OUR RANGE & CHOOSING A BRAND
We stock a huge range of tippets and leaders from the major manufacturers including Scientific Anglers, Rio, Frog Hair, Airflo and Umpqua. Choosing a brand can be confusing. Put simply, all the brands we stock produce great products and they will all catch their fair share of fish. We might be a little old fashioned in our thinking, but we find that if you choose a product from a company that specialises then you can't go wrong. One company that does this is Frog Hair. We use and recommend Frog Hair for most trout fishing applications because of its suppleness and stretch giving the angler a more natural presentation and maximum fish fighting capabilities. Their Fluorocarbon is more supple than any other fluorocarbon available and perfect for using on bright sunny days. If you haven't used Frog Hair products before then get out on the water and try them. For saltwater the angler requires monofilament and fluorocarbon with maximum abrasion resistance, and Scientific Angler do a great range. For Czech and French nymphing we use and recommend Hends Camou 9m leaders and Stroft GTM because of its small diameter to high strength, giving the angler a more natural presentation with less drag on the fly.
As a little tip, we recommend you update your tippet materials every year. Monofilament is prone to weakening over time with UV exposure while fluorocarbon will last longer. The leader and tippet is the business end of your set up and if not done properly, it will result in lost fish. Whatever brand you choose, the main thing is you fish it with confidence. If you're 10% doubtful in the knot you just tied or the material you're using, then you can be 90% sure you should do something about it!
THE FLYFISHER BUYERS GUIDE
Here are our general recommendations based on the species you're targeting.
TROUT IN RIVERS - Frog Hair 9.5ft Supple Butt Supple Tip 5X (4.4lb) and 4X (5.5lb)
TROUT IN LAKES - Frog Hair 9.5ft Stiff Butt Supple Tip 4X (5.5lb) and 3X (6.6lb)
BONEFISH - Scientific Angler 9ft Bonefish leaders 12lb and 14lb.
BREAM AND SALMON - Scientific Anglers 8ft Saltwater Leaders 8lb and 12lb
FLUOROCARBON vs MONOFILAMENT
The extra cost in fluorocarbon tippets and leaders can be misleading. At The Flyfisher, for trout fishing we recommend you carry monofilament tippets in a range of sizes for normal use, but if you're fishing on a bright blue sky day, then your catch rate will be improved with using fluorocarbon and so it should to be carried in just a limited range including 4X and 5X (approximately 6lb and 4lb).
Fluorocarbon has the same light refraction index as water, making it virtually invisible to fish. Because of this unique quality, you can often afford to fish a little heavier. Fluorocarbons are generally stiffer and harder than monofilaments which make their abrasion resistance significantly better. Unfortunately, because of fluorocarbons dense properties, knot strength can be a problem. When using fluorocarbon we recommend a uni knot for tying on the fly and a double uni knot or surgeons knot for attaching tippet. But if you have confidence in other knots then they will work as well but you must make sure your knots form perfectly. Fluorocarbon sinks quicker than monofilament and so it's popular for all forms of wet fly fishing but it can still be fished with dry flies in light tippet sizes. Fluorocarbon is great for saltwater fly fishing because of its abrasion resistance and stealth.
The Flyfisher is here to help. If you have questions regarding the products we stock or anything fly fishing related, then please give us a call on (03) 9621 1246 or contact us through the web site. We're here to help you catch more fish!
Frog Hair Tippet and Leader material is superior because the material is subjected to our Frog Hair's GAMMA propriety process. For the angler, Frog Hair provides a more natural presentation with more hook-ups and a line that generates maximum fish fighting capabilities. Frog Hair Products are truly your new, competitive advantage.
Scientific Anglers have tailored their leaders to work with all brands of fly lines so that no matter what, every moment on the water counts. Each leader and tippet is manufactured to exacting specifications for consistant diameters and tapers.
Airflo have always had the best poly leaders for the ultimate in fly turnover. We keep a great range of Airflo Poly Leaders for all your trout fishing needs and their high quality fluorocarbon is stronger for its diameter than any other.
Rio has a very comprehensive selection of leaders available. They are good quality and well recognised by expert fly fishers around the globe.
A great range of leaders and tippets, specifically designed for shortline nymphing techniques such as Czech and French nymphing. Buy the gear the worlds competition fly fishers use here.
Find our select range of Umpqua tippets and leaders here. Umpqua material is very supple and retains ample knot strength. A popular material for delicate presentation purposes.
