Just wondering if anyone has used tippet rings and if so,are they worth trying.
Thanks
tri-co -
I use tip rings on all my furled leaders.
I did use them for a while with mono leaders and really did not care for them. I tended to get tangles around them, which was likely due more to my casting than the rings.
One of my acquaintances uses them all the time with mono leaders and swears by them. He is a better caster than I am and does not run into the problems I had.
John
I also use only furled leaders. I have never had a problem with loop to loop connections so I have not tried the little rings. Does seem it would make changing tippet a little faster. Maybe Ill givem a try.
My biggest problem is keeping track of them in my vest. The package is teeny, the rings are teeny. When I’ve used em, I’ve like them, but after I break one off I’ve gone back to the surgeon’s knot.
Git two words for you! Safety pin. Thread your little tippet rings on a good oversized safety pin and pin it to your vest (with another pin).
Betty, ya beat me to it. Safety Pins work great, on stream or at the furling board, for keeping track of those tiny rings. I use them for all my furled leaders and for assembling multi-fly rings for fishing wet flies.
I used them for highstick nymphing and they work fine. I tie the ring on the end of my leader and then added the tippet. That way when you get hung up or want to change the leader you only need to change the tippet up to the ring. The only problem is that you get a hing effect if you try to throw dry flies with the same leader.
lc,
What kind of leader are you using? I haven’t had a problem with hinging when using the furled leaders.
Hi Betty. I just used regular mono. I just didn’t get the drift I felt comfortable with when fishing dries. I always switched to another leader. May be I was doing something wrong?
lastchance, please check your PM’s.
I really like them for cold weather fishing. It makes it much easier to add another tippet section with wet and numb fingers. They’re also really nice to transition from a mono leader to a fluro tippet. I’ve never used them while fishing dries.
To tie them on since they are so small, I pinch about half of one in my forcepts and then tie it on just like I would a fly. Once it’s tied to the leader I just hold it then because if I drop it, it’s got a safety line.
A fella I use to fish with would buy a pack and then sit at his tying table and tie them in a “chain” with about 4 inches of 7x between each one. On stream, he would simply pull out the chain, tie one on and cut off the rest. Seemed quick and simple, but I never tried it.
I have them on the end of my furled leaders and LOVE them in lieu of a loop to loop connection for adding tippet.
I couldn’t bother using them in place of conventional leader knots since I can tie a Blood Knot or Surgeons Knot with no problem. I also wouldn’t want to carry them stream-side and worry about finding, fumbling, losing, or dropping something that small.
I may have to give them a try. What size ring do most people use?
Rex
Rex,
I’ve found the 2 mm ring useful. You may get other opinions.
REE
I use 2 mm on my 6/0 Uni thread leaders and 2.5 mm on the 4# mono or fluorocarbon leaders. The best deal is from J Stockard, you get 20 rings for the same price as 10 from other sources. BTW Stockard lists 2 mm and 3 mm rings, the 3 mm are actually 2.5 mm.