[Chiz]

Hello,

So i've connected all necessary line to my reel:

Backing line - fly line (bloodknot to braided loop).
Fly line - leader (braided loop to loop) Leader is 8lbs, about 9ft.

The thing i'm wondering now is whether a tippet is required? Can someone please elaborate as well as i've had a search about for what's recommended for a tippet and it's still not to clear if it's actually necessary - I don't really see a point with fishing one fly.

Any pointers here, or if someone would like to clarify why it's necessary i'd appreciate it.

Regards,

Lee.

[Rob Brownfield]

I am sure you will get different opinions here....but here is mine for what it is worth.

A tippet is naturally the bit of line you attach your fly too. Too thick and the fly does not behave naturally, too thin and you can crack the fly off on the cast or a fish can break you on the take.

Very generally, a small fly requires a light tippet, a big fly a heavier tippet. For example, a size 16 buzzer would fish better and look more natural on a 4lb tippet but a size 6 weighted Cats Whisker would be better on an 8 lb tippet.

Normally the "leader" tapers from the end of the fly line to the fly. This aids fly turnover. Many people use a tapered Polyleader for this rather than the older style knotted leaders that perhaps started with 2 feet of 15lb line, then 2 feet of 12, 2 feet of 10, 2 feet of 8 and then onto a tippet of 8 or 6lb line.

The tippet also serves to push the fly away from the fly line in that if you attached 5 feet of 4lb line to your exisiting 8lb line, your fly is a further 5 feet away from the tip of the fly line..and so in very clear water, less likely to scare a fish.

[Ben Dixon]

Normally the "leader" tapers from the end of the fly line to the fly. This aids fly turnover. Many people use a tapered Polyleader for this rather than the older style knotted leaders that perhaps started with 2 feet of 15lb line, then 2 feet of 12, 2 feet of 10, 2 feet of 8 and then onto a tippet of 8 or 6lb line.

Rob,

Be careful here, a knotless tapered leader and a polyleader are two different things.  A knotless tapered leader is exactly as it sounds and can be made from standard mono or from fluorocarbon, .  A polyleader is a tapered leader with a coating to make it either float or sink.  A tapered leader is extremely beneficial in most circumstances but polyleaders are tools for specific jobs.

Cheers

Ben

[Chiz]

So let me get this straight,

The main point in the tippet is to help the line straighten out and for the fly to be as far away from the main line as possible?

I've only got 8lbs available to me at the moment, so i don't see a point, since both tippet and leader would be 8lbs.

With a 9ft 6/7 rod, 6/7 floating line, 8lbs leader, what strength of tippet would i need? Or does it completely matter on what fish i'm fishing for?

[Rob Brownfield]

No, the "leader", no matter what type it is, is there to help straighten out the line..but only if tapered.

The tippet is to provide a section of line that the fly is tied to, usually of a lighter breaking strain then the "leader".

The tippet also helps keep the fly away from the thicker "leader" or fly line..but this is not its primary role. This can help in clear conditions or on rivers where drag can be encountered.

What you have is what is called a "level" leader. There is absolutely no reason why you cannot just tie a fly to the end of what you have.

Fishing should be simple, I think I may have nad it sound more complicated than it is. I fished the first 10 years or so without a "tippet", just a level length of line.

[Irvine Ross]

Chiz

The  breaking strain ( or more properly the thickness) of your leader/tippet should be matched to the size of fly you have tied on the end regardless of what you are fishing for. If you are using a bead headed lure then your 8lb leader tied directly to the fly will be fine. If you start using small spiders or dry flies then you will need a lighter section of tippet on the end of your leader to make it less visible to the fish and to allow the fly to drift in the current in a natural looking way. As Rob says, if you are using say size 16 flies then 3' of 4lb tippet would be a good idea. You can easily catch big rainbows with small flies but you have to play them more carefully.

A fish chasing a fast moving lure does not have much time to look about for anything unusual but a fish has plenty time to look hard before deciding to rise to a dry fly so there is more chance it will be spooked by a visible tippet or a fly that is not behaving like a natural.

Irvine

[Chiz]

Thanks guys.

This has pretty much explained everything i needed to know (for the time being anyways )