In this article I am going to try to take the guess work out of choosing the type of tippet or leader material used when fly-fishing.  It was a big mystery to me which type of tippet to grab, but after doing some research, I feel that I can confidently select the appropriate material for the conditions.

Monofilament/Nylon Line

Strengths:  Fairly invisible underwater, floats - for dry fly fishing this is a plus, easy to tie knots, inexpensive.

Weaknesses: Not very strong, takes on water which can loosen knots, floats - for nymphing this is usually not desirable, sensitive to UV exposure, stretches - makes strike detection harder.

Notes: 

Fluorocarbon Line

Strengths: Strong, almost invisible underwater, easy to tie knots, resistant to UV exposure, high density - sinks for nymphing.

Weaknesses: Expensive.

Braided (superline) Line

Strengths: Very strong, resistant to UV exposure, high density - sinks for nymphing, very resistant to abrasion.

Weaknesses: Difficult to tie knots - requires gluing knots, highly visible underwater, because of high break strength - a snag is harder to snap the line and retie the fly, expensive.

This should not discourage the use of monofilament line. It is an excellent choice for everyday fishing and especially for dry fly fishing. Consider having some fluoro line handy for deep nymphing where hogs might be lurking. When salt-water fly-fishing, consider a braided leader - and tippet if there are toothy fish around.