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Fly fishing Terminal tackle could possibly be the least exciting thing there is to buy in a fly shop. It is often times not easy to tell the difference between certain brands, and after years and years of using the same kind, I was convinced that they were all pretty much the same. For me it was like toothpaste. I get the same kind every time, but don’t really have a good reason. This is probably why I did not even notice when the new line of Trout Hunter tippets and leaders made their way onto the shelves here at Vail Valley Anglers, and why it took so long for me to give it a try.
When I finally did try out my first spools of Trout Hunter tippet I was blown away. This could be the best trout tippet material I have ever used. It outshines most of the competitors’ leaders and tippet in every category of comparison, including price. There are not a lot of products in any industry that can do that.
Price
Let’s face it. Fluorocarbon tippet and leaders are expensive. As a guide, I go through several meters each day while fishing subsurface flies to selective trout. The cost of tippet alone adds up over the course of a long season, and even a small price difference can make a big difference to me. At less than 46 cents per meter, Trout Hunter fluorocarbon tippet is the least expensive option these days for high performance fluorocarbon. Other brands cost almost 10 cents per meter more.
Features
Trout Hunter tippet spools are a big part of what makes this stuff so special. Float fishermen often times need to rig quickly, and TroutHunter spools help speed things up tremendously. Each spool comes with color coded rubber bands to aid in size identification and tame the low memory tag ends.
Each 50 meter tippet spool comes in a UV resistant, waterproof package, which ensures consistent strength and longer life while hanging out in your boat bag or chest pack. These 50 meter spools also reduce waste, and in the end, they put almost half as many empty plastic spools in the landfill. Anglers can feel good about passively helping the environment by doing nothing but making a smart purchase.
Perhaps my favorite thing about Trout Hunter tippet, and definitely the most unique feature is the size increments available. You can choose half sizes to more appropriately attack each angling situation. Water color and sunlight can drastically affect how trout see our line in the water. Half sized tippet diameters help fly fishermen walk the often very thin line between strength and visibility.
Strength
It is hard to put a figure on strength since each knot is different, and that is usually where lines break, but throughout my use of Trout Hunter tippets and leaders, I have discovered it to be as strong as any other brand I have used. The low memory tippet cinches down evenly on most knots, reducing friction and cutting points within the knots themselves. To make a long story short, this is tippet you can trust.
It is not always easy to try new things, but I can assure you that you will be impressed with the price, features, and strength of Trout Hunter terminal tackle. It performs better than other tippets and leaders available to fly fishermen. Stop by the fly shop or shop online, and see for yourself how practical this tippet really is.
Andy “Otter” Smith, Guide and Content Writer
