Varivas is right in the middle of the pack in terms of price (.50¢ a meter) and breaking strength. No surprise, 2X was still oversized along with everyone else, but 4X actually tested significantly under the industry standard and just over in 6X. The diameter of the tippet seemed to be directly correlated with its breaking strength. As far as we could tell this material is on par with everyone except our TroutHunter and Seaguar.
While some Varivas spools clicked together well, others didn’t, resulting in the spools eventually separating and in the worst cases not clicking together at all. The spools are transparent on one side allowing UV rays to get through and almost mirror shiny on the other side. While we appreciate the bling, we’re not so sure the fish do, but that’s only if you keep your tippet on a lanyard. At least the spools are large arbor and thin. Plus the material comes off smoothly.