Larry Johnson wrote:
... I would also be careful of buying leaders which are not fresh. ...I wonder if they weaken with age. A store may carry their inventory over from season to season.
Monofilament materials degrades over time, especially if exposed to sunlight. If you have spools of tippet material a couple of year old, you would be best to replace them with new material at the start of the fishing season. Also, when buying tippet material of the rack at stores, usually the newest material is placed at the rear, with the oldest material at the front. Choose accordingly! Fluorocarbon tippets are another story entirely, as that material does not age, and can last up to 200 years in the environment. That longevity creates other environmental problems. In general, the thicker monofilament butt diameter material can still be used even if aged, as the breaking strength left is usually sufficient. It's the thin diameter, low-breaking strength material that should be replaced regularly. On another topic, if you tie your own leaders, the knots are a problem, both as points of weakness and as a source of bother (when the knots start collecting moss on them.) I tied my own leaders for several years, but always had problems with tying dependable blood knots. A guide friend showed me the double uni knot for tying leaders, and I haven't had any problems with failed knots since. It's a great knot for a lot of purposes. Here's a tying illustration: http://www.thaifishingguide.com/fishtechequip/techniques/knots/double_uni_knot_steps.html To smooth a knot and keep it from hanging up in the rod guides, or capturing moss, some angler use Loon's Knot-Sense product to coat and strengthen the knot and to taper the connection on both ends. Wes Wada Bend, Oregon
