The only thing that matters is that the flex of the butt section is close to equivalent to that of the fly line. So, if you use hard mono (stiff), you'll be using a smaller diameter/lesser lb test strength than of you use regular mono. Anything stiffer than your fly line will fight the continuation of the loop towards the fly, and too soft doesn't transfer the energy to same (leader hinges/collapses unless you compensate with more power than is needed).

All that said, hard mono butt sections will be smaller diameter (butt section will be smaller diameter than the fly line) and theoretically will have less wind resistance. So your theory could hold true, just as long as the butt section stiffness is the determining factor, not the thickness.

Hope that makes sense. It's been a long day.

 

I stick with the same brand mono throughout the leader with Floro for a bite tippet. I like Ande for price and performance.

 

I like Ande for all parts of my leader unless I want the fly to sink faster then I’ll incorporate floro

 

care to share your usual recipe for chasing permit? I'll be fishing Belize DIY walking and wading flats with SUPs as well. So generally don't need to bomb casts as you can get close to the fish but still searching for a formula that'll turn over flies in the wind better than the off the shelf leaders i've been using. Open to fluoro or mono although I've used fluoro in the past.

 

I use regular ande or cortland mono as it’s more supple and knots better. I have tied whole leaders with hard mono in the past and that was my only issue with it besides the memory. I will from time to time use it as class on my tarpon leaders but normally stick with 12-16lb cortland igfa stuff for everything as I have a pile of it.

 

I made the switch to hard mono for my entire leader a few years ago because my flies turn over so well with it, especially in the wind. I use about 6' of 30# and about 6' of 16#.

 

Hard mono butts (or too large a diameter butt) might get hard for the line to turn over when casting. If you make a new leader with too stiff a butt and your loop won’t form, check your butt section. I like Ande for the whole leader. Hard mono is hard to tie.

 

I like hard Mason for class tippets when tying up big fish leaders - but for the butt section on every one of my flyrods... I'm usually set up with Ande premium (not hard nylon or fluorocarbon...).

One of the great advantages of using hard nylon is that like fluoro all that's needed to almost permanently remove any "memory" curling problems from either material is to stretch it hard and hold it under tension for a moment or two - and that memory problem disappears.. That's one of the reasons that leader stretchers that were so popular years ago - are no longer needed...

 

I like hard Mason for class tippets when tying up big fish leaders - but for the butt section on every one of my flyrods... I'm usually set up with Ande premium (not hard nylon or fluorocarbon...).

similar here, hard mono only comes into play for class on larger rod weights.

 

Has anyone used Scientific Anglers Hard Mono for leader construction? Looking to start building my own leaders for flats fishing (permit, triggers, bones) on 8 and 9wt rods. Wondering how stiff that SA hard mono is for leader construction or if I should stick with the usual Absolute mono from them.

 

I use SA hard mono for my saltwater leaders...a wingspan of 30 lb. and a wingspan of 16 lb. It's definitely much stiffer than regular mono, but that stiffness really helps me with turning over my fly in a strong wind.

 

Look up "Flip Pallot fly line to leader snell" on YouTube and you can learn a lot about fly line to butt section and leader construction. Midwest Outdoors does videos with him and following his guidelines.