Hi, i started fishing last year and i cant get enough of it!!
just a quick couple of questions............
Which tippet is best for dry fly?? i fish places like bessy beck, esthwaite etc so the odd big fish does hit my net.
Also can anybody reccommend a decent casting instructor in the Cumbria area??
i feel as though im doing well but maybe a few pointers wouldnt go a miss to iron out any bad habits, i even got on the bessy catch report last weekend so cant be too bad.
thanks to anybody that replies..........
dave

Hi Dave, I am near Penrith, if I can be of any help, give me a shout.
Welcome to the forum by the way.
Steven.

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"A glint of sun has warmed the air,The flies will soon hatch out, To lure and tempt from their deep lair, The bonnie speckled trout." SKB tackle supporter. I love Furled Leaders.

Are you talking about brand names or tippet size?

If size is the question, in general it's a combination of factors, but the main ones are fly size, desired presentation, fishing conditions, and what the fish will (or are likely) to respond to.

Fish size does come into it, but I think many people take this the wrong way by assuming for example that a 3.5 pound fish cannot be landed on tippet rated at 3 pounds because the fish is heavier than the breaking strength of the tippet.

In reality, when playing a fish, you seldom put on a straight-line pull that equates to the full weight of the fish. The flex of the rod, the stretch and drag of the line, the reel's drag, etc all cushion the pull so it's possible to land a fish that weighs much more than the breaking strain of the line.

For example, if the need is to fish #20 midge patterns in very clear water, on a sunny day, in an area with heavier fishing pressure (and therefore the fish are known to be spooky), I'd start at about 6x and work up (meaining 7x and so on) from there.

On a cloudy day in darker or tannin stained water, with a wind to disturb the surface, you can go 5x or even larger if using big dries. I've fished hoppers in the western US with no problems using even 4x on a cloudy day. The reason for doing so wasn't the fish size, it was that the fish were right along the bank and with heavier tippet it was possible to pull an errant cast out of the tall grass that drooped into the water. I mention this just to emphasize that there can be advantages to going as heavy as possible on the tippet front. Most people assume that lighter is better, but that is not always the case.

Grouse