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Deeter: Tips on Tippet
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August 25, 2009
Deeter: Tips on Tippet
By Kirk Deeter
Do you give unsolicited advice when you're fishing with a friend, and he (or she), is making an obvious mistake? I'm always hesitant. Maybe I shouldn't be.
Classic example occurred the other day. We were fishing dry flies (red quills) to rising trout. My friend and I were casting the same fly pattern, about a size #16 generic red quill. I'm getting bit, he's not.
After about 10 minutes, he can't stand it, so he decides to switch things up. He knows the fly pattern works, so he doesn't change that. Instead, he switches his tippet to 6X flurocarbon.
I'm thinking, "dumb move." Why?
I'll tell you...
First, and most obviously, flurocarbon sinks. I never fish fluoro with dries. It can cause micro-drag, and the subsurface fish is more likely to encounter the sagging tippet before the fly. Secondly, my pal didn't ask, but I was using 4X. He (like so many anglers often do, prematurely) assumed the fish were tippet shy (or leader shy). And that is rarely ever the culprit.
In my experience, there are so many other factors that turn fish off--most notably a bad drift and presentation of the fly--that the smart angler should address those issues first and foremost. Adjust where you are standing. Mend your line properly for a perfect, drag-free dead drift (or position directly downstream of your target). Then think about changing your fly (you don't necessarily have to change the pattern, just go one size smaller).
Were I in his position, I would have changed where I stood, I'd have focused on the drift, and then changed my bug, in that order. About the last thing I would have done is change my tippet.
Sure, there are situations when that does make sense (especially in still or slow-moving clear water). But by and large, I think the tippet decision is hugely overrated. I carry three spools: 4X for nymphs (and dries); 5X for small dries; 2X for streamers... and I've never thought twice about it.
After all, it's better to land the fish you catch than leave trails of thin tippets dangling out their mouths as they bolt downstream.
Agree or disagree?
Deeter (and I did speak up)
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Comments (11)
Agree, Deeter, I only carry 2, 4x and 1x (For Steelies/ bass) I never use floro, unless I'm fishing saltwater, its too expensive for how much tippet I use.
What size tippet do you use for midges?
I had a lesson regarding tippet size when I first started out guiding. The best fisherman I ever guided was absolutely hammering the trout one day, casting hoppers to the banks. Time and again, his approach was perfect; his casting was flawless. Several dozen brown trout tore his hoppers to pieces that day. As a guide, I did little other than watch.
At one point, he had a rare mis-cast, putting his hopper into the branches of an overhanging shrub. From where he stood, he straightened out his rod and pulled the hopper free. “Wow - what size tippet you using, anyway?” I asked. “One-x,” he replied.
Hey Koldkut... good question... I fish 5X. But here's the deal, when fishing midges dry, I almost always fish a cluster, or even a #14 blue dun onto which the naturals will cluster, so I don't fish #24s that might require small tippet. But that's another story altogether...
I'm with you on your tippet selection. 4x and 5x gets me through nearly all of my trout fishing.
For bass I'll go 2x or heavier for pitching the big uglies.
I rarely fish streamers.
Often tippet selection comes into play to keep my fly from twisting in the air or if there is a good wind I have to fight through I often use heavier tippet.
I never make suggestions to my buddies while fishing. It's not what I'm there for.
As I've learned throughout the years it's drift that counts when fishing dries. You can have the 'wrong' fly, a lousy cast or 'poor' equipment... doesn't matter. It's the deadly dead drift (DDD) that will catch you those fish feeding near the top. Point: I have a friend who fishes one fly when we go out. Her presentation is near perfect. I try to match the hatch, box opened searching for that seasonal fly. She does wonders because her fly is a 'general' fly, one the makes the trout curious and she has a DDD or as we like to say D3. One other thing she does... her tippet is very long and mono. The lack of weight, due to the long tippet seems to help her with longer drift time.
I give advice when I am confident it has merit.
The X factor you and others suggest using has worked well for me~the only adjustment considered would be the swiftness of current. Now, about speaking up...if I am successful (strikes) and my friend is mid-stream with me~sure, I'll offer suggestions just to see if he can out-fish me! After all~he's my buddy and he'd do the same for me the next time we're out.
Man, Deeter, I don't know. I agree that first and foremost should be presentation and that position is very important--but I've had many times when going down in tippet size made the difference in getting a drag-free float. And I use Fluoro a lot in dry fly fishing--not for pocket water and small stream dry-fly fishing, but in most other situations I think it adds just a touch more stealth. I agree fish can always see the tippet but the less obvious we can make it the better off we are.
I use 5-7X for tricos and midges where I think there is a chance of landing a fish. Around some of the structure here (dead trees in the water) you don't stand much of a chance with 7X. I use flouro tippet for almost everything. On flat water it seems to stay on the surface film. Does sink a bit on rippling water. I never considered micro-drag - will have to mix it up with mono sometime to see what happens.
Always good to inform somone of the mistake they are making... that way they do not make it a second time.
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As I've learned throughout the years it's drift that counts when fishing dries. You can have the 'wrong' fly, a lousy cast or 'poor' equipment... doesn't matter. It's the deadly dead drift (DDD) that will catch you those fish feeding near the top. Point: I have a friend who fishes one fly when we go out. Her presentation is near perfect. I try to match the hatch, box opened searching for that seasonal fly. She does wonders because her fly is a 'general' fly, one the makes the trout curious and she has a DDD or as we like to say D3. One other thing she does... her tippet is very long and mono. The lack of weight, due to the long tippet seems to help her with longer drift time.
Man, Deeter, I don't know. I agree that first and foremost should be presentation and that position is very important--but I've had many times when going down in tippet size made the difference in getting a drag-free float. And I use Fluoro a lot in dry fly fishing--not for pocket water and small stream dry-fly fishing, but in most other situations I think it adds just a touch more stealth. I agree fish can always see the tippet but the less obvious we can make it the better off we are.
Agree, Deeter, I only carry 2, 4x and 1x (For Steelies/ bass) I never use floro, unless I'm fishing saltwater, its too expensive for how much tippet I use.
What size tippet do you use for midges?
I had a lesson regarding tippet size when I first started out guiding. The best fisherman I ever guided was absolutely hammering the trout one day, casting hoppers to the banks. Time and again, his approach was perfect; his casting was flawless. Several dozen brown trout tore his hoppers to pieces that day. As a guide, I did little other than watch.
At one point, he had a rare mis-cast, putting his hopper into the branches of an overhanging shrub. From where he stood, he straightened out his rod and pulled the hopper free. “Wow - what size tippet you using, anyway?” I asked. “One-x,” he replied.
Hey Koldkut... good question... I fish 5X. But here's the deal, when fishing midges dry, I almost always fish a cluster, or even a #14 blue dun onto which the naturals will cluster, so I don't fish #24s that might require small tippet. But that's another story altogether...
I'm with you on your tippet selection. 4x and 5x gets me through nearly all of my trout fishing.
For bass I'll go 2x or heavier for pitching the big uglies.
I rarely fish streamers.
Often tippet selection comes into play to keep my fly from twisting in the air or if there is a good wind I have to fight through I often use heavier tippet.
I never make suggestions to my buddies while fishing. It's not what I'm there for.
I give advice when I am confident it has merit.
The X factor you and others suggest using has worked well for me~the only adjustment considered would be the swiftness of current. Now, about speaking up...if I am successful (strikes) and my friend is mid-stream with me~sure, I'll offer suggestions just to see if he can out-fish me! After all~he's my buddy and he'd do the same for me the next time we're out.
I use 5-7X for tricos and midges where I think there is a chance of landing a fish. Around some of the structure here (dead trees in the water) you don't stand much of a chance with 7X. I use flouro tippet for almost everything. On flat water it seems to stay on the surface film. Does sink a bit on rippling water. I never considered micro-drag - will have to mix it up with mono sometime to see what happens.
Always good to inform somone of the mistake they are making... that way they do not make it a second time.
Post a Comment