Question About Tippet

On 15 Jun 2005 14:24:38 -0700, "riverman" wrote:


But when I did use 7x, I found that my knots were always a weak spot:
I'd touch the grass on a backcast, and the tippet would snap off at the
hook, or I'd be false casting, and the whole front end would break off
at the leader. I didn't fully appreciate how easily a 7x tippet burns
when tying knots: even now I tend to hold my tippet underwater or in my
mouth when I tighten, and I do it very gently. Its healthy to be
paranoid about burning your knots.

Okay, this makes me feel a lot better. A couple of times I was
wondering where the &&*%# my fly went.

I also found that I was wrapping the line around my finger to get a
grip on it when I was tightening it, sometimes even pinching it a
little against my fingernail, and that was weakening it. If your
midtippet breaks are about 6 inches from the knot, I bet that's what's
happening.


Since I've heard about how darn fragile the stuff is, I'm convinced I
was doing a lot of other stuff to weaken it , too!

Anyway, take Tim Js advice; don't fish 7x until you've figured out
everything else, as you probably aren't advanced enough to be using it.
That level of stealth in the tippet is probably being undone by a
thousand other things.


That's advice I'm going to heed.

HTH, and good luck.

It does, and thanks.

Breaking fine tippet -- been there, done that repeatedly, but not any
longer.

Knots, a double surgeon's knot is more than adequate. Do not moisten
FC. Grasp the tippet/leader as well as the tag ends and pull tight
together and quickly -- then pull test.

Use the uniknot to tie to the hook and pull test. Again, do not
moisten and pull the knot tight quickly.

Since going to this, my FC knot failure as dropped to zero. If I
break off a fish, it's because I did something stupid rather than the
knot failing because it was poorly tied. Like last week when I lost a
30+" striper beacuse I mistakenly twirled the drag on my new reel to
full stop when the fish started to run. The highest drag setting on a
Loop HD is beyond ridiculous -- if the 10lb. tippet hadn't broken, the
fish might have pulled the rod out of my hand. Used 15lb. after that
together with a newfound respect for the drag knob.

Lastly, you're fishing trout not bass so don't try and heave the
sucker into the next county. A simple lift of the rod will do.

Peter

turn mailhot into hotmail to reply

Visit The Streamer Page at http://www.mountaincable.net/~pcharl...ers/index.html

Oh ya, forgot to mention that not all 7X are created equal. I bought
some Orvis Mirage 7X FC mounted on a spool like SA FC. The stuff was
great. I then bought another spool of Mirage only this came on a
standard Orivs spool. The stuff is crap and the spool is crap. If
you're not careful removing it from the spool, the line keeper on the
spool will damage it. The FC was clearly different with the second
batch being very limp and soft -- very difficult to tie a good knot as
well. I'm now on the lookout for some Orvis 7X on the SA style spool
or some SA FC if I can find it in 7X.

The hookup rate on heavily pressured waters will improve with 6X or
7X. The FC is less visible, sinks below the surface so it doesn't
leave that telltale dimpling plus the thin tippet doesn't layout
straight. The bends and squiggles help to produce a better drag free
drift.

I've done this often enough to accept it as fact. On heavily
pressured waters that are relatively slow and smooth flowing, toss a
4X or 5X tippet and fly at a rising fish. If no hits, tie on 18" of
7X, the same fly and then take the fish on the first cast to cover it.
7X is not necessary everywhere but in some places, it's the only way
to stay in the game.

Peter

turn mailhot into hotmail to reply

Visit The Streamer Page at http://www.mountaincable.net/~pcharl...ers/index.html