What is Fulling Mill World Class V2 fluorocarbon?
World Class V2 is the second generation of Fulling Mill's popular low-priced fluorocarbon line. Fulling Mill says it's taken the original formulation for this fluoro, which is made in Japan, and brought it into the 21st Century. It's now slightly thinner in some breaking strains as a result of the changes.
Fluorocarbon is a bit more expensive than copolymer monofilament tippet and leader material, but has the advantage that it's refractive index means it's harder for fish to see (alledgedly) and it sinks a bit quicker, which can be helpful when fishing subsurface. It's also quite tough and abrasion resistant and many lines, including World Class, have a stiffness that is often considered beneficial in certain situations.
The thinner stuff is great for nymphing for grayling.What breaking strains and diameters are available?
World Class V2 comes in diameters from 6X for small grayling and trout right up to 03X for salmon and saltwater fly fishing. Breaking strains start at 2lb for the 6X and go up to 20lb for the 03X.
| Rating | Breaking strain | Length | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6X | 2 lbs / 0.91 kg | 50m | 0.129 mm |
| 5X | 3 lbs / 1.36 kg | 50m | 0.147 mm |
| 4X | 4 lbs / 1.82 kg | 50m | 0.189 mm |
| 3X | 5 lbs / 2.27 kg | 50m | 0.189 mm |
| 2X | 6 lbs / 2.73 kg | 50m | 0.214 mm |
| 1.5X | 7 lbs / 3.18 kg | 50m | 0.225 mm |
| 1X | 8 lbs / 3.64 kg | 50m | 0.252 mm |
| 0X | 10 lbs / 4.55 kg | 50m | 0.272 mm |
| 01X | 12 lbs / 5.45 kg | 50m | 0.294 mm |
| 02X | 15 lbs / 6.82 kg | 50m | 0.339 mm |
| 03X | 20 lbs / 9.09 kg | 50m | 0.400 mm |
How do the line diameters compare to other premium fluorocarbons?
As the below charts show, the claimed breaking strain and diameter of World Class V2 isn't quite as good as the premium fluorocarbons. However, it's worth remembering that World Class V2 is a fraction of the price, so this is completely to be expected. Fulling Mill's really posh Masterclass Fluorocarbon is much stronger for a given diameter, as is Airflo's premium Sightfree G5 - but they also cost three to four times as much. Even mid-priced Airflo's Sightfree G4 fluorocarbon pips it in the strength vs. diameter stakes, but it too also retails for nearly double the price.
So, while there are thinner, stronger lines on the market, they also cost much more to buy. While these might give the competition angler the edge on pressured fish, not every fly fisher needs to spend a lot on the thinnest, strongest line available. If your needs are more basic or you're just more cost-conscious, you can get acceptably close to the premium lines for a fraction of the price.
| Rating | Sightfree G5 | Masterclass | World Class | World Class V2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7X | NA | 0.110 mm | NA | NA |
| 6X | NA | 0.125 mm | NA | 0.129mm |
| 5.5X | NA | 0.143 mm | NA | NA |
| 5X | 0.153 mm | 0.157 mm | 0.160 mm | 0.147 mm |
| 4X | 0.179 mm | 0.185 mm | 0.180 mm | 0.165 mm |
| 3X | 0.203 mm | 0.196 mm | 0.195 mm | 0.189 mm |
| 2X | 0.228 mm | 0.235 mm | 0.215 mm | 0.214 mm |
| 1X | 0.254 mm | 0.261 mm | 0.255 mm | 0.252 mm |
| 0X | 0.279 mm | 0.275 mm | 0.275 mm | 0.272 mm |
| 01X | NA | 0.300 mm | NA | 0.294 mm |
| 02X | NA | 0.325 mm | NA | 0.339 mm |
| 03X | NA | 0.356 mm | NA | 0.400 mm |
| 04X | NA | 0.385 mm | NA | NA |
| Rating | Sightfree G5 | Masterclass | World Class | World Class V2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7X | NA | 2.82 lb | NA | NA |
| 6X | NA | 3.73 lb | NA | 2 lb |
| 5.5X | NA | 4.19 lb | NA | NA |
| 5X | 4.8 lb | 5.03 lb | 3 lb | 3 lb |
| 4X | 6.9 lb | 6.5 lb | 4 lb | 4 lb |
| 3X | 8.4 lb | 7.12 lb | 5 lb | 5 lb |
| 2X | 11.2 lb | 10.71 lb | 6 lb | 6 lb |
| 1X | 13.1 lb | 12.21 lb | 7 lb | 8 lb |
| 0X | 15.2 lb | 13.14 lb | 8 lb | 10 lb |
| 01X | NA | 15.32 lb | 12 lb | |
| 02X | NA | 17.5 lb | 15 lb | |
| 03X | 20.86 lb | 20 lb | ||
| 04X | NA | 23.17 lb | NA |
What are the spools like?
The spools are broad and chunky and come with a thick black rubber band to help keep the line from unravelling, which is handy if you're using these on a lanyard or spool carrier. There's also a little notch in the side of the spool to hold the loose end.
What's it like to use?
While a very popular, effective and widely used line, I think it's fair to say that the old World Class line was not loved by everyone. We've used it quite a lot over the years and found it to be reliable. There are certainly thinner lines on the market, but its slightly thicker and stiffer properties have many benefits in some situations, so the old World Class is still perfectly good for the average fly fisher and has proven very reliable for us. It's also really cost-effective at not much over a fiver a spool.
We tried World Class V2 after it first came out a few months back, initially in the higher breaking strains for stillwater trout fishing, and more recently in the finer breaking strains for the grayling. It feels very similar to the previous version to us. It's got similar properties and has the same gentle stiffness that can make it work well for droppers. It knots well with a bit of moisture with minimal if any pig-tailing and we've experienced few unexpected breakages.
Some of the heavier rated lines have become stronger for their diameter, which is great, but there seems to be relatively little difference in the lighter breaking strains. For the lighter lines, I think the average person might struggle to tell the difference between V1 and V2 in a blind test.
How much does it cost?
Fulling Mill World Class V2 fluorocarbon starts in price at £6.45 for a 50m spool (for sizes 2lb to 5lb). The 6lb to 8lb sizes are £7.45, while the 10lb to 20lb spools cost £9.95. You can save a few quid by purchasing the larger 100m spools, which range in price from £10.45 to £16.45. It seems pretty reliable for a budget fluorocarbon.
Available from: Fulling Mill
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