fluorocarbon and its environmental impact

[Greg]

There's a thread going on another board I sometimes look at regarding the possible negative environmental impact of fluorocarbon. The premise is that since fluoro is generally tougher and doesn't degrade as quickly as mono so that it just hangs around in the river or lake for hundreds or even thousands of years.

Has anyone else heard anything about this? I use fluoro tippet almost exclusively and would hate to think I'm doing something bad to the areas I fish.

Greg

[gonefishin]

Greg: Like you I wonder about these things but it is almost impossible to get any answers. The only way to know is let some time pass and see what happens. I remember an argument years ago about how it took so long for monofil to degrade (300+ years) that it was going to eventually plug up all the rivers. Then along came spiderwire; the argument was very similar 300+ years to degrade. Now it is the same for fluoro. I think what it really boils down to is that no one really knows and only time will tell.

[mizzouflyfisher]

Well, the alternative is mono, and the I don't know that you will be helping the environment by switching to mono. I imagine the amount of time it takes to decompose is not all that much different (we're still talking hundreds of years). If we want to save the rivers, keep using fluoro, but we need to pick up all the trash along the rivers.

Mizzouflyfisher

[Greg]

As the thread continues on the other board one poster stated an estimation that mono would take 600 years to degrade and the fluoro 6000 years. So if that is anywhere close to accurate then the mono would not really be much better would it? Another poster stated the obvious - don't dispose of trash mono or fluoro in the lake or stream. I thought that was a good point. But I wonder how many people do that?

Greg

[mizzouflyfisher]

Looking more than 50 years in the future, we're going to have to do a lot better at managing our resources and cleaning/protecting the environment. Even in 20 years we won't even be fishing anymore, we'll be using virtual reality to simulate the outdoors. The threat of stream contamination is much greater than the threat of mono or flouro piling up. I just hope the streams I love today are in the same condition 50 years from now.

Mizzouflyfisher

[SilverMallard]

1. Don't litter and it's not a problem.

2. In 600 years, no one will remember you to curse you for using fluorocarbon tippet.

3. In 600 years, that stream might not even be there anymore...let alone 6,000.

4. You do a LOT more damage to the environment driving to/from the stream and wading in it to fish than you do using fluorocarbon tippet. Don't sweat the small stuff.

5. Do you use lead weight? We've known for a LONG time that this is about the worst enviro-damage done to watersheds by sportsmen. Again...don't sweat the small stuff.

6. Do you sanitize your boots and waders every time you hit different water? This is a HUGE environmental problem caused by anglers. Again...don't sweat the small stuff.