How to Choose the Right Size Tippet
There are many people across the world who actively participate in the sport of fly fishing. Becoming an excellent fly fisher requires a combination of skill and great equipment. One particularly important piece of equipment for fly fishing is the tippet, which is the strand of synthetic material that connects the leader of the fishing line to the fly. Selecting the right size tippet can mean the difference between a productive fly fishing trip and a disappointing one.
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Instructions
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Determine what size and type of fish you will be attempting to catch during your fly fishing session. Choose a thicker tippet for larger fish and a narrower tippet for for smaller species.
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Find out what the condition of the water will be in the area where you will be fishing. Choose a wider tippet if the water is brackish and cloudy, a narrower tippet for clear waters and a size that falls in the middle for average water conditions.
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Find out what the wind conditions and water movement will be on the day and in the area where you will be fishing. Choose a wider tippet if the wind conditions are any stronger than a light breeze and the waters are moving rapidly. Choose a narrower size if the wind is light or there is no wind and the waters are very calm.
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Test the tippet by attaching it to a leader fishing line and tying on a fly. Make sure that the fly is not too large for the tippet. Perform a few test casts to see how the tippet holds up.
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Tips & Warnings
Tippets are measured according to the diameter of the nylon string they are made of and the breaking strength of the line. They range from 8X (.003 or three-hundredths of an inch) to .015 of an inch. To easily determine the diameter of the tippet, subtract the number before the X from 11 and move it over three decimal places; 4X is .007 inches in diameter, 5X is .006 in diameter and so on. The higher the number before the X, the smaller the diameter.
The smaller the diameter of the tippet, the less weight it can hold. An 8X tippet can hold 1.75 pounds per inch, a 4X tippet can hold 6 pounds per inch and a 0X tippet can hold 15.5 pounds per inch, so the smaller the number before the X, the more weight it can hold. This is important to consider when determining what size fish you are looking for. A large fish can snap a tippet that is too narrow, but one that is too large may scare it away.
Tippets are designed to be used with a number of different fly sizes, so it is important to test your fly on the tippet before using it to fish. Consult the chart in the Resources link to determine which fly size fits your tippet.
There may be other factors to consider when choosing a tippet, such as the length of the leader line (the longer the line, the wider the tippet).
