The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

With my whacky lifestyle, I'm either working for months at a time or fishing for weeks. Sometimes, I'm a bit unsure of my tippet material's integrity, especially if I haven't used a particular spool for a year or longer.

I know the best way to store tippet is in a cool area and out of direct sunlight, but my house gets a bit warm in the Arizona summer when I'm not home. I've started wondering if refrigerating monofil, where it's always cool and dark, might be a good idea. I'd put it in a zip lock baggie.

I fired off this question to Rio and Orvis, but wanted to put this problem out to the fine minds of the NCFFB.

(Orvis said it wouldn't hurt the mono to be refrigerated but that it might increase its "memory". However, that doesn't tell me if it inhibits deterioration.)

Not sure I know the answers here Bruce. But I always worry about the strength of tippet that is getting a bit aged. I mark all of my spools with a Sharpie to record the day I bought it. Then I know for sure how old it is. For lighter tippet down to 5X, i don't keep it for more than a year. Heavier tippet a little longer. That may be conservative, but I don't want to be breaking off big fish, or little ones either!

Geez Bruce

I can see your refrigerator now. All you have in it is tippet material, soy milk, dried up moldy bananas and that crappy port you drink.

I wouldnt worry about tippet material going bad, You dont catch any fish anyways. I think the whole thing about tippet material going bad was a conspiracy started by some fly shop owner to get people to buy more stuff. Having worked in a fly shop I know that some of the stuff sits on the pegs for more than a year before it gets sold. I wonder how long the company sat on it before they shipped it to them.

Unless it gets over 100 degrees in your house for a prolonged period of time i wouldnt worry about it being damaged by heat.

In a follow-up answer, Orvis said that it's UV not heat to worry about. I guess I'll transfer the tippet from a lidless box into a dark drawer.

Phil, I date my tippet too. It's a good idea.

Fishy Dude - that's soy milk, mouldy bananas AND a shitload of film. Just received my new digital, but with the learning curve I'll probably have film for quite a while.

Oh, and by the way, YOU DON'T KEEP PORT IN THE FRIG, Country Boy!

Arizona Bruce wrote:


Phil, I date my tippet too. It's a good idea.



If the only date I could get was spool of tippet, I'd keep it quiet.....

Of course, there's no long term committment, you don't get any loathsome diseases, and ... never mind.

At most reasonable temperatures, most chemical reactions will proceed more slowly at a low temperature than at a high temperature, so storing the tippet in a cool dark place is likely a good thing to do. Also, that way you know where it is when you need a date; unless Phil (who apparently also dates tippets) has been around....

Don't knock it till you've tried it! It sure beats some of the dates I've had!

Phil wrote:
Don't knock it till you've tried it! It sure beats some of the dates I've had!

Somehow, I have no trouble believing that!!

Ed Kelleher wrote:
Phil wrote:
Don't knock it till you've tried it! It sure beats some of the dates I've had!

Somehow, I have no trouble believing that!!

Yeah, That was really me - forgot to log in!!

Still believe it!!

When your tippet gets too old to use, you can just throw it away.

When a tippet loses its integrity, it doesn't effect yours.

It's legal to buy a new tippet.

Tippet comes in many different sizes but the size of your tippet won't change unless you decide to change it.

You can tie-up a tippet whenever you want.

If you don't have your tippet with you, your fishing buddy will gladly let you use his.

That's about it for now. It's late, I'm tired and I think that I've just alienated myself from every woman who posts on the NCFFB.

Arizona Bruce wrote:


I've started wondering if refrigerating monofil, where it's always cool and dark, might be a good idea. I'd put it in a zip lock baggie.

I fired off this question to Rio and Orvis, but wanted to put this problem out to the fine minds of the NCFFB.

(Orvis said it wouldn't hurt the mono to be refrigerated but that it might increase its "memory". However, that doesn't tell me if it inhibits deterioration.)

I don't know that Orvis is the best one to ask about monofilament since they don't make one. I was surprised to see that Rio does, I didn't realize that. You may want to also contact Maxima or Mason.

Thanks, Shawn.

I figured Orvis Super Strong was made by Orvis, not realizing that tippet material is often made for a company by someone else.

Whoops... That isn't quite what I ment. Orvis DOESN'T make SS tippet(Umpqua does)but what I ment is that it isn't a monofilament, it's a copolymer. I realize now that you were refering to all tippet materials and not just mono. My bad...