TIPPETS

[John Pierce]

FLY FISHING - TIPPETS

GENERAL

• Disposable section of thin light weight line at end of fly line system that tie fly onto. Light weight to 1) reduce visibility to fish, 2) enable better movement of fly than heavier line, and 3) act as a weak point if snagged on rocks, trees etc.
• Can buy manufactured tapered leaders which are basically integrated leaders and tippets, but expensive.
• More common to buy range of small reels of light weight line and cut off lengths to use as tippets, ie 3-6ft.
• Material can be monofilament (floats and better in rivers vs fluorocarbon as takes knocks), or fluorocarbon (floats, normally coated so semi-transparent to fish.
• Normally ties to Leader with a Clinch Knot.

BRAND - Rio

• Availability: Robinson's small spools.
• Suppleflex: Nylon, soft & supple for small fly presentation, 7X to 4X, 30 yds/spool.
• Powerflex: Nylon, Regular 30 yds/spool 8X to 0X (heavier lines less per spool). Guide series 7X to 2X 110 yds/spool, 1X & 0X 75 yds/spool.
• Powerflex Plus: Nylon, up tp 20% stronger than Powerflex. 50 yds/spool, 7X to 0X.
• Fluoroflex Freshwater: Fluorocarbon for near invisibility to fish, 7X (2lb) to 0X (12lb) - 30 yds/spool, 0.013" (16lb) to 0.015" (20lb) - 25 yds/spool.
• Fluoroflex Plus: More supple with excellent knot strength - even to nylon tippet and leaders. Regular 7X (2.5lb) to 0X (15lb) - 30 yds/spool, Guide 7X (2.5lb) to 2X (12lb) - 110 yds/spool, 1X (13lb) to 0X (15lb) - 75 yds/spool.

BRAND - Vanish

• Availability: Large Spools at Cabelas.

BRAND - PLine

• Availability: Large Spools at BassPro.

BRAND - Berkley's TriLene

• Available: Cabelas.
• Fluorocarbon 100% - For general use.
• Fluorocarbon 100% Leader - For leaders.
• Vanish - Soft Fluorocarbon, larger spools.
• Fluorocarbon XL - For spinning reels.
• Fluorocarbon Ice - For ice fishing.