One of the first difficulties many anglers encounter with gear, terminology, and rigging is selecting which size tippet to tie to their flies. Not only is the X based ranking system confusing but 5X+ tippets can be intimidating to tie on. Here I will try and quell some of those fears around choosing tippets and bust a big myth about choosing tippet size. The determinant factors covered here will be presentation, water speed, water depth, and fish/fishing conditions. Most of the content below is described in terms related to nymphing but the concepts apply directly to dry fly fishing as well.
Understand first that the “X” ranking system is based upon the diameter of the line. Breaking strength and suppleness are all variables between different brands and product lines. Most products from different brands within the same X are relatively similar. Breaking strength will apply to our first discussion below, and the latter will be centered around diameter and suppleness which influence our presentation.
Lets begin with the concern of breaking strength and fish/fishing conditions. As catch and release fishermen we have a responsibility to choose tackle that shortens the fight we put to the fish we are catching. This means choosing the strongest possible tippet that the fish and conditions allow. For trout fishing I consider 3&4X to be fairly standard strong tippets. This is a good size for both nymphs and dry flies. Fishing streamers I always use 2-0X this ensures my strip set connects firm and quick to the fish.
Choosing the strongest tippet not only preserves the condition of the fish but it allows us to bring fish to the net more quickly and prevent break offs! Conditions on my mind that most frequently move me to keep strong tippets on are high heat and high water scenarios.
During high heat events when fish stress is high I never go smaller than size 4X on my tippet. In high water I am most often fishing 3X to my flies not because I am so concerned with the condition of the fish (high water usually means cold water) but mostly to ensure I do not break him off in heavy flowing currents. Just remember to consider the fish when choosing your tippet next time.
Now onto some more technical discussion of tippet selection. I often hear novice anglers (and I myself was guilty) choosing to downsize their tippet so the fish don’t see it. Now you can do your own research on fish eyesight, the light refraction through fluorocarbon, etc . Come back and berate me if you’d like but I will say it here FISH DON’T LOOK AT TIPPET. Fish only look at your fly and tippet is a primary factor in determining how your fly looks in the water. How your fly looks, behaves, floats, etc is the essence of Presentation. We want our flies to look as natural as possible in the water so we choose the most supple tippet that the conditions allow. The finer or smaller your tippet is, the more supple it is. To understand this a little more we need to imagine our flies in the water. As they float down the river various currents interact with their drift and the stiffer the material tied to the flies the further we move from achieving a perfect drift. If it helps imagine some paracord tied to a fly vs a strand of floss. So what situations would we want to choose a more supple tippet say 5 or 6X? The most common conditions are either fishing to pressured fish or fishing smaller flies (size 20+) and often these two often occur together but not always. Pressured fish are much more discriminant in their feeding and take their time before eating a bug they watch their food intensely knowing that a wrong move could result in a hook to their jaw. This fact becomes all the more important when fishing a size 24 midge that you barely threaded onto a piece of 6X. But to make sure that fly achieves a good drift it is important we choose the right tippet. In general I only start fishing 5X on size 20 and smaller flies. Even on pressured waters I will fish 4&3X to larger flies such as leeches, perdigons, caddis nymphs. Remember the fish are looking at your flies and not your tippet. If the fish is ready and willing to eat a size 12-8 fly he is probably not so concerned with it having a perfect presentation.
Now we will move onto our last two tippet selection factors. Water speed and depth which are interconnected to each other and loosely connected to our other factors. Fish sitting in fast skinny water are typically on the feed and less concerned with perfect presentation. Heaver tippets such as 3&4X can be used on both nymphs and dries. If getting in the flies down is an issue either adding another split-shot or sizing up the bead on your fly is usually the solution.
On the other hand say one is fishing skinny but slow water say a slower riffle or pool tailout to rising fish. In this situation sizing down in tippet is definitely recommended as fish feeding in these types of water are usually there because of a large hatch. A large hatch provides an abundance that leads many fish to become more discriminating in their selection of bugs. Which as we know discriminating fish require more perfect presentations.
Deep water both fast and slow typically requires one to downsize in tippet. This is an often overlooked fact of tippet selection but can separate good anglers from the rest. The smaller the tippet the faster the sink rate. Less surface area means less drag and friction are imparted upon the tippet from the water. And yes there truly is a big difference in sink rate between 3X and 5X. Fast and deep one might need to downsize tippet because using more weight might sink the bobber or make casting impractical. Downsizing tippet in slow deep water is mostly a matter of achieving a good presentation as fish sitting here have a lot of time to look at your flies.
Tippet brands I use are Invisix(Floro 20Lb-4lb), Orvis (Mono/Floro 2x-5x), and TroutHunter (especially for 5-6X). Most tippet brands these days are making high quality tackle so dont get too hung up on brands. Next week I will be posting a short video on my favorite trick to tying the clinch knot. This trick will be really helpful if you have difficulty tying knots with small tippets.
I hope you have learned something useful today you can take back to the water. If you have any questions feel free to reach out.
Tight Lines
Dallas Beal.