Fluorocarbon Monofilament

Fluorocarbon Monofilament is a totally different material from nylon and is know as PVDF in the chemical industry. It has some fundamental advantages for the angler in certain circumstances.

Visibility

Possibly the most interesting advantage of fluorocarbon is its virtual invisibility in water due to its light refraction index of 1.39, which is almost the same as that of water (1.33). This has all the obvious advantage of being less detectable to the fish than normal mono, particularly in clearer waters. The light refraction ratio of nylon can be anything between 1.53 and 1.65. Fluorocarbon monofilament is made in exactly the same way as nylon monofilament but using a different raw material.

Strength To Diameter

The first fluorocarbons were relatively low in performance but have developed steadily over recent years so Fluorocarbon now offers high levels of linear breaking strains and knot strength approaching that of hi-tech nylon lines. The knot strength of fluorocarbon is generally a little lower than nylon, however while the knot strength of nylon can drop by up to 10 - 15% once it is submerged in water over a period of 2 hours or more. Fluorocarbon does not absorb water and therefore the knot strength remains constant.



Hybrid products have been developed in Ultima's Power Silk and Power Carp where a hi tech nylon has received a fluorocarbon coating making it water resistant and therefore maintaining its knot strength permanently.

Sinking Characteristics

In most styles of fishing it is preferable for the line to sink, and to sink quickly. Fluorocarbon is over 75% heavier than water, with a specific gravity of 1.77. Nylon is only 15% heavier than water with a specific gravity of 1.15. This means that fluorocarbon sinks three to four times more quickly than normal nylon. In our lab tests show that fluorocarbon took only 15.3 seconds to sink 45cm, while nylon took 43.3 seconds to drop to the same level. This of course means that fluorocarbon takes you to the point in the water you want to be much more quickly.

Abrasion Resistance / Durability

Fluorocarbon offers good abrasion resistance, being dense and very smooth. Fluorocarbon is a very stable product and is not affected in extreme temperature conditions. Fluorocarbon is also virtually unaffected by UV radiation and therefore will not deteriorate when exposed to direct sunlight.

Ultima Pure Power Fluorocarbon is 100% pure high quality fluorocarbon and is soft and supple and has a very low memory.