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TIPPET

Started by gacarver, June 22, 2006, 09:14:11 AM

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gacarver

Have been out of fly fishing for about 25 years, When I was a kid we would just tie the fly to the leader but I have been told that you need a tippet attached to the leader. Why?

Woolly Bugger

When using tapered leaders like a 9ft 6x each time you change flies you loose a couple of inches of the fine 6x end. pretty soon your leader is shorter and no longer as fine perhaps 5x or 4x. So if you start out by tying 18 - 24 " of 6x tippet to the end you can continue to use that expensive tapered leader for quite a long time.....

I make my own tapered leaders and will often make a loop before the final tippet section. Then I can just add a new tippet to the leader with a loop to loop connection.
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Silver Creek

Quote from: gacarver on June 22, 2006, 09:14:11 AM
Have been out of fly fishing for about 25 years, When I was a kid we would just tie the fly to the leader but I have been told that you need a tippet attached to the leader. Why?

The "tippet" is the tip or end of the leader. It's purpose is to allow the fly to drift naturally. That is the result of three properties of the tippet. It's diameter, it's length, and the innate "limpness" of the material. Thinner, longer and limper material make for longer natural drag free drifts.

As you change flies, the tippet gets shorter and although the diameter and limpness of the material does not change, there is less distance between the fly and the less limp body of the leader. Therefore the entire leader system becomes less "limp" and less able to support a drag free float.

Therefore, you need to snip off the remaining section of tippet and tie on a longer new section to get back to the original leader design. The corollary to this rule is that if you are not getting a drag free float, then lenthen the tippet or use a thinner tippet or do both until you get the natural presentation that is need to fool the fish.
Regards,

Silver

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phg

Having used 6# test mono as my leader for literally decades, I understand where you are coming from.  While I am not totally convinced the extra cost is offset by the benefit ....

First there is the question of why use an expensive tapered leader instead of a cheap section of flat mono.  This has to do with control.  Properly matched to your line, the tapered leader should transfer the power of your cast smoothly from line to fly, allowing more accurate casts, more precise control, and leaders that always lay out straight (well, almost always).  Since, most of the time, your fly is going to be 9' to 12' beyond the tip of your line, this is particularly critical for dryfly presentation.

Second, there is the tippet itslef.  The others have addressed this point fairly well, but the key thing, to me at least, is the flexability and suppleness of the tippet.  While it is still basically mono, it is specially formulated to be soft, flexable and strong, hence the higher price.  As the final link between line and fly, you want the tippet to be soft enough to allow the fly to twitch and turn with the current, fine enough that the fish will ignore it and strong enough to absorb the shock of a hard hit.