Stories of how mono is too stretchy, shrinks, weak knots, etc, etc is propagated directly by the marketing armies hired to promote braided line. It seemed to work fine for eons.
Don't get me wrong, I like braided line but, it's not the be-all end-all to fishing line.
First off I wasn't trying to sling any mud at you just kinda joking around. I am sure you do embrace and use new items coming to the market because lets face it many things have been perfected over time.
The quote above is what I don't agree with as you make it sound like the shortcomings of mono really aren't shortcomings.
Mono is very stretchy 30-40% stretch to be exact which is a lot more than 1-2% for braid. This is not propaganda this is fact, and also what keeps braid from killing light weight reels or getting spongy hook sets in 200 feet of water.
Mono does shrink, while it is in the water mono absorbs water and swells. When you load the line onto a reel and then store the reel somewhere dry the line will dry out and shrink again crushing reel spools.
As far as braid killing guides, how many rods these days come without guides with some form of ceramic insert in them. Back when braid first made its appearance on the market many manufacturers used Kevlar in the composition which was hard on chrome guides, causing the little grooves. Now most of these lines are made from High density polyethylene fibers (HDPE) which are incredibly slick and non abrasive. So advancements in both rod technology and braid technology have put the groove problem to rest.
As you have noted braid does have a much longer life span than mono as it is not effected by UV rays from the sun.
The Pro's for mono can be summed up pretty quickly:
One area where mono does shine is knot strength as mono is much more forgiving to poorly tied knots.
Mono does stretch so you can be forgiven for your sins of reel handle holding when fighting a fish as it gives you a little more time to react.
Mono can be manufactured in low vis or clear for spooky fish.
MONO IS CHEAP
When you combine both mono and braid with a small top shot of 30-50 feet you really get the best of both worlds. You get a little stretch and good knot strength from the mono plus low vis but you also get the long term durability of braid and great hook sets at 200'.
When you run a long top shot of like 100' or more you really don't gain the advantage of braid, might as well just use cheap Dacron as it won't be leaving the reel often.