#15 Fly Fishing Leaders and Tippet

Leaders and tippets Why So Confusing??

We have talked about learning how to fly fish, and we have talked about learning to cast a fly rod. I have had several people ask questions about the fly line, and the importance of the leader and tippet, when it comes to casting a fly rod.

Tippets and leaders

Let’s spend time talking about leaders and tippets, and address some of these questions. First up is the leader. You have now doubt by now heard over and over again the word “Leader” but what does it have to do with casting a fly rod? If we take a closer look at a fly rod and corresponding fly line we can observe that a fly rod has a gradual tapper starting from the handle working up toward the tip of the fly rod. If you look closer you will notice that a fly lines tapper is only a continuation of the fly rods tapper. The reason for this tapper design is to gradually transfer power starting from the handle of the rod where all casts begin, going up to the tip of the fly rod, and then to the fly line. The power transfer does not terminate at the fly line, it will continue down to the tapered leader. If you take an overview of these parts you can clearly see that starting from the handle, everything just keeps getting smaller and smaller as you go down the line, until you reach the end of the line!

Why is it so confusingThe tapered leader performs several functions in the role of a fly cast. Primarily is the continuation or the transfer of energy toward the end of the fly line. The start or butt section of tapered leaders usually begins with a diameter of about 20–25-pound monofilament line, and over the course of either 7ft, 9ft, or 12 ft, gradually reducing size until we reach the end of the leader. The end of a leader could be as small as 4-pounds. These leaders can be made from a continuous piece of material or maybe several sections tied together to form the tapered leader.

Now is where some of the confusion is going to begin. In Fly Fishing we no longer refer to lines in terms of pounds, or breaking strength, we refer to leaders and tippets in terms of Diameters or “X” size. The reason we are going to use “X” or diameter from this point forward is because the size fly you choose will dictate which diameter line to use so it will fit through the eye of the fly, not the breaking strength of the materials.

We don’t like to admit it but fly leaders and tippets can be a little confusing! Regardless of whether you fish all the time or are just getting started, all the terms and numbers and materials can get a little overwhelming. Here we give you some guidance on how to understand them a little more so that you can feel a little more confident and prepared out on the water.

“Tippet, what the heck are they talking about now”?

On at least one occasion in your life, you have walked into a tackle store either by chance or on purpose, and have no doubt scanned around the shop and become overwhelmed at the amount of items, both small and large. In these shops is where you will find the majestic wall of leaders and tippets. These walls may rises up from the inky darkness of the shop floor and seem to almost reach up to touch the sky. These walls are littered with hundreds of items. They come is so many sizes, shapes, colors, manufactures, different packaging, how do you decide, which one do I need, why do these packages all say” X” on them, what does “X” mean” “Help Me”!

Why so confusing?

 Ok no need to panic, let’s walk together as we will learn about the tippet and the role it plays in fly fishing. The tippet generally refers to the section that is tied to the very end of the leader. This where you will tie your flies to, and the reason for this is to protect your Leaders in the event of a break off.

Tippet material comes on small spools so you can have easy access to this material while you are on the water fishing. These spools are available in 30-yard spools, and some have even larger amounts. Usually, a fly fisherman will carry several spools of different diameters in their fishing vest, and these spools should last at least a season or two, depending on how much you are using on a regular basis. Typically, when you attach a piece of tippet to the end of your leader, about 18”-24” is more than enough to get the job done. Normally there are two schools for attaching tippet to leader knot and they are " Triple surgeons knot or the Blood Knot". I have written about the difference in these two knots in a prior post, so we won't linger.                                                                                                                    

If you have a tapered leader that ends in 4X diameter you would typically use a piece of tippet that is smaller than the 4X leader, a good choice in this example would be to use a section of 5X. If you used a piece of 5X tippet you could fish with flies that range from size #14-#18, (see chart below.) We also use tippet as a sacrifice piece, to break-off when you get snagged, so as not to damage or shorten tapered your leader, which is attached to the end of the fly line.

Tippet Chart

If you look at the chart you can see that the smallest number of the chart “0X” has the largest diameter and is the strongest, which can be used for larger flies. In contrast the largest number “8X” is the thinnest diameter, and the lightest strength typically used in some of the smallest flies. Confusing yes, but if you look at the side of the chart you will see the corresponding size of flies to be used with that size tippet. This is the reason fly fishing uses the “X” sizing in tippets so the transfers of power or turnover of the fly will continue to absolute end of the fly line.

Different brands have different breaking strengths, however. A good rule of thumb is that the higher the number, the thinner the diameter. Believe me I know, this sounds crazy, but trust me when I say, “over time it becomes second nature”.

If your Geek side is showing, here is a rule of thumb used in choosing correct tippet size for the Fly you have chosen. Let’s say that you choose a # 12 Adams dry fly, what size tippet do I need. The conventional rule is to divide by 3 (example 12/3 =4) so in this example you would need to use a size or “4X” tippet for that size fly.

Ok now you want to use a # 22 Adams dry fly (24/3=7.333) you will not find a size 7.33 “X” in the store, but just round down to 7, this means your tippet should be a size “7X”. There can be several factors when you choose your tippet size, but we will not over complicate things right now, we just want to get a better understanding of tippets, leaders and how to size them.                                                         

 In no time you will be a Pro at choosing the right size tippet for the job at hand.

I hope that at least some of this information will help you along in your journey to become a fly fisherman or just great at casting a fly rod.

Good luck, and most importantly have fun.

Cheers,

Gary