Leader manufacturer

[Bobfly]

Every six weeks or so a catalogue from the Glasgow Angling Centre falls through the letterbox - which it did this morning, plus I had a look at their website. General market prices for assorted leader/tippet stuff come out as below for this selection if you try to even things up and convert to give an approx price per 100 meters from the various 30 yards and 100 yards and 100 meter spools.
Maxima nylon £5 for 100m
Maxima flouro £26
Riverge flouro £22
Grand Max flouro £21
Frog Hair flouro £36
Frog Hair copoly £16
Hardy copoly £10
Rio Powerflex copoly £10

Ya pays ya money - and yer takes yer choice....?

[deergravy]

for pulling wet flies you maybe need something heavier, not sure why though, are the fish bigger?

You're pulling in one direction, the fish is turning sharply in the other... it's the sudden stress which causes the break offs. Always, I'd say.
The only times I ever get broken are on the strike or when the tippet gets wrapped around an obstacle.
If sharp teeth were the culprit, we would expect more fish to be lost mid-fight.

[Wildfisher]

The only times I ever get broken are on the strike

Me too. I have never been broken mid fight as far as I can recall unless there has been some screw up like  the line getting jammed or tangled when a fish takes off. This is why I think double strength / fluorocarbon  / co-polymers are useless if pulling flies. No elasticity, loads of break offs.

[Scotaidh]

After some trial and error I use Wytchwood sub-surface for everyday loch fishing, it is good quality and cheap. 

[deergravy]

Standard nylon mono is tough as old boots, I think I should use it more often.
Fred mentions elasticity, that's what makes it stronger, in real-life, than yer fancy stuff.
All the same, I like being able to cast a small dry at big fish with 6 or 7 pounds b.s. - provided I dont bust them off on the strike!

[Fishtales]

All the fish in the videos of my May trip were caught on 5Lb Maxima Chameleon. We both use it all the time no matter whether we are fishing dry, wet, river or loch it is all the same. I fish a three fly cast with dry, wet and nymph on a 7# 10' rod, perhaps I'm doing something wrong :roll:

[deergravy]

All the fish in the videos of my May trip were caught on 5Lb Maxima Chameleon. We both use it all the time no matter whether we are fishing dry, wet, river or loch it is all the same. I fish a three fly cast with dry, wet and nymph on a 7# 10' rod, perhaps I'm doing something wrong :roll:

No, you've got loch fishing cracked, and anyone who wants to refine their technique or tackle is wasting their time.

[Traditionalist]

All the fish in the videos of my May trip were caught on 5Lb Maxima Chameleon. We both use it all the time no matter whether we are fishing dry, wet, river or loch it is all the same. I fish a three fly cast with dry, wet and nymph on a 7# 10' rod, perhaps I'm doing something wrong :roll:

Doubtful, beyond a certain point you realise that there is little point in wasting time and money on what may or may not be "refinements". If your setup works as you want it to, then there is little to be gained by trying all sorts of other stuff. Most unlikely that you will catch a single fish more as a result, indeed, you might well catch fewer fish, because some stuff you try wont be as good.

TL
MC

[Allan Crawford]

Don't doubt this at all, weird when you think about it.
A trout's a trout, no?
Try 8lb brown maxima on the Clyde - good luck!
Is it all down to the suppleness of fine nylon, or does the diameter itself put fish off?

A trout might still be a trout yes, in general 8lb maxima would be no use dry fly fishing on the Clyde, but drifting in a nice wave on a loch with trout that might never have seen a fly before thats the difference. That fly could be a size 8 Loch Ordie with legs, always give them something big on the top dropper to bring them up. Thicker nylon at the top of cast to stop the dropper wrapping around the main leader, then taper, with a smaller fly on the point. For me 8lb maxima would be heavy but I used this as an example because I've fished with others who just use this straight through in the above conditions and been out fished thats why I think colour of leader or glint can have something to do with it. And yes the fish are big, so if your lucky enough to hook the fish of a lifetime its nice to have something in reserve.

[Traditionalist]

In my opinion it is absolutely essential to remove the glint from nylon leaders.  Once you have done that it doesn't seem to make a lot difference what diameter you use. I catch just as well on 4 lb Maxima as on 8 lb Maxima for most things, but if I don't deglint I catch a great deal less regardless of diameter.

For dry fly fishing, ( mainly rivers in my case) I usually use 3lb Maxima as tippet, also very carefully deglinted.

TL
MC