8X Tippet?

[dnj21]

You guys ever go all the way down to 8x when the water is this low and clear? Just picked up a spool while at Liley's last weekend on my Tanneycomo trip but it looks so small I would hate to hook anything with much weight to it.

Thoughts?

[ozark trout fisher]

You'll have trouble bringing in even the average stocked trout without stressing them pretty badly. Only time you could make a case for that is if you plan on fishing #28 trico imitations or something.

But I wouldn't use it under any circumstances whatsoever.

[cnr]

Too light to use IMO.

[dnj21]

I can't tie on a #28 so that probably isn't going to be the driving issue. Guess I will save it for some Brook trout streams in northern MI where a 6" is the average fish......

Might head down next wekeend to get in one more trip before time to start hunting.

[jdmidwest]

I tend to scale my tippet to the size of the fly. For the most part, 6x and size 14 to 16 flies are about as small as I go. I have used 7x and 8x on the smaller drys and nymphs that are size 18 or smaller.

It kinda depends on the weight of the rod also. I would only use the lighter tippets on a 4 wt with a slower, more traditional taper that will protect the tippet.

My lighter tippets are flourocarbon also. They are 8x diameter with 6x strength.

[ozark trout fisher]

Funny story: I was fishing with a guide earlier this summer in Colorado. We were using relatively small nymphs #16-20. Since we were fishing a heavily pressured, difficult tailwater, I asked him if we were going to use 5x, or if we'd need to scale down a bit. He grins and pulls out a spool of 2x flourocarbon. I thought he was joking at first but apparently not. We even stuck with that rig when we went to dries later on.

I caught plenty of trout that day, and the fights with the smaller to medium sized fish were almost too short and most businesslike. The dries, especially, drifted like they were tied to a chain (which, in fact, they nearly were.) But again, the trout still ate them so who am I to argue?

Not suggesting you try 2x on Bennett Spring as that's probably not going to be a recipe for success (unless you're tossing big streamers)...a spring branch is a lot different from a western pocket water stream. But even here in MO I wouldn't ever think of going smaller than 6x.

[laker67]

You guys ever go all the way down to 8x when the water is this low and clear? Just picked up a spool while at Liley's last weekend on my Tanneycomo trip but it looks so small I would hate to hook anything with much weight to it.

Thoughts?

Back in the days before flourocarbon, nylorfi made an 8x leader that was around .75 to 1 lb test. Lunkers were still abundant at bssp in the early 80's. I got this crazy notion that I would attempt to catch me a lunker on 8x. I spent most of the summer losing somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 lunkers, countless flies, and finally managed to land one fish at 4lb 3oz. The following season I landed one more at 3lb 8oz. If you are looking for a challenge and have an unlimited supply of flies and patience, then go for it. It is a good change of pace. Give us some updates.

[jdmidwest]

I usually use the finer tippets to get the smaller flies tied on and layed out on a cast. I doubt a 2x tippet will go thru the eyes of a size 18 dry hook. I don't switch to the lighter tippets just because the fish are spooky.

Here is a chart I picked up a few years ago. Of course, the diameters are probably regular mono line.

X Rating Diameter Fly Size
0X .011 2, 1/0
1X .010 4,6,8
2X .009 6, 8, 10
3X .008 10, 12, 14
4X .007 12, 14, 16
5X .006 14, 16, 18
6X .005 16, 18, 20, 22
7X .004 18, 20, 22, 24
8X .003 22, 24, 26, 28
For example take a size 6 hook, divide 6 by 4 and you get one. Add one to that and you get 2. So for a size 6 hook use a 2X leader. Of course the chart says 1X or 2X will work - which is right? Well both are. The formula is a guide to get you close. A lot of people make do with a spool of 2X, 4X and 6X tippet. Check it out, 2X will do hook sizes 6, 8 and 10; 4X will do hook sizes 12, 14 and 16; and 6X does most everything else. Does it matter which tippet you use? Really? Yes it does. You might get a 2X leader through a size 16 fly eye, but you won't get much of a dead drift. The tippet will drag. Adjust your tippet to your fly and catch more fish.

[ozark trout fisher]

I usually use the finer tippets to get the smaller flies tied on and layed out on a cast. I doubt a 2x tippet will go thru the eyes of a size 18 dry hook. I don't switch to the lighter tippets just because the fish are spooky.

Here is a chart I picked up a few years ago. Of course, the diameters are probably regular mono line.

X Rating Diameter Fly Size

0X .011 2, 1/0

1X .010 4,6,8

2X .009 6, 8, 10

3X .008 10, 12, 14

4X .007 12, 14, 16

5X .006 14, 16, 18

6X .005 16, 18, 20, 22

7X .004 18, 20, 22, 24

8X .003 22, 24, 26, 28

For example take a size 6 hook, divide 6 by 4 and you get one. Add one to that and you get 2. So for a size 6 hook use a 2X leader. Of course the chart says 1X or 2X will work - which is right? Well both are. The formula is a guide to get you close. A lot of people make do with a spool of 2X, 4X and 6X tippet. Check it out, 2X will do hook sizes 6, 8 and 10; 4X will do hook sizes 12, 14 and 16; and 6X does most everything else. Does it matter which tippet you use? Really? Yes it does. You might get a 2X leader through a size 16 fly eye, but you won't get much of a dead drift. The tippet will drag. Adjust your tippet to your fly and catch more fish.

Well the dries we used were bigger than the nymphs but not much bigger, #14-16. It fit through the eye just fine, as it did with little #18 nymphs... The drift was terrible but somehow worked anyway. Just one of those weird situations where you have to trust what the guide is telling you even when it doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

I'm not suggesting anyone use 2x except for big streamers (as soon as the guided trip was over, I went back to 3 pound tippet, which is heavy enough but still felt reasonable) just that it apparently can work even when it seems like a drastic mismatch between the fly and tippet.

[Ham]

I find it all but impossible to use 7x. I break off always every hookset. My bad i know, but I can hardly imagine trying to use 8X.