being very limp, it will not hinder the dry fly or midge. For my style of fly fishing which is more sub-surface, I prefer not to use regular tippet due to it's limpness. I feel it does not allow the "strike" signal to travel up the line to my rod hand. I usually purchase a mono line, made by Leland Lures which also manufacture the Trout Magnet, in 4 pound test and 6 pound test. It is called S.O.S. It is a very light green in color and seems very strong for it's very small diameter and I feel it is very hard for the fish to see under water. They only make it in 2, 4 and 6 pound test and it comes on a 350 yard spool and cost around $5.00. They also sell it in larger spools in the thousands of yards spools which I do not know the cost of at this time. I transfer it from the 350 yard spools to smaller spools and always have 4 and 6 pound test with me and I have had good success with it even when using dry flies. I have made furled leaders from their 2 pound test and it works well.

Your mileage may differ from mine, but, it has worked good for me.

[sagefisher]

I prefer to use tippet material for trout fishing, mostly fluorocarbon, even on dries except for the really small dry flies.

The majority of my fishing consists of fishing rivers with guides . Every guide I have fished with also uses tippet material, mostly fluorocarbon by the way.

For bass fishing and salmon fishing I use Maxima leader material, chameleon or ultra green.

Since most of my fishing is with guides I don't use very much of my own materials except for my leaders which are all either Rio or Frog Hair. But, I don't often get to use my own tippet materials since the guides use their own. The guides are on the rivers for hundreds of days each year and they use a lot of tippet material, yet they all use actual tippet rather than regular mono or fluoro lines. There is a reason.

So it is just a matter of personal choice I guess. As long as it is working for you why not use it?

Larry ---sagefisher---

[billyspey]

I see like this: $400. To $1000.for a Rod, $200. Up for a reel, $80. For a good line,$400. Up for waders and boots .Plus all the other crap we carry around while fishing. Why try to skimp on the direct link between you and a fish of a lifetime.trying to save a buck. For me save on the other end not on this end.

[anglerdave]

I see like this: $400. To $1000.for a Rod, $200. Up for a reel, $80. For a good line,$400. Up for waders and boots .Plus all the other crap we carry around while fishing. Why try to skimp on the direct link between you and a fish of a lifetime.trying to save a buck. For me save on the other end not on this end.

My thoughts exactly.

[Rick Z]

Since I fish warmwater moszt of the time, I have been using some 6 lb monofilament for my tippet.
Usually off furled leaders. Has worked for me.
Also caught some trout doing this.

Rick

[WarrenP]

"I see like this: $400. To $1000.for a Rod, $200. Up for a reel, $80. For a good line,$400. Up for waders and boots .Plus all the other crap we carry around while fishing. Why try to skimp on the direct link between you and a fish of a lifetime.trying to save a buck. For me save on the other end not on this end."

I understand your point and agree with it, but, not all fly fishermen spend that kind of money for their fishing gear. I know I do not. I try to purchase what works for me and save as much as possible. The fly reel I use the most cost less than $100, the fly rod is around $240, my fly line is $60 and my waders are $250 and my wading boots are $60. I tie all my own flies and make my own furled leaders.

I catch my fair share of fish and have a good time doing it. I am not trying to "skimp" or save a buck. I just enjoy the challenge of finding something that works for me and saves me money on both ends. Now a days, the cost of any item does not dictate the quality of that item. I feel it pays to do a little searching to find the same quality or very close to it and spend less for it. The more I save by not buying the "top of the line", the more I have to spend on something else like propery taxes, gas, food, electric bill, water bill, etc.

I am retired on a limited income and I always do a lot of research before spending any money. I know a 4 wheel drive vehicle will get me to and from the rivers but so does my KIA Soul and do it at 33MPG.

If I should hook up with "the fish of a lifetime" and land it, all I am going to do is take a picture of it and turn it lose and that is only if I have my camera with me. The thrill of hooking and fighting it is all I was after anyway. If I lose it due to my equipment, I still had the thrill of the fight without the picture and still remember it for my lifetime.

None of the above is meant to raise anyone's hackles, but, just how I feel about my gear and my time on the water using it. I fish for the enjoyment of being out there on the water and enjoying the surroundings and the peace and quiet and no amount of money can purchase that. I do not have to land every fish I hook to have enjoyed the experience. If any part of my fly fishing gear fails me due to the quality of it, I will then upgrade it. If it failed me due to how I used it, then the quality was good and the failure was with me.

So, purchase what you can afford and what works for you and gives you enjoyment and do not try to have what the marketing hype tells you to use. After all, they are trying to make money for themselves and you are trying to enjoy the surroundings and the experience and each one has a different price tag.

Just my thoughts and I am sorry for the long post......now we need to leave this real world and enter the fly fishing world which provides more peace....Merry Christmas all......

PS - I know that my post has nothing to do with the original question and I apologize for that. I will now go to my corner and leave you all alone.