i was told about the rule of 3 for tippits but was advised to use 4 as this would be better for beginners..

so size 16 hook, 16/4 = 4 so 4X tippit around the 5lb mark depending on manufacturer. isn't 5lb a bit big for such a small fly ?

or is this for the leader X and then a tippit added of lesser strength?

cheers in advance .

billy

Depends on the diameter - a 5lb bs hi-tec mono or copolymer tippet will about similar or maybe even thinner than say a 3lb traditional mono. To be honest, when dry fly fishing I tend to use the lightest tippet I think I can get away with depending on the size of fish and conditions, more than the fly - perhaps not the traditional fly fishing approach, but its probably due to my coarse fishing history.

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That's the same here.. i have a load of leaders here of different sizes and was wondering which best to use tmoz when out fishing for roach etc..

i decided on a 5x which is 4lb from this manufacturer and have tied a 2 foot tippit on of 2lb ... which im going to use with a small 16 dry fly as an indicator and trot an artificial red maggot on a dropper. may try a small bloodworm also through the day , does this sound ok ?

Ah well, if I say Preston Innovations Reflo Powerline for your tippet you'll know what I'm talking about then! (0.13mm = 4lb 12oz. Similar diameter Rio Powerlflex if you want to get tarty fly stuff = 6X = 3.5lb). I generally just tie a 3 or 4' length onto a furled leader - a mrtrout special - but otherwise just a similar length tippet of it onto your tapered mono leader, or onto heavier straight length of mono if you prefer - tapered not essential IMHO, although some consider it is, but the furled variety made of tying thread (different weight material) I personally find helpful.

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When fishing for specimen sized fish of any species, there seems to be another rule of thumb that applies.

Being wary, the finest hook-length or tippet is needed to induce takes.

Being strong, the strongest line is needed to land them.

Unfortunately the rule of thumb seems to be that there is an unavoidable overlap, and you have to decide whether you sit there all day bite-less, or go home boasting about the huge fish hooked that got away.

(The finer and stronger the lines being invented, the more they seem to converge on that exact point where the greatest risk is to be found).

A simple rule suggested in the past was use the line rating of the rod as a guide to breaking strain ,ie 7 weight rod ,7pound bs nylon .This worked well for me until the more modern filament appeared,but to my mind its still a good guide line to consider.

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Andy Wren
Winter grayling taking a year off !
Claret not just a great dubbing colour!

You need both the "rule of 3" (and it is always 3 not 4) together with Andy's rule on rod weight, which was regularly quoted, if not invented, by the late Peter Mackenzie-Phelps.

The rod rule (rule of 2?) will prevent breakages on striking, and it is basically that you shouldn't use a tippet strength lighter the 2 less than the rod weight - ie for a #7 rod, no less than a 5lb tippet. It shouldn't matter what material the tippet is, though a low stretch tippet could probably be a bit stronger.

The "rule of 3" is aboult how the fly moves in the water, and as it uses the X scale, it's about the diameter of the tippet, not necessarily the strength.

So it also uses the "rule of 11" - subtract the X value from 11 and the result in the number of thousanths of an inch the tippet should be.

So back to the origial size 16 fly, 16 divided by 3 is 5 and a bit - so a 5X tippet.

5 subtracted from 11 is 6, so the diameter of the tippet should be ,006", which, depending on the brand and the material, is around a 3lb BS.

And going back to the rod furmula, it shouldn't be fished with a greater than #5 rod.

It's all about compromises though, so if you alter it one way, you'll lose out in the other.

cheers,

Andy

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Wm. Salter & Grandson - Merchants
www.wmsalter.co.uk

No wonder I was put off fly-fishing for years

Rule of Tommy.

I just use 3lb Maxima for small dries (up to size 16), Beef it up to 5lb for larger flies (up to size 10), or fishing in a good ripple, and 6lb for sunk-line work. It seems to have stood me in good stead for the past 35 years.

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How poor a thing, sometimes I find,
Will captivate a greedy mind - Isaac Walton.

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*****©(

And you're doing the right thing. Well, you're doing what I do, although I do go down to 2lb Maxima (when you can get it, otherwise 1.7lb Perlon) for 18s and smaller using a #3 or #2 rod.

cheers,

Andy

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Wm. Salter & Grandson - Merchants
www.wmsalter.co.uk

thanks for the replies lads, something for me to read up on ..

looking at them i'm thinking of just making my own up , this way i have total control of diameter of the line , BS etc..

i'm more than capable of physically making them..

could i use say 4 foot of 20lb AMNESIA as the butt section as this will enable me to pull any kinks etc out and straighten it before use ? if so could i then use say use 4 foot 10lb AMNESIA for the mid section , and then a tippit section a couple of foot long of desired BS and diameter for job in hand..


billy