New poster has a question

[FatPat]

I'm new to fly fishing and have a question I haven't been able to find a clear answer to.

Regarding lines and weights...are your leader and tippet supposed to be the same weight line, or do you go down a step from leader to tippet?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Looks like a nice board.

[oldfrat]

Usually the fly line weight should match the rod weight. There are times when a rod will do better with a line one weight higher or lower, but you can only find this out with experimentation. In theory, though, the fly line is supposed to match the rod in weight and the numbers are the same.

Now comes the confusing part.

The leader # has absolutely nothing to do with the rod weight. It is based on the size of the leader at its thinnest point, the end furthest away from the rod, called the leader tippet.

Rods and lines get bigger as the number gets higher. A 6 is noticeably stouter than a 4.

Leaders and tippet go the other way. The higher they go, the less stout they become. (See, I told you this would be confusing.) Fly sizes do the same: bigger numbers = smaller flies.

There are formulas others can give you about the right size of leader/tippet to fly size. I'm being lazy here and not looking it up for you. But here's my generality. Average flies for average trout = #5 leader and tippet. Bigger flies for trout = #3 leader and tippet. Spooky trout and tiny flies + #7 leader and tippet. YOu can also get leaders and tippet in #4 and #6, among others, but I'm cheap and skip the middle here.

Hope I helped and didn't confuse.

[Bamboozle]

Regarding lines and weights...are your leader and tippet supposed to be the same weight line, or do you go down a step from leader to tippet?

Pat:

Do you mean: is your tippet, (the END section of a leader), supposed to be the same size as your leader? OR, are you talking about the FLY LINE to leader/tippet relationship?

If you mean the former: a LEADER, (which is attached to the end of the FLY LINE), is usually tapered so the TIPPET section of a LEADER is typically smaller than the LEADER section preceding it.

If you mean: should your TIPPET section be the same X-number as your FLY LINE weight number; for example should you use a 4X tippet with a 4 weight FLY LINE; there is NO relationship.

TIPPET size is dictated more by the size of fly you are using and the size of fish you expect than anything else. FLY LINE size is dictated by the rod manufacturer to gain optimum performance from the rod. The two have almost nothing to do with one another.

I have seen many newby FF?ers confused with the terms. If I am confused about your confusion, I apologize but for clarification:

FLY LINE ? is the thick colored line that propels the leader and fly.

LEADER ? is the usually tapered, clear mono or fluorocarbon thing that you attach to the end of the fly line.

TIPPET ? is the END section of your leader where your tie your fly to.

WHISKEY - is what you need after a day of trying to figure this all out!

Hope this helps.

[Jed]

I believe what you are asking is should the tippet size (not called weight) and leader size be the same.

The tippet should be no larger than the leader. So a 6x leader could have a 6x tippet or a 7x or 8x but not a 5x. In general you work towards the lightest part of your tackle being closest to the fly.

If I have a 6x 9' leader I can add a piece of 7x tippet then a peice of 8x tippet and I've suddenly turned a 9' 6x into a 12' 8x leader.

Fish don't care and the only issue is if it will turn over a fly properly so play around with it and enjoy!

jed

[Lotech]

FatPat,
First of all, WELCOME to FAOL. I promise you will like it here. Now for your question. On the left side of the main page is a column of links. In those pages you will find the answer to most all of your questions. Here is a link to a section that may answer your questions. Again, welcome to FAOL.
I hope this link works!
http://flyanglersonline.com/begin/101/
Look for Part 6; Leaders and Tippets.

[FatPat]

Gracias for the replies. That helped clear things up.

Fatpat;
Welcome aboard! Come visit the Chat Room some evening. Good question sir and some very good answers. That's what it's all about!

[Warm Water Fly Fisher]

Welcome to FAOL