Have you ever...

[Rocketfish]

...used 7X, 8X tippets?
R.

[gqualls]

Rocketfish,

I fish a tailrace in E. Tennessee and almost always use 7x fluorocarbon tippet. It's necessary because the fish have seen a lot of flies and a lot of pressure. Last summer, late one evening, I was fishing with my 7 yr old daughter, Istuck a good fish and handed the rod to her. She almost lost the rod and quickly gave it back to me. I was fishing a dry fly with a small midge dropper (sz.24). I got the fish it and it was a smidge over 24 inches long. I was also using 7x tippet. I didn't have to play the fish long at all; when I took out the hook it quickly swam away. Sweet fish, sweet memory.

[Allan]

Yes, and even smaller. Today's 7x and 8x tippet is about 2.5# and 1.6# respectively. That's probably similar to what 5x and 6x was maybe 20-25 years ago.

Allan

[greenlantern]

I'm not good enough to fish that light of gear. I use 6 or 8 pound mono. It's the best I can do.

[bobbyg]

7X very rarely, 8X never.

[ScottP]

For the trico hatch on a tailwater I fish, I use 6x and haven't had any issues, my poor slackwater casting aside. The fish get pounded daily and really don't care much for drag, but the river is full of weeds (and very large trout) and with 7x I'd just be leaving flies in the fish's mouths or wrapped in the salad (a number end up donated to the ecosystem as it is anyway); heck, none of the 3 shops in town carry anything smaller than 6x. Can't say I ever left that water thinking "if I only had spent the $4.50 for a spool of 7x I would have slayed them", more like "if only I'd spent some time practicing my casting, I might have actually put a fish on the reel".

Regards,
Scott

[redietz]

I've used 7x, and even 8x, but I can't say that I think it makes much difference, other than more fish lost to broken tippet.

I'm somewhat of a believer in theory that if you're getting too much drag, your leader is too short, not too fat. I fish mostly tailwaters and spring creeks ("technical" waters) but even so, I'll fish the largest leader that will fit through the eye of the hook.

I also believe that fish see even the finest leader, flourocarbon or not, just as they see the hook. They just choose to ignore it.

[John_N]

Never, and not even 6X all that often. Maybe I could catch more and I just don't realize it, but it seems like I do OK.

[herefishy]

Talking to a guide on the Bighorn who said he nearly always used 3x when he was using dries, because it floated better. He seems to be successful, but I couldn't believe he would hook fish or that the flies would float better. Anybody else go heavy?

[NJTroutbum]

I fish 7x flourocarbon about 50% of my waters.