tippet trouble

[ikerajala 0]

Hi guys n' gals I have a question for all of you. For years i have fished small streams and instead of buying 5x tippets or leaders.I use

 

about 6 or 7 feet of 10lb test line. Then i attach about 2 feet of 2 or 3 lb test line. This is my leader that i will attach a fly to.I realize I'm

 

not the greatest caster in the world. But I have done this same thing for years now ,and have happily pulled in many trout ,grayling ,and

 

panfish.What are the virtues of buying a tippet rather than tying your own?

[rockworm 0]

With the exception of a couple of furled leaders I tye all my own. IMHO the only advantage of a store-bought leader is you don't have to spend 5 minutes making it. The advantages of making your own are many: You can fine-tune them to your style of fishing. I tye different leaders for streamers, nymphs, wets, dries, and very small dries. I build them long for glassy water and short for rougher water or for windy days. Home-built leaders are also easy to repair.

 

Your two-step formula obviously works. But your casting and fly presentation would likely improve if you used a 5- or 6-step taper. You might want to experiment with different formulae or the different materials available.

[feathers5 0]

I agree with rockworm. If it works for you then it's just fine. Most of the accessories that are manufactured for the fly fisher person are meant to catch the person and make some money. They have little to do with caching fish.

[Mickalo 0]

I've been making my own panfish/bass leader/tippets since I started fly fishing a few years ago. Some mono and fluorocarbon line and you can custom make all tippets you'll need. I make a bunch of them over the winter months then pack'em up in my bag then already for the seasons.

 

Mike

[tidewaterfly 0]

I agree with these guys. If what you're using works for you, great, if not change it but don't complicate it. The biggest disadvantage IMO to tying your own is the knots. They catch on things & can be the weakest link if not tied properly. Otherwise, like rockworm said there are many advantages.

 

The biggest advantage to buying them, especially the tapered no knot leaders, is your investment is small in both time & money.

 

Furled leaders are also a good investment, as IMO they just work better than single strand leaders for many applications.

[MowestFlyfisher 0]

if your thinking about tying your own leaders i found a program that helps you determine what diameter mono or flouro to use and what lengths by putting in the leader length, tippet size, and your line weight. It has all sorts of formulas for nymphs, drys, panfish, trout, pike, bass, and on and on pretty much any thing you want to tie. it also has a leader guide that you can read on the same page as the program that helps you better understand the use and how to tie up the leaders. Ill leave a link to the webpage that has this stuff on it. Leader Calculator 2007

[deeky 0]

I agree with these guys. If what you're using works for you, great, if not change it but don't complicate it. The biggest disadvantage IMO to tying your own is the knots. They catch on things & can be the weakest link if not tied properly. Otherwise, like rockworm said there are many advantages.

 

The biggest advantage to buying them, especially the tapered no knot leaders, is your investment is small in both time & money.

 

Furled leaders are also a good investment, as IMO they just work better than single strand leaders for many applications.

 

 

Furled leaders eliminate the knot issue (use a Shorb Loop at each end and you essentially have no knot), and if you furl your own you can save about $11 per leader compared to buying. Compared to a two-piece knotted leader, I think a leader with a more gradual taper will also give you a better presentation of those delicate little dries, if you are looking for that delicate presentation.

 

Deeky

[ikerajala 0]

thanks for all the insightful information! i will definetely be changing my rig.

[perchjerker 0]

Hi to all who have responded to date. I would like to invite each and everyone of you who uses hand tied leaders to come on down to Texas and fish some of our "moss" infested waters for large mouth bass. Landing a three pound bass with a 5 gallon bucket full of moss on the leader because of the knots can be a 'bucket' of fun!!

 

I have tied, and still use, my own knotted leaders in colder waters, but no longer use them here in Texas where the moss can be extremely dense. I more often than not use a single strand of 12-15 lb monofilament as both leader and tippet. I also make, and use, my own furled leaders, and really like them.

 

Just stay away from knotted leaders in moss-dense waters is my sole bit of advice!

 

perchjerker

[JohnP 0]

I usually buy a nine-foot knotless leader with a 4X tippet on it, then add lengths of 5X and/or 6X tippet to the end of that. Seems to work pretty well and cuts down on the number of blood knots I have to tie. I really hate tying blood knots! :wallbash:

[JSzymczyk 0]

my normal rig for the past many, many years is a tapered knotless leader of whatever tippet size I want, with either a loop-loop to add additional tippet or in recent years a mini tippet ring from JStockard. I usually cut back the tapered leader most of the way through it's built-in tippet because I'll be replacing it anyhow. I either loop-loop the leader to the fly line or I use a Whitlock zap-a-gap connection. Usually, I'll have around 9 to 11 feet of total leader length, sometimes less. On my sinking lines, I use about a 2 foot length of 10, 12, or 15 lb fluoro loop-looped to a foot or so of whatever tippet I want. Works very well for me.