Mono isn't bad, give it a shot, its cheap. Comes in two flavours; normal mono with a round cross-section and flat mono with a more oval cross-section. I occasionally use 50lbs Slickshooter (Rio's flat mono) on my bigger rods and I like 40lbs Berkley Big Game (high vis green so you don't step on it) for lighter rods. Mono doesn't come with loops on either end but a perfection loop ties small enough that it passes through the guides easily. When tying the perfection loop, you wan the Slickshooter to lie flat otherwise the knot will be bulky. Mono is coily the first few casts of the day, then it settles down. Distance is great with mono and it fishes nice, but I slightly prefer coated running line (i.e. regular fly line material) as its nicer to handle on cold days when hands are cold.