I noticed I accidentally ordered lead free .025 wire from J Stockard instead of the regular old lead stuff. I’m not going to send it back, but just wondered if it really is much different, other than being about 40% lighter (and therefore, I assume, less effective in adding weight), and 50% more expensive. I seem to remember there some places that require lead free, I wonder how do they enforce that.
I’m guessing it’s based on the honor system; I doubt that Fish and Game offices in those states employ on-stream metallurgists to open up flies and test for lead. Since I fish a bit in Yellowstone (where it’s not allowed) I dumped all my lead a while ago; if the fly’s not heavy enough, I’ll add non-tox split-shot.
Regards,
Scott
The GSMNP has also banned lead and as Scott stated I have also stopped using lead many years ago. My flies get down if they don’t add split shot.
I’m with Scott and have stopped using lead. The lead free fly tying wire and shot are good enough for most usage and you can always use tungsten if needed.
Really don’t understand why folks use lead given that the scientific consensus seems to be that using lead can damage wildlife? Why not play it safe and use non-lead substitutes?
And it’s not safe for the tier, either. If you do use lead wire, keep your fingers away from your mouth and eyes, and wash your hands after the tying session.
Chuck
With the additional use of brass or tungsten bead (if necessary for some added weight) the lead free wire has worked out fine for me.
Still use lead whenever I can, obviously only if it’s legal. I use it in my flies and still use lead splitshot.
Rarely weight flies except for beads, but when I do it is always lead-free, because when I fish waters where it matters, I do not want to have to guess which are which. Still prefer lead split-shot to Dinsmores, again, where ever it is legal.
I use tungsten beads and lead sub wire. However i still use good old gremlin splitshot where legal. Same with birdshot.
The biggest difference (other than weight and price) is that non lead seems more ‘brittle’ to me. Not significant, but noticeable.
I, like many others, have gone exclusively to lead-free wire. However, I don’t tie many large weighted flies anymore so the extra weight that lead has over lead-free doesn’t really apply to my tying. If I want extra weight on a small fly I’ll use a tungsten bead instead of a brass one. I use lead-free wire mostly to just seat the bead and not for additional weight.
Joe
I use a sinking tip fly line in streams . When trolling in lakes which I do a lot I use sinking fly line. I have no idea if my sinking lines contain lead or not .
Tungsten bead heads and lead-free wire work pretty good for me.
I, for one, appreciate those who do not use lead.
Mele Kalikimaka!
Does anyone know if the current brass bead heads are modern lead-free brass or still the old 85-triple-five?
Really Byron a little lead really matters, take a look at the Animas River in Colorado this past summer. Now that is disgusting beyond words, all of which has gone pretty quietly.
Gene,
There are many, many problems and terrible things happening to our environment. In most cases, there is little or nothing that each of us can do about them.
In the case of lead ending up damaging waterfowl, that is something we might be able to reduce simply by using a lead substitute.
It is our choice and something we can control.
A few random thoughts…
A few years ago at the AK Fly Fishers’ Kenai River Clean Up a friend and I worked the area right at the mouth of the Russian River, dumping into the Kenai. In a couple hours we picked upa quite a bit of trash. However, we also picked up sinkers when we found them. These were everything from small split shot to honking 1 ounce rubber cores! We picked up over 60 POUNDS of lead in a couple hours on a stretch of beach no more than about 500 yards.
The following year we did not pick up 5 in the same place doing the same thing… the next year we found even less… and so on…
The old 85 triple 5 is an interesting thing because the less noble lead is going to go away MUCH faster than the more noble copper??? Not so much! The far less noble copper is going to go far before the lead or nickle… the tin will go first but the copper will be leaving early also…
Copper is not good for any living organism.
I’m sure you guys must have trouble if you have to solder electrical stuff. I agree with your basic idea but feel that it is really overdone.