In fly fishing, is the tippet line made of a special material?

Question

or can you just use a finer version of a monofilament leader line for the tippet?

Answer 1

You add a tippet when you're mono-filament/co-polymer tapered leader gets too short, i like to use a fluorocarbon tippet material like airflo g3, if I'm fishing dries i will use a co-polymer like orvis or rio, this is because fluorocarbon would sink my dry flies whilst co-polymer floats and can be de-greased to prevent it spooking the trout. An example of good tippet

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templa...

You can make youre own tapered leaders by joining different breaking strains of tippet together ranging from high lb test to low lb test.

Answer 2

Since just about every mfg. has a different rating someone developed the  "X" system. The difference is the X is rated by the diameter of the line, no matter what lb test it is. Some brands 5x tippet may be rated at 3 lb test, others 4 lb - but the diameter of the line is the same.

If you look at some leader spools, you'll see they have a diameter

measurement for you.

This is done to properly taper leaders so that the cast "turns over"

properly.

Tipet material is mono or florocarbon for the most part.

I don't advise using floro for dry flies because it sinks.

Floro is great for nymphing.

And finally,yes, you can just use a finer version of mono for your tippet.

Answer 3

For 50 years, I've used a lighter weight nylon monofilament for my tippets. Typical is a tapered leader to 4 lb and the a 2 or 3 pound tippet. Diameter is more critical than strength. If you can find a thinner 4 lb than the end of your leader OK. The tippet is a sacrificial piece about 6-18 inches long.

Answer 4

The big thing these days is flourocarbon. It has approximately the same light refraction as water rendering it "invisible".  I use it and so do most other fly anglers I know. If you are fishing for small trout then the above answer is right on, but around here we fish for big Steelhead and for them I use different lb. tests of Vanish. Its a flourocarbon fishing line made by Berkley. It has done well for me. It dosen't break easily and I have landed 13+ lb. fish on 6 lb. test. I will change to a thicker line depending on water clarity and bottom structure. It costs alot less than normal flourocarbon tippet material but again, as I said, I'm going for some big aggressive fish. Hope this helped you out.

p.s. I tie my own leaders so I can control where the taper begins..