Fluorocarbon
Fluorocarbon line is a clear line that is supposed to be invisible underwater. So, in theory since the fish can't see it, they will not be spooked by it.
When fluorocarbon line first came out everybody said it improved their catch rates. Guides, charter boat captains, and outdoor writers were insisting they were catching more fish. So, I bought a roll to use as leader material. Fluoro is twice as much more expensive than mono leader material. The price has recently came down and a roll would run me $25 or more for 30-40 pound fluoro.
You know what I noticed? Nothing. I seemed to get the same amount of hits slinging eels as I did with mono. I used fluoro for a couple years but when my second roll ran out, I switched back to monofilament. My catch rates didn't go down.
HOWEVER- I also tried using 6 pound fluorocarbon as my leader for casting bubble and fly combo. Without question it catches way more fish than if I make a leader out of my 6 pound line on my reel. This makes absolutely no sense to me since I am fishing for hatchery raised trout. These aren't wiley wild browns in some famous western river. They are fish dumped into a lake. To make things even more intersting, my catch rate drops DRAMATICALLY if my leader gets below five and a half feet. If I have a six foot leader and I change flies a couple of times my leader gets shorter, I'm positive I catch way less fish with a shorter leader. I can't explain why, but I know it does happen.
Short People and Long Rods
I used to be heavy into largemouth bass. I bought all the magazines from B.A.S.S. to Outdoor life and Field and Stream. I watched all the Saturday morning fishing shows and I took notes. I would write down where they were fishing and what lures were catching fish. I was very into the colors, size, and shape. Consequently I spent a lot of money on gear. Remember this- MOST LURES ARE MEANT TO HOOK FISHERMAN INTO BUYING THEM NOT TO CATCH FISH.
One thing I read was that part of matching the rod length to a new reel was taking into consideration an anglers height. Shorter guys have a harder time being accurate with longer rods. It is more difficult for them to cast.
Huh?
When the Bass Pro Shops in Foxboro opened I was there four or five days a week for a month . For a while there were Bass pros walking around willing to answer questions. It was cool having them in there. I decided a needed a new rod. I wanted a seven foot or a six,/six rod for my baitcasting reel. I saw the pro there who was only my height and I started asking him questions about the different rods, quality of the guides and the best value for the price. He was a really nice guy and was very helpful.
A minute in he said to me " you and I aren't the tallest guys..." I stopped him there and said I can sling a seven foot rod with no problem. Which he was cool with and showed me the rods.
The point is, where did this myth start and why? I would love to be taller (I'm 5'6" at best). But never once did I wish I was taller because I'd cast better ( stand further out in the surf, yes, being taller would be great for that!). I use rods from six foot to my ten foot surf rod. I really don't like using those shorter rods like a five foot ultralight because you lose so much casting distance. But at the tall end of the spectrum, I have never had a problem casting a long rod because I'm short.
The rods I use the most (not including carp fishing-which are eight footers) are
6 foot trout rod
8 foot Mojo Surf rod
7 foot light saltwater
7 foot medium freshwater
The seven foot medium freshwater rod is my most versitale rod. I use it for largemouth, smallmouth and schoolie stripers. Everytime I use it in the bay for schoolies, I seem to hook a monster bluefish. The rod is not designed to fight twelve pound blues but it always holds up. The point is, I have absolutely no trouble casting a seven or eight foot rod. So don't believe everything you read.
Cotton-
If you read any article about hiking gear, you will read that cotton is bad. Cotton will kill you. The reason- when cotton gets wet (like from sweat) it loses its insulating ability and you will chill. If you hike, you will see almost everyone wearing synthetic shirts (usually polyester). No one wears cotton.
The truth is cotton will lose its insulating ability if wet. I won't argue that. However, if you hike in the summer and it is eighty degrees does it matter? I own plenty of hiking shirts but I no longer worry what I'm wearing in warm weather. Usually I take a spare shirt anyway and change it at the top whether cotton or synthetic, it is nice to have a dry back on the downhill.
Another difference between cotton an d the synthetics is the synthetics are supposedly quick drying. I challenge you to experiment with this. Hike a mountain and when you get to the top take off your polyester shirt and hang it on a tree branch in the sun. You know what it will feel like a half hour later? Wet. It will still be wet from sweat. I know this from multiple times doing this. I do not believe that they dry any faster than cotton. So like I said, during warm weather, I just wear what I want. If another hiker sees me wearing a cotton tee shirt and thinks I'm a greenhorn than so be it.
What about cold weather?
A few years ago I did a couple snowshoe hikes in New Hampshire. The weather was brutally cold. The temp was between 5-10 degrees and the wind was whipping. I dressed very appropriately. I wore layers and everything was synthetic. I hiked to Bridal Veil Falls. A distance of 2.5 miles. There is a hut there where I had lunch. You know what happened when I stopped moving? I got cold. Despite bringing another layer to wear when I stopped, despite wearing layers and trying not to sweat, I got cold. You know why? Because it was five degrees!!! So I ate a quick lunch and started moving again.
Maybe the difference of life and death is synthetics on a muti-day backpacking trip in January. I don't know. However I know this, if I put on a cotton sweatshirt on over a cotton tee shirt on a November hike, I'm going to be just fine.
Conclusion-
Don't take my word for it. It is important to experiment on your own. Some guys may actually catch more fish using fluoro than they did using mono. On the other hand, I have questioned how many were paid to say that? Maybe other shorter people do have a problem casting seven foot rods from a boat. I don't know.
Just because something works for me does not mean it will work for you. It might not even mean I am right, but I have my system. Some things I do because I find them productive or useful. You may come to your own conclusions. I only brought up three topics out of the hundreds in the outdoor world. Take advice, read what you can, but in the end it is up to you to prove whether something works for you or not.
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