A lot of beginner fly fishermen don’t know what fly fishing leaders and tippets are, or how and why fly fishing leaders and tippets are used in the fly fishing line assembly. Basically fly fishing leaders and tippets are the interface between your fly fishing line and your fly fishing fly, and this guide introduces you to the what, why and how of fly fishing leaders and tippets.
A leader is a length of tapered nylon line that separates the fly line from the fly. Why use a leader? A leader is used so that there is not a disturbance in the water near the fly when the fly line is cast – the leader end connected to the fly is very thin in diameter, and is made from clear see-through material, making it invisible to the fish.
A leader is made up of a large diameter butt section, which is tied to the fly line, a gradually tapering midsection, and ends with the narrow diameter tippet section which is tied to the fly or to the tippet line. The leader butt is tied to the fly line (usually with a Nail Knot), and must have a similar diameter to the end of the fly line.
The tippet section is the most important part of the leader, and the tippet diameter and type are determined by the size and species of fish you are trying to catch, and also by the weather conditions. This leads us onto the next important question, what leader should I buy? Leaders come in different break strengths and lengths. A leader can be between 6 and 15 feet long, with 9feet being a popular choice. Generally when fishing in clear, shallow water, use as long a leader as you can cast easily. When fishing in windy conditions or fishing in small streams where fly casts will be short, use a shorter leader for better turnover. Use the following guide to determine your leader length:
| 6 foot | Bass and Trout in tiny streams. Sinking fly lines. |
|---|---|
| 7.5 foot | Trout in streams between 10 and 20 feet wide. Intermediate/sinking tip lines used in lakes and saltwater where the fish are not spooked easily. |
| 9 foot | Trout in streams greater than 20 feet wide where the water is choppy. In shallow saltwater with clear conditions. |
| 12 foot | Trout in lakes using floating lines. |
| 15 foot | Trout that get spooked easily in very clear water. |
Next you have to select the diameter or your leader (i.e. the tippet section). The diameter determines the breaking strength of the leader, and is normally given as a number followed a an “X”, with 0X being the thickest and strongest, and 8X being the thinest and weakest. The type and size of fish you are trying to catch determines the size or diameter of the leader tippet. Just remember that if your leader is too thick for your fishing conditions, the leader will make too much disturbance in the water and scare the fish away. A general rule of thumb is to divide your fly size by 3 (fly sizes are numbered #4 to #28, with #4 being the largest) to determine your leader size. Use the chart below to determine your leader size:
| Fly Size (ideal) |
Breaking Strength (in pounds) |
Leader Rating |
|---|---|---|
| #4-#6 | 15.5 | 0X |
| #4-#8 | 13.5 | 1X |
| #4-#10 | 11.5 | 2X |
| #6-#12 | 8.5 | 3X |
| #6-#14 | 6.0 | 4X |
| #14-#20 | 4.75 | 5X |
| #18-#26 | 3.5 | 6X |
| #20-#28 | 2.5 | 7X |
| #20-#28 | 1.75 | 8X |
You can tie your fly fishing fly directly to your leader, but that will mean cutting into the leader tippet every time you change flies, thus reducing the length of your leader, and therefore the lifespan of your leader. The solution is to use a tippet, which is tied onto the leader (using a Double Surgeons Knot) whenever you replace a fly on your line so that you don’t have to cut your leader line down. Tippet is basically fishing line, and it comes in different diameters and breaking strengths depending on the size of the fish you intend catching.
You buy tippet line on a spool (normally between 15 to 30 feet of tippet on a spool), and you normally match the diameter of your tippet line to the diameter of the tippet section of your leader. For example, if the tippet section of your leader is 3X, then use a spool of 3X tippet line.
What length of tippet line do you tie to your leader? Well, as your leader will come with a tippet section built into it (normally 20% of the leader line length), you really only need to use about 6 inches to a foot of tippet line for each fly that you attatch to your leader.
Its also possible to use a tippet line that is thinner than your leader tippet diameter if you want to use a smaller fly to catch smaller fish, without having to replace your leader. The tippet line length in this case will be a bit longer (normally between 1 and 2 feet), so that the heavier tippet section of the leader will not scare the smaller fish away.
Tags: fly fishing gear, fly fishing leader, fly fishing leaders and tippets, fly fishing tippet, leaders and tippets
