tippet ring?

Fishing Tenkara Fishing
1

What is the thoughts of tippet rings on the end of the line amongst those in the Tenkara community?

2

I have one on the end of a tenkara line tenkarabum made for me. I like it. The tiny amount of weight it adds to the line is more than offset by the convenience it adds.

3

I incorporate a tip ring in all the furled leaders I make for my conventional fly rods and for the furled line / leaders I make for my Tenkara rods.

I tried tip rings with conventional mono leaders before I started making my own and really didn’t like them in that application. So I wouldn’t be inclined to use them if I were going to use a level line rather than a furled line / leader for the Tenkara rods.

John

4

I was curious how it is percieved, as I’m sure it isn’t considered traditional. I do like the convienence of them on my western set up so I’m just curious of the perception.

Brandon

5

I add it to all my lines - level or furled/traditional. I would argue that its actually light enough not to break water surface tension by itself. you can attach it easily to a level or tippet with a simpe figure eight knot. Never had a connection fail on the tippet ring so far.

6

I wouldn’t be overly concerned with what is considered traditional. Throughout the history of tenkara, there have been advancements in the equipment used. If everyone on down the line had rigidly held to what was at the time traditional, we would all be fishing with bamboo rods and horsehair lines (not to say there’s anything wrong with either one!). I see no reason whatsoever why the next advancement, whatever it is, could not come from the US rather than from Japan.

7

Thanks Chris! I’m hoping to try out Tenkara in coming days, but will be making my own furled line. Wouldn’t want to do something taboo. I’m so excited about trying this, I am like a little boy at Christmas standing in front of the tree with all the presents having to wait for mom and dad.

Brandon

8

Advantage to the ring for me is several things. When cutting the tippet off the leader, be it to add fresh, or to add a different weight, there is no chance of clipping the leader. I tried the loop to loop, but it hinged for me. Plus I use fluoro for tippet and it has cut my thread leaders.
As for the Tenkara, I do attach a ring to some, but only by request. I make Tenkara lines for several people and some do mot want the ring. They say it makes it harder to attach the line to the rod.

9

If you have any further questions about my experience with tip rings, fire away.

John

10

WoW…that is all I can say

11

… that I still had the furled thread leader with tip ring that you gave to me at Jimmy’s several years ago on my 3 wt.

I was fishing it today and caught this guy, among others.

I really do like that leader, Uni 6/0 as I recall ??

John

12

Again …wow:D

13

I have caught over 100 carp this year. Big fat ones and I too have been using the same leader. It is nice. I will probably use it the rest of the year.

14

It just occurred to me that you might be using still water fishing as your frame of reference ??

My frame of reference is moving water, and, for the most part, freestone streams and rivers.

John

15

I do both…is there a difference? I mean, I use the same gear for both.

16

Joni -

Using the tip ring to drop a fly between the very end of the tippet and the fly line and having midges hit a knot or a tip ring just struck me as things that would more likely happen in still water than on a freestone stream or river. And Golden did do a report on the Tenkara Forum about hiking into and fishing a mountain lake. In that situation ( a mountain lake full of brookies ), the color of a tip ring might make some difference.

It’s probably worth while distinguishing between the two, even if you do use the same gear for both, for the benefit of those who do primarily or only one or the other ??

John

17

Understand. I just wonder what differences there might be. I use black rings now, but never had an issue with the chrome. The eye of my hooks don’t seem to scare of anything, the ring is about the same size, plus partially covered with thread.

18

I have never heard of using a tippet ring other than at the tippet end of the line. It should thus have no impact on attaching the line to the rod.

19

Something about threading it on the Tenkara tip. The ring is at the tippet end however. I did not see how these people attach their lines, so not sure what they are talking about. They just requested a shorb loop at both ends.

20

I like tippet rings because they offer fewer opportunities than loop-to-loop-connections for tippets to get caught on or tangled with.

I like tippet rings because when I am attaching a new tippet I do not need to tie a new knot in (and thus shorten) whatever material the tippet was attached to (level line or shorter section of Amnesia, typically).

Tippet rings come in a variety of size and can be purchased postage free from Streamside Leaders. I prefer the smaller ones for attaching two sections of leader-like material.

As for a fish biting on a tippet ring, if it bites it, so what? A lighthearted take on that is that if a fish prefers the ring to my fly, then perhaps it is time for me to change flies.