[Cowboy Tom]

Ok, if you want to pile a little hate on me that's OK, let'r rip. I have my reasons for not using Maxima and was wondering what is your other favored nylon tippet material if not Maxima.....Suppose this assumes that anybody out there actually uses something other than Maxima.

I've tried Rio Steelhead/Salmon and didn't like it. Knots slipped. Have been an Umpqua guy since the early 90's but it's hard to find. Been using Cortland lately but had a knot break on a steelhead last week, though in the interest of full disclosure I did land one about half an hour later with the same Cortland.

so I'm wondering if there are any better options? I like the Trout Hunter spools but never used any of the heavier stuff. Seaguar is tough to come by around here and I've never tried SA heavy tippet.

I've read every "tippet shootout" I could find but would like to hear real experiences. What's the best?

CT

 

[fredaevans]

Just my .02 cents

First you start with a Furled Leader, at least 5 foot with a 3mm ring on the end. Then leader of choice to kick the whole thing out to 9 feet.

Why only '9?' Mark B (flyfishusa) taught me that one: 'You don't need longer.' Have yet to find a reason to question his judgement.

The FL will lay out on the water like a feather. Try one, and you will understand.

fae

 

[Nooksack Mac]

P-Line CXX (made in Japan, marketed by G. Pucci & Sons, Brisbane, CA) in moss green, is a worthy competitor for Maxima UltraGreen. It may be stronger per diameter, and is also tough and not kink-prone.

I've used Orvis Super Strong since its introduction in 1988. It's fine in trout sizes: I use 6X routinely, and don't often break one off. Its strength ratings in larger sizes are overly optimistic. OX, .011" is 15.5 pound test? In yer dreams, Orvis!:saevilw:

 

[salmo_g]

I use some Rio, but I wouldn't call it my favorite. Started using Maxima 40 years ago and really have never found anything that performs better. I try other stuff just to prove I'm not an old fart whose stuck in his ways. But better than Maxima? Nah. Not yet.

Sg

 

[Speyducer]

Not a true substitute for Maxima (which I still use a lot), but I have found Yo Zuri hybrid ( in clear & smoke cols.) hasn't ever let me down.


Mike

 

[GR8LAKES FLYER]

I use to be a non-believer of Maxima , I've had bad experiences in the past . I went the co-polymer way for a while .... then hopped on the fluorocarbon train right after . I still use fluorocarbon for specific reasons here and there . But this past fall I tried Maxima again ... I'm a believer now


Mike

 

[Deep Swing]

Well been using the maxima since 1980 or so, mosty the green and some times the chameleon, met a pro guide type on the river last year who used the yozuri hybrid which I am now trying. Also have used the P line Fluor which was not bad. Have tried most of the fluorocarbons but not convinced they make a difference, plus my knots using fc I have no confidence in. But still primarily are a maxima green guy. As they say "no school like the old school"
DS



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sinktip]

I used to be a big fan of Damyl Techtan. When new it was great stuff and the strength to diameter ratio was much better than anything I had found. Side by side with the Rio Powerflex it was night and day. The problem was, it was expensive and even if you kept the large roll airtight and out of sunlight, in a year it started to get brittle. After a Thompson fish broke me off on the take, I switched to Maxima and have never left.

 

[fish0n4evr]

Other than Maxima... Stroft. Good nylon material.

 

[Tyke]

Been a flurocarbon fan for many years, but prior to that I used to use Berkley Big Game 15lb [a sort of translucent smoke grey colour] for sunk line fishing with dressed flies & smaller tubes; it was very strong & reliable - i remember a UK coarse fishing magazine doing a test on various lines many years ago & the 15lb Big Game broke at around 20 - 21 lbs test!

Also a bulk spool was cheap, I filled my pike fishing multipliers with it & wound 20 yards at a time onto a tippet spool for my wading jacket pocket.

Regards, Tyke.

 

[glcaddis]

Head down to the Big Box Sporting Goods Store

and pick up three spools of Trilene XLT Tough Stuff; one in 30#, 17#, and whatever your tippet wants to be. I use 60% of 30, 20% of 17, and 20% tippet. Knots well, turns over OK (not as good as Maxima, but close), and is a LOT cheaper.

 

[sazan]

All Maxma have diameter 20-25% larger then advertised so they have appearance of being strong line. In fact they are weak / diameter.

It is like ads in TV. The car/track is very efficient b/c can run so many miles on one tank, but they forgot to mentioned they the track/car has oversized tank .............:chuckle::chuckle:

 

[borano20]

Mee too

Other than Maxima... Stroft. Good nylon material.

Hello.. I wasn´t sure if Stroft was available in the US, anyhow I´ve used the Stroft "Super" for 25 years. Cheap, NONFLASH!!, nonimpregnated means you can superglue your butt section into your trout line. Drawbacks?? Not the strongest out there (I don´t care, never told myself "OOH, if I only had used that brand new expensive, superflashy nylon, my leader wouldn´t have failed. Honest now: How often does a FISH snap your nylon??) and maybe difficult to find in your side of the Pond. The surface is matt, and somewhat coarse. Knots bite like the dickens. Smoky grey, or light blue in colour. It earns it´s name, if you ask me.. Yours borano20

 

[fish0n4evr]

I used Stroft when I lived in Germany, German made and like Maxima - it is every available. If interested - Lost Creek Flies in Onalaska WA carries the stuff also.

 

[oldschoolfly]

Tippet Choice

I've used Orvis Superstrong for years for all my fly fishing. I have no complaints.

 

[inland]

Lets see why I waste my money on Maxima. Specifically the rotten brown stuff that impedes my catching ability-

1) Are steelhead leader shy? Sure some individual fish may be, or may at times be, I have never been able to find any conclusive reasons why it makes a difference. So much so that I now most often just fish 12#. Or even 15#. I want the casting advantages without having to resort to 20+# wonderfibers.

2) Read a lot of whinging about how rotten maxima is because its not strong for its diameter. So what? If they (steelhead, this post is centered entirely on steelhead returning to the PNW) aren't leader shy (IMO), then what could possibly be the downside to having a leader that has the backbone to turn over your flies AND the diameter for improved abrasion resistance? Both of those attributes are far more important to me than some engineering purpose on max strength/diameter.

I have used quite a few mono's out there over the years and what keeps me coming back to brown Maxima? Stiffness and the color. Reliability. Abrasion strength comes into play when the material is being stretched. Stretched nylon becomes thinner. Using already thinner material to begin with is a recipe for disaster when that leader brushes against a rock or teeth or whatnot. Think of it as insurance. Nylon loses strength when wet. How many of these 'tippet showdowns' are conducted with a pc. of nylon that has been fished (including all the kinks from removing overhand knots and leader tangles before they set let alone abrasion from sand and rocks and the trees and a dozen fish caught that day and so on) for 8+ hours, completely soaked and well used? And has been in your tackle bag for 5 years? How well does that leader material work when you have a poor casting knot and didn't take it out before the fish grabbed? Not laboratory, fresh off the extrusion mill. Real world use. I will take that diameter to help keep a little more strength as that mono pinches itself right into a break under tension.

Every other mono (including max clear and ultragreen) fails far more often for me. That yo-zuri hybrid? Now that I have spent some more time with it? Complete garbage (at least in 10# and 12#). If you riffle hitch or run dries they often like to twist up the leader through flight. I have found that limp and floppy leader materials are THE WORST when used under these situations. Maxima brown is by far THE BEST.

RIO salmon/steelhead mono is as good as anything else out there that isn't brown maxima. Umpqua 'tough' is good as well. Look at that...both of them are oversized for the poundage too. Which tells me there IS a reason to the madness that is rotten maxima if newer materials are using the tried and true formula. Fatten that stuff up and still allow it to be broken off when hung on the bottom. Instead of your running line or loops that attach the sink tip.

 

[Rickbjr]

Berkley Big Game Clear has been very reliable for me. 8lb (.011) for trout and smallmouth, 12lb (.014) for Steel and 15 & 20 lb (.015 & .018) for saltwater (Stripers. Albies, Bluefish).

I buy the bulk spools 900 yds - 1700 yds depending on diameter and refill maxima tippet spools.

 

[glcaddis]

Stroft, German Mono

I looked it up and their 30# was only about .017 in diameter. Do you build whole leaders out of this or just add tippet?

As to Maxima being 20-25% oversized, I've miked it many times and when the spool is labeled .015, it mikes at .016. Oversized, yes, but not 20%, by a long shot.

 

[fish0n4evr]

I looked it up and their 30# was only about .017 in diameter. Do you build whole leaders out of this or just add tippet?

As to Maxima being 20-25% oversized, I've miked it many times and when the spool is labeled .015, it mikes at .016. Oversized, yes, but not 20%, by a long shot.

Gene, I've used it as 2-4' tippets for sink-tips. Heavy 12 - 14 pound rating and it's fairly stiff for the turn-over ...

 

[speycaster]

Stroft GTM. Strongest per diameter of almost any nylon leader material. Medium stiffness. Made in Germany and the top choice of many European competition anglers, who are ultra-serious about their tackle. Used to be imported by Rajeff Sports, but discontinued because it just didn't catch on. Now available only from a small dealer in WA www.lostcreekflies.com

Great stuff, but under the radar in the U.S. Their harder, stiffer material is Stroft ABR.