# Tippet or just plain mono?



## Mossy0ak270

Hey all, I'm fairly new to fly fishing and have got the fever, so naturally I'm spending to much money on things  Heres my question, instead of using tippet can you just use stren, trilene, etc.??  If you can find something close to the same diameter as your tippet is there any difference between the two? Or the same with flourocarbon? I hate being cheap, but I need to make a "fishing budget" so I can actually fish more. Just thought it would be a way to save a few bucks. Thanks.


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## centerpin fan

Mossy0ak270 said:


> If you can find something close to the same diameter as your tippet is there any difference between the two?



Tippet material is "pre-stretched", so it is much thinner than typical mono.  For example, 4# Trilene XL is .20mm in diameter.  3X Orvis Super Strong tippet is also .20mm in diameter -- but it's breaking strain is around 8#.

For my bluegill and bass fishing, I rarely use tippet material (too expensive.)  I just use mono or flouro.  (I really like flouro for sinking flies.)

If you plan on doing a lot of trout fishing (dry fly especially), I'd use tippet.


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## Unicoidawg

If your using nymphs it is fine......... I use Berkley Vanish in 4 or 6lb test. That being said if your using dries or any nymphs smaller than say..... #16 your gonna need to use a tapered tippet. The line is a lot cheaper and just as good IMO...... I have had clients use too small of a tippet and after 2 or 3 big bows have broke them off they are usually happy to switch to a larger tippet/line.........


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## Tentwing

+ 1 on the Berkley Vanish in place of expensive Flouro.

I have been using the 4 pound test in place of 5X and the 2 pound test in place of 6X for years. The 2 lb test is actually just a tiny bit smaller than 6X.

Also you can go to troutmagnet.com and get SOS line 0.16mm diameter for $5.99 for 350 yards of dry fly tippet.  It sounds to good to be true but I been using it since 2001. They have a good price on their flouro too, but not as good as the 250 yard spools of Berkley Vanish.

The Vanish is a little less expensive, and is far more supple than the SOS  flouro which only comes in 50 meter spools, but both are great for the price.

Hope this helps ,...........Tentwing


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## Mossy0ak270

Thank you gentlemen. Yall have a been a big help. It looks like I can save some money and fish more often. Thanks again!


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## Huntervationist

there are other plus's to tapered tippet for fly fishing...tapered tippet "rolls" better when tossing heavy flys for bass, and if your fishing spooky native low presure trout, presentation is everything(even more so than the hatch)....mono doesnt present well at all, braided tippet is the bomb when matched to a great presentation stic.IMHO


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## LanceColeman

Finesse trout fishing?? tippets..... everything else?? regular line. Heck for Big Bugs LMBs and stripers I use 12# silver thread flouro. But I gotta muscle em through some sharp rocks and nasty brush tops as well.


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## yaknfish

If you really want to save some money, find the old thread about hand furling leaders. I've been using the "no jig" method, and have come up with some that fish well. You could just pull some mono off your spinning reels to get started. I've been using 8lb test Cajun Line for the leader and the tippet. I guess you could make about a million of them out of a spool of mono.


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## Warped Arrow

++++ On the Furled Leaders. I make mine on a jig, but I only go through a few a year. I use either thread or sewing mono, depending what I am making it for.

WA


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## overbrook

Mossy Oak...you've gotten some good advice....yes...you can use regular mono...or better yet flouro (I use "pline" flouro) but as someone eluded too....you want the fly to turn over....so build a tapered leader by starting with something like 30lb mono (4ft.) another 4ft of 20lb mono....and then just use 12 pound(or whatever you're comfortable with) for your tippet. This is presuming you are doing warmwater or saltwater....or fishing streamers for trout......dry flies and nymphs...I would stick with decent leaders and tippet.     
for connecting sections building leaders check youtube for videos or google fishing knots....double surgeons knot works well for building leaders.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Orh_pZoRJmM


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## Georgia Hard Hunter

overbrook said:


> Mossy Oak...you've gotten some good advice....yes...you can use regular mono...or better yet flouro (I use "pline" flouro) but as someone eluded too....you want the fly to turn over....so build a tapered leader by starting with something like 30lb mono (4ft.) another 4ft of 20lb mono....and then just use 12 pound(or whatever you're comfortable with) for your tippet. This is presuming you are doing warmwater or saltwater....or fishing streamers for trout......dry flies and nymphs...I would stick with decent leaders and tippet.
> for connecting sections building leaders check youtube for videos or google fishing knots....double surgeons knot works well for building leaders.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Orh_pZoRJmM



I tie my own leaders and it takes $ to get the the supplies (7 or 8 sizes of mono tippet at $4.00 a spool. if you go floro that's $9 a spool. I enjoy tying my own I use a blood knot because it keeps everything in line but I cheat and use a Dennison tool to tie the blood knot.
Now having said all that I have rarely used up more than 1 leader a trip, with the exception of changing from Drys to nymph or to Streamers. And even in changing I'm not losing the leader just taking it off to use later.
Leaders are not that expensive about $4 each, if you learn how to repair leaders ( tie blood knots and attach tippet material) they can last several trips.
You are right fly fishing is an expensive hobby and there is no telling how much I have invested in gear, tippet, fly tying, waders, vest, accessories, ect 

Another thing that might save a dollar or 2 ,when I give up on a dry fly leader or nymph leader. If it checks out with no abrasions or nicks I trim it to about 6' well before all my repairs and tie ins and use it for a streamer leader


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## fishndoc

Saving money is always good, but in my experience, if you want to catch trout (that aren't new-in-the-water stockers), you invest in the best quality you can the closer in your rig you get to the fish:  quality flies with hooks that stay sharp, good fluro tippit and leader, and top-of-the-line fly line with catch fish, no matter how cheap the rod & reel.

OTOH, get a $2k bamboo rod and Abel reel, but with cheap line and terminal tackle and you will not fool many fish.


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