I've been using 4.5# test tippet for most of my freshwater fishing for awhile and have lost a few fish from time to time. I'm considering using a heavier tippet but wanted to ask if there is a downsize to using a heavier tippet (besides being harder to thread small hook eyes). Do dry flies stay afloat more or less with heavier line? Do wet flies sink at the same approximate rate?

JR

monofiliment is bouyant, so my guess is they would float better, Flourocarbon on the other hand sinks (very well).

Most of the warm water fish I target are not line shy in the least.. Bass, sunnies and others don't seem to care one bit, but the water is not very clear around here either. The action of the fly is affected by heavier line so when presentation matters most then by all means use the appropriate weight line for the fly.

JR
Try bumping up to 10 or even 12 lb. mono for a while. My thoughts are that the difference in performance will be negligible except with perhaps some tiny dries.

I am w/ Hook and Robin:

The heavy butt section of a leader is made to turn light flys over, we warm water guys usually do not have that problem, esp. in a sinking presentation.

1. Warm fish are not line shy, almost any 4 to 12 lbs will work.
2. Sinking, they make small tippet size spools of Vanish, flourocarbon, for sinking presentations I use it alone, a straight leader, no need for tippet. A wooly is the same right side up or upside down.
4. 4X or heavier for mono for poppers for pan fish should be great. I know that Cabela's has a 3 pack of pan fish leaders that work well.

I use a ten pound tippet (mono) I have used an 8pd Florocarbon line before with good results for a sinking line too....

Tippet?? 6lb flor. with sinking flies 6lb mono floating flies(sand bass and B'gills) 10-12lb for everything else. Relax and have some fun casting to fish. This is not and should not be made into rocket secience.

I'm not stressin - just asked a question.

JR

Hey John,

Had a chance to field test all these leaders and tippet sizes?

No, not yet.

Hoping to get out Friday morning. As you know, they last a long time. I'll have to take off a perfectly good leader that i got from you to try my new ones.
I haven't made it to BPS to buy the new tippet sizes, but I'll quit using the 4.5 test tippet and switch to the 8 lb that I have on hand. Based upon this thread, I'll get some florocarbon and mono when i do make it to BPS.

JR

Sounds like a plan. You can always go low tech like be and buy a spool of Stren at Walmart in whatever lb. test tippet you desire. That debate can rage across the interwebs, "store-bought tippet or plain jane mono?" but so far I've been pleased with straight mono if I can't get to at fly shop to buy "real" tippet.

In my opinion the only benefit to store bought tippit vs plain mono, is that tippit spools are little & easy to store.

When bass fishing I use 14-20# mono for a leader. When bream fishing I like to use 5X and 1X tippet for leaders (I don't use tapered leaders except for trout fishing), the reason being that store-bought tippett is usually thinner than regular mono and will sink faster. Since it is thinner it also goes through the eyes of small nymphs easier than regular mono.

Clifford you did bring up a good point, tippet can be mono...but sometimes the mono is a bit large for the eye of the fly. I have been using mono since late spring. I like it especially for bass.