Tippet Size . . .

[grizzly]

I have now fly fished for trout for over 10 years. I have learned so much during that time that I am amazed at my early fishing journals(when I first started at 19, I couldn't tell the difference between a mayfly and caddis). However, I have noticed something of a change in my approach to "rigs" when targeting trout. When I first came around to understanding, albeit I still don't understand this black art of fishing, I was firmly convinced that a proper rig required a small tippet when fishing to heavily pressured trout with small flies. Many of my outings referred to 7x as being the norm, and 6x as being a heavy rig. Please note that I was consistently fishing size 16 - 20 flies at our trout parks, Taney and wild spring creeks during this time.

I can point to the exact time that my view changed regarding tippet size when fishing for selective trout. I was 25 and was fishing the Madison River inside Yellowstone for the first time in my life, what an absolute wonder and treat of a stream! I was fishing my typical Ozark set up, a nine foot 5x nylon leader attached to an egg pattern with 3 feet of 6x fluorocarbon attached to a dropper fly. The dropper fly was some size 18 bead head soft hackle that I tied after a few beers that I fished s a nymph(as opposed to swinging it). I had many hits that first day, however I snapped off about 8 fish. The knots were good and the reel was a Ross, unknown to me at that time the problem seemed to lie somewhere in between the fly and the reel.

I was heavily educated on one area of fly fishing when I hired a young guide the next day. He was all of 19, about 6'1 and weighed 170 pounds if he was drenched wet. We fished the Gallatin outside the park. Same reel, same rod, but we started with a 9 foot 3x leader(with the tippet cut off with some wicked teeth skills that they must teach in guide school), the leader was nylon and the tippet 4x fluorocarbon. The top fly was a large rubber leg stone fly pattern, the dropper a size 18 mayfly nymph with a bead head which looked like it was tied after a case of beers. We started out in the morning and the fishing was slow. However, after the water warmed up the fish were hitting like mad hatters. I caught numerous 16 inch rainbows, a true delight to me at that time, however the best was yet to come. We went upstream some and on the end of a drift I hit a tug! The leader snapped off in about 30-45 seconds with my guide smiling while stating "he broke you off fair and square, that was for sure." A large trout on 4x tippet? Not in my wildest dream and I shook it off as a fluke.

It was not until 2012, when I returned to Yellowstone, that I learned that the tippet was not a fluke. My friend and I hired a guide as we went during the middle of a heatwave and were tired of catching 3 or 4 trout in a day with no fish over 8 inches. The guide asked us if we would rather go after a couple big fish or fish down below Hebgen lake for river trout. This was a no brainer, we didn't drive from Kansas City to West Yellowstone to catch small trout, thus we chose Hebgen Lake. We had a blast, I caught a 23' brown, a 20' brown and my friend caught two rainbows over 20's a piece. The kicker was that we were once again using 4x fluorocarbon tippet on a gin clear lake.

This confirmed to me that smaller tippet does not automatically equate to a better presentation, and my personal findings on the White River system, including Taneycomo, have confirmed this theory. In fact, I took a test on this theory. While I consider this to be a marginal scientific test at best, it fortified my belief in this theory. Tom Smith, a guide on the White River at Copper Johns Resort and personal friend of mine, and I went on the water this summer to test it out. He fished 6x tippet and had the first drift while I fished 4x with second drift. The generation was variable, but was only above 3 units for about 2 hours. We caught about the same number of fish with Tom landing maybe 5 fish more than I did over a 6 hour day.

Give a heavier fluorocarbon tippet a chance. You'll be glad you did when that fish of a lifetime is on the reel, plus it is easier to cast in the wind and easier for beginners to cast.

[fishinwrench]

I know guides on the SJ use 6lb.Trilene tied to 18-20 midges and do well, and I got my butt spanked by a guy standing next to me using 4x on a #18 Adams wet once, but I still can't fish heavy tippet on small fly's with any confidence.

I use 4x on #10-6 with a loop knot.

5x on #14-12 and still use a loop.

6x on #16-20 with a figure 8 knot

And 7x on #22-26 (on the rare occasion that I go that small) and use the figure 8.

[Al Agnew]

I might go 6X if it's a really small fly. I don't even own any 7X. !00% of my nymph fishing is with 4X fluoro or heavier, and 95% of my small fly dry fly fishing is with 5X fluoro. Of course, I never fish for those allegedly smart trout park trout.

[fishinwrench]

How small of a nymph will you fish on 4x, Al ?

[duckydoty]

When guideing for trout in Alaska, I mainly use 2 and 3x. Rairly will I go down to 4x. For some odd reason, I use alot of 6 and 7x on Taney.

[laker67]

When guideing for trout in Alaska, I mainly use 2 and 3x. Rairly will I go down to 4x. For some odd reason, I use alot of 6 and 7x on Taney.

Like Duane, I use 6 and 7x at taney during the day. At night I will switch over to 5x. At all of the trout parks, 6 and 7 is the norm for me. I much prefer to fight a big fish on light tippet. It keeps you from getting in a hurry and overpowering your hook holding ability. Plus I enjoy the challenge of landing big fish on light tippet. I am sure 4x catches just as many fish.

[Jeff Tief]

Pretty much use 6x for all of my trout fishing anymore and really like the "airflo" sightfree G3 in that size.I do fish a lot of really small nymphs that keep me from going to 4 or 5x .Kinda like Laker 67 in that I like to catch big fish on lighter line.

[Al Agnew]

Wrench, it might be a function of where I fish, but I haven't used a nymph smaller than #20 in a long time. Most of the time if I'm nymph fishing I'm using a 2 nymph rig with the upper one no smaller than #16 and the smaller one no smaller than #18. The spring creeks I fish in Montana, where most guys seem to use tiny flies, I go just the opposite and use bigger stuff because the fish see so little of it that they actually act a little bit dumb about it sometimes. I fully acknowledge that if you're going to be using really tiny flies you have to go to line that matches them, but unlike some of you guys, if I have to fish with line that light and flies that small I'd rather do something else. On the spring creeks, if the fish seem to want tiny flies, I'll just tie on a streamer, and I might catch a few less fish, but mine are probably gonna be bigger.

[Jeff Tief]

Hmmm,sometimes I like the challenge of catching fish on small 18-20 size nymphs and then again I have fooled some mighty big fish on big streamer patterns.Not sure if all you catch on those steamers are always going to be bigger than some of the big ones we catch on smaller flies.You are fortunate that your talent allows you some great places to fish.Most of mine are from the parks or Taney,some of those not too smart trout we sometimes struggled to catch as kids.

[Al Agnew]

Yeah, all my Missouri trout fishing is on the creeks and rivers below the springs. I've never had to use anything smaller than #18 on the Current, Meramec, North Fork, Eleven Point, Little Piney, or Mill Creek. In the Missouri streams I always took Chuck Tryon's advice...keep a supply of #12 and #16 nymphs and you'll be set.