Question for Flyrod

[ddaigle]

Flyrod, you seem to know how to catch large fish on flyrods so maybe you can answer this.We have some flyfishermen here who fish for tarpon, they use 12-13 wt. flyrods but just 20 pound tippets. They seem to think the flyline will not handle any more pressure, so they do not land many fish. Do you know the breaking strength in general of a 12-15 weight flyline? I know there are many different lines and brands, but seems they should be fairly strong.

 

[Fly Rod]

Re: Question for Flyrod

Good morning ddaigle!!!!<br />Sorry about not getting back to ya sooner!!! Been fly fishing over 20 years and still consider myself an un orthodox fly fisher!!! If you are talking about the the fly line it self, not the leader, my determination is that my #10 weight has a breaking point of 100lbs.!!! Does not mean that i can't bring a 400lb. fish to the boat!!! I also use #50lb.braided backing!!! But you see or hear about flyfihers catching 400-500 lb sail fish etc. on them 12-13weight lines!!! One thing that I do know for sure is if you grab the fly rod any where above the bend when you are hauling in a fish you have a 99.9% chance of breaking the rod tip!!!

 

[ddaigle]

Re: Question for Flyrod

Thanks Fly Rod, you have answered my question. Been gone all week or would have replied sooner. I also am an unorthodox fisherman, as you can probably tell. It seems the flyfishermen here have too much mountain stream trout mentality so they are really handicapping themselves with our bruiser fish. My next goal is a big tarpon on a fly.

 

[fishndvm]

Re: Question for Flyrod

Flyrod is correct. I've been flyfishing for tarpon for 15 years or so, and for most of those years, the breaking strength of the "class tippet" was 16lb, which has been sort of standard for many years. 20 lb has become more popular in recent times with many guys, but those looking for an IGFA record will continue to use 16lb test. The breaking strength of the flyline itself is never an issue, unless you're going to use it to tow a car. Try this...take a 16 pound object, tie it to the 20 lb test tippet on the end of your rod, and try to lift it off the ground. Most likely result...a broken rod. I think the current record for tarpon on a flyrod with 16lb class tippet is just over 200lbs. It's all a matter of physics.