Rio Powerflex

[haresear]

I think we all agree that confidence in your choice of tackle is important. It lets you get on with the business of catching fish without any nagging doubts about that hook or that tippet or that dodgy knot.

Deergravy makes a good point when he mentioned the X factor - the diameter. I was asked by a well known angler the other week what my choice of leader was for a particular river. I had to think for a minute about what he might be enquiring about, material? strength? diameter? all of these? (as it happened it was diameter and material).

Piscatus, cunning fox, is right of course. It is the driver and not the car. I suspect that the driver wouldn't do quite so well in a bad car, but he'd still do ok in a car he could trust even if it wasn't a Ferrari or whatever

Alex

[east wind]

I think we all agree that confidence in your choice of tackle is important. It lets you get on with the business of catching fish without any nagging doubts about that hook or that tippet or that dodgy knot.

There's the rub. July brought far too many breakages, Ive been using Powerflex happily for some time and then the doubts creep in. Recent outings indicate the Powerflex and half blood knots probably don't mix

What I pay heed to is reliability, turnover and strength to diameter. What I will use is the minimum breaking strain depending on the size of trout in the water I'm on and the obstacles to casting. I may try heavier line all round next year just to see what I get away with.

Far as catching bigger fish goes mibbee auld Tam can still pull them out with a tank aerial and some gut, nothing can beat experience, but fishing can be made easier by building a set up that suits each one of us, and some products in certain areas of that set up are better than others.

Searching around i see Rio have a new material to punt - Suppleflex.

Mac.

[Malcolm]

Mac,

I'm not sure what the effect of diameter is. I'm fairly sure that when the wind is up that sometimes at least it makes little difference. I normally fish 2x which is thicker than most people on the Clyde yet several times I've got fish after fish in a short period during a MB/LDO rise. Other times I get nothing but I may have got nothing anyway. I do go down as far as 5X when fish refuse and sometimes a fish will take that I have been targeting - perhaps all it needed was a rest though.

Sometimes I wish I could make up my mind, other times I'm not so sure.

[scotty9]

They are available that low.

Personally I'd break the rules, what a stupid rule. Surely it's irresponsible to fish with low breaking strain? I presume it's because of the salmon but they should just change the rules, you don't tell a salmon fisher by what leader they are using  :roll:

[Wildfisher]

Or do you just break the rules?

Like using Clouser minnows you mean?   :lol:

Mind you I don't see much about Clousers in the rules either.



Peebleshire Trout Fishing Association

Rules Of The Association

1. The ticket/permit is only for the use of the person named on the front and is not transferable.

2. The holder of the ticket has leave to fly-fish with a single rod and line using flies on barbless, de-barbed or microbarb hooks on the designated areas of the Association's water, Mondays to Saturdays only, during the period stated on the ticket.

3. All fish must be returned to the water except for "trophy" fish of 22 inches or more which may be kept.

4. The grayling fishing season shall commence on 1st January and shall terminate on 30th September. Anglers are encouraged to avoid specifically targeting grayling during April and May, i.e. whilst and just after spawning. The trout fishing season shall commence on 1st April and shall terminate on 30th September. No night fishing is permitted except during June and July, and then no fishing is permitted between the hours of 1 o'clock a.m. and 4 o'clock a.m.

5. Bait fishing is allowed only by those aged under 18 years on the Town Water (from the top end of Hay Lodge Park to Priorsford Bridge).

6. The holder of the ticket/permit must exhibit it to the Water Bailiff or other persons having authority to demand exhibition thereof at all times when asked to do so, and any person refusing or failing to exhibit this ticket may be turned off the river, and the ticket forfeited.

7. The holder of the ticket/permit undertakes to fish with fly only, and to give all the assistance in his/her power to prevent illegal fishing and poaching. It shall be his/her duty at once to report all illegal acts to the Secretary or Water Bailiff, and he/she shall allow the Water Bailiff or other persons duly authorised to inspect any fish and tackle in his/her possession.

8. Ticket holders are requested to close all gates through which they pass, and to avoid damaging fences or other property, or disturbing game.
9. Club and Competitive fishing is prohibited.

10. Fishing on a Sunday is prohibited.

11. The use of tackle that has been taken abroad is prohibited.

12. "Shuffling" is prohibited.

13. No ticket holder is allowed to sell his/her fish.

14. No ticket-holder shall be accompanied by a dog.

15. Leaving of litter, particularly broken glass, is prohibited.

16. Any ticket-holder who has been convicted of a breach of the Tweed Fisheries Acts or the Fresh Water Fisheries Acts then in force, or who takes any fish by means other than rod and line and legal lure, or who the Committee are satisfied has fished in any of the reserved stretches shall thereupon surrender his/her ticket and shall not be granted another for at least one year, subject to a right of appeal to the Committee.

17. Any holder of a ticket infringing any of the foregoing Rules and Regulations shall forfeit his/her ticket, and the leave granted will at once cease. Such forfeiture shall be at once instructed by a letter under the hand of the Secretary of the Association, directed to the ticket-holder at the address stated in his/her ticket.

Peter Reith (Secretary and Treasurer), St Fillans, Wells Brae, Innereleithen Tel. 08701 317128.

[Wildfisher]

3lb stroft is invisible to the human eye, mine anyway :lol:

Too much pre-stretching  Alan.    :lol:

[east wind]

I asked the question simply out of interest having once been given a spool of some Japanese leader material (Ashima??) that was rated at 4 lb.  Like Alan I could hardly see the stuff.

That was the best all round fluorocarbon I used, it became discontinued a few years after a stopped using any of that type of leader.
Only downside being it was very shiny.

its very debatable if thinner is more invisible to fish but im sure getting the leader behind the fly as it drifts down works, so the fish sees the fly before the stuff its attatched to

Got to say I cast straight upstream when I can with mibbee 30 degrees either side, can't help it, its how I get the best drag free drift. With a long leader it dosen't seem to put the fish off but another reason why I try to keep the diameter to a minimum.

[Wildfisher]

the NZ clear water stalkers might be able to shed some light on this stuff.

Wild trout are wild trout. Some days they take with a rope  attached to the fly, some days you need a spider web. Sometimes  they do both in the same day. You should fish with the strongest tippet you can get away with.

[Wildfisher]

Fish certainly appear to be less fussed about tippet diameter with big flies Col. In NZ we usually use 8lb when fishing these huge dries. As you say it turns them over better and twists less.

[scotty9]

Wild trout are wild trout. Some days they take with a rope  attached to the fly, some days you need a spider web. Sometimes  they do both in the same day. You should fish with the strongest tippet you can get away with.

As simple as that; there can't be any all encompassing theory on trout behaviour!

I still fish the thinnest I am comfortable using breaking strain wise - if for giving me more confidence if nothing else.