Fly Fishing with Doug Macnair: Of Leaders, Tippets and Knots© (Part 1)
Doug Macnair

Once upon a time a long time ago, the idea of spending time on stupid things like leaders, or tippets or knots was absolutely ridiculous. With the passing of time, however, all things change.

This is the true story of what happened.

"The beginning began soon after Man lost his tail. No longer able to swing from branch to branch with his fellow monkeys, Man was forced from the trees to dwell forevermore on the ground or in it as the case may be. Once on the ground, Man learned he must hunt for food. The tasty bananas and coconuts now hung high overhead and out of reach. While Man proved a good hunter, his many battles with the Hairy Mammoths and the nasty tigers with long teeth took their toll -- Man found the hunt stressful. It was then his friendly Shrink suggested Man learn to relax. Man longed for something else, but knew not what that something could be.

And so it was that one-day a single solitary Man found a slender limb to which was attached a long green vine. He picked it up and when he did, the green vine followed. He played with the limb. He waved it round and around. He waved it back and forth above his head. And, lo the green vine followed the limb wherever it went. The Man was pleased.

Tiring, the Man ceased waving the limb. The end of the vine fell into the stream the Man was standing near. In the wink of an eye, an amazing thing happened -- a large fish bit into the vine so violently, the vine became entangled in its teeth. The fish could do nothing but follow as the Man pulled it to shore. The Man smiled. It was good. Man finally had found something to do during his periods of relaxation.

And so it came to pass that Man relaxed by chasing his friend, the fish, with long slender limbs and green vines. The limbs and vines, in turn, gave way to cane and lines of braided fiber. Now, many Men smiled. Life was good. And it came to pass that things changed, again: God, in his wisdom, gave the fish a very small brain. It was, however, big enough to outsmart Man more times than not. Friend fish became difficult to catch. Soon, Man developed better weapons to use in his battle of wits with the fish. Man developed the fly, a "thing" fabricated of fur and feather that looked like the dead bugs found near the water. Man also learned to make a line of gut that he attached to the fly. It was very thin in comparison to the green vine. He called this the tippet. The tippet, in turn, was attached to a piece of slightly thicker gut Man called the leader. Using the pigments of plants and trees, Man made these things he called tippets and leaders as invisible as possible. With braided fibers, leaders of gut and flies, Man enjoyed increased success in catching fish. Man now thought of this activity as sport and called it Fly Fishing. However, Man still lost many more fish than he caught.

Of all creatures, Man possesses the greatest gift God ever gave to living creatures -- the thumb. And so it was with the ability to wiggle his thumb, Man learned to tie knots -- knots to affix the fly to the tippet, the tippet to the leader, and the leader to the line. Sometimes, the knots failed and the fish escaped.

And so it came to pass that a few Men became known as Knot-Tiers. The Knot-Tiers idled away the hours figuring out the many ways a knot can be tied, especially in tying together differing lengths of natural gut. Magic formulas, called recipes, were created. Without the secret recipe, how could you or me expect to catch a fish? Surely, these Knot-Tiers were brilliant Men, for no ordinary mortal could ever conceive of the hundreds of ways two lines can be joined. Soon the Knot-Tiers began to give names to each knot. Sometimes, the same knot was named many times and called by many different names. Ordinary Man became confused. As so it came to pass that the Knot-Tiers began to write articles and publish books devoted to each knot and what it does and when it does it. The Knot-Tiers also argued among themselves about which knot was best for this, that, or the other.

And so it was in the later years, Man became afraid of the Knot-Tiers and their many works. Most Men could not, or would not, learn the 1,684 knots the Knot-Tiers specified as a fly fishing requirement. So it was as time passed, many became disinterested in the gentle art of Fly Fishing. As they say in the old country, the Knot-Tiers had "done did it." Many Men found it satisfying to do something that required tying only a single knot -- the one that secured the sandals to his feet. These Men found it relaxing to hit a little white ball with a stick, only to hit it again after it was found. Rather than catching a fish, these Men hoped the little ball would roll into one of the mole holes that abound in the ground. The ancient Fish Gods laughed and laughed -- Man, too, had a little brain! And so it was that the game of golf came to pass." (From Fly Fishing for the Rest of Us, ©Copyright: Douglas G. Macnair, 1996.)

Not to worry! The ancient Fish Gods have smiled again. As luck would have it, you stumbled across this literary marvel that sets straight the truth about tippets, leaders and, importantly, knots. Never again will you or yours ever be threatened by the Knot-Tiers. Instead, you are to be rewarded with the secrets of the ages known only to very few mortals. Rejoice and read on.

Overview
The leader is important in fly fishing. For a simple definition, I like to think of the leader as the length of clear monofilament that hides the fly fisher from the fish. That, however is a tad too simple. Because of the many dimensions of fly fishing - not the least of which is the fly cast - the subject of leaders can be as simple or as complicated as you care to make it. The right tippet and leader contribute to success on the water; the wrong combination can ruin your day. I tend to believe the misunderstandings about leaders and tippets stem from experience acquired in spinning and bait-casting. In both of these fishing methodologies, the leader is usually a length of steel wire or very strong monofilament used between the line and lure to prevent the fish from breaking-off. About the only thing at variance is the length of the leader, the material it's made of and, of course, the breaking strength. Generally speaking, the leader's strength is far greater than the line to which it is attached.

Not so in fly fishing. By design, the end of the leader - the tippet - is the weakest part of the fly fishing system. That, however, is not the only difference. There are a number of variables. Once you begin your fly fishing experience, you will soon be asking these questions about leaders and tippets. How long should it be? How short should it be? Which type of mono is best? What is the best diameter? To stretch or not, that is the question -- which to choose? You will find the answers here.

Always keep in mind that the tippet is of the leader. It is the finite part of the leader assembly. As such, the tippet joins the all important fly to the rest of the system. When you think tippets, think of the last 15-inches of the leader as the very minimum. The tippet can be longer, of course; but if it's less than 15-inches, it could cost you a record under the IGFA rules. More on this a little later. The bottom line is that leaders are made in varied lengths, in varied diameters and of varied material. Nothing is constant in leader selection other than the water being fished and the chosen fly.

Tippet & Leader Selection: The Variables
I believe the criterion for a good leader/tippet combination is covered by two points. First, the leader/tippet combo must unroll properly turning over the fly at the end of the cast. Second, the leader/tippet combo must continue to work in harmony with the fly once both are on, or in, the water. With these two points in mind, the variables listed below should affect your choice. Taken together, the sum of these factors usually dictates the leader and tippet to be used. Simply add a smidgen of logic, and selecting the right leader/tippet really is not difficult at all.

• Tippet size.
• Leader length.
• Butt diameter.
• Water conditions.
• Wind.
• Line weight and rod.
• Line type.
• Fish pursued.

Sizing the Tippet
For fly fishing freshwater - where fly fishing had its beginning - start your search for the right tippet in terms of "X," where "X" is always preceded by a number -- such as 3X, 4X, 5X, 6X, etc. Not so many years ago when the dry fly was King of the Hill (and still is in the eyes of some), thinking of the tippet in terms of "X" was convenient. There is, after all, a direct correlation between the tippet and the hook size of the fly. As I've already mentioned, the wrong combination of tippet and fly can be bad news. Select your fly, but tie it to the wrong tippet, and I promise you disappointment and sorrow as you make one poor presentation after another.

To help you in the decision-making process of matching tippet to fly, a couple of aides are available. But before going further, I want to reiterate -- nothing in fly fishing is absolute except for the AFTMA standards. Any "how-to-do-it" guide is just that -- a guide. Since I believe something is better than nothing, try the 4-Rule.

The 4-Rule
The 4-Rule works this way: let's say the fly you've selected is a #12 Royal Coachman. To apply the 4-Rule to tippet selection, divide 12 (the size of the fly hook) by 4. The product, 3, suggests the right tippet to use is 3X. It's the same thing as saying, "tie a #12 dry fly to a 3X tippet." Don't, however, become confused. If logic suggests a 5X tippet is bigger or heavier than a 3X tippet, you are dead wrong! The larger the "X" number, the smaller the tippet. If you remember my tongue-in-cheek story about Hermann Smuck and the giant trout, recall that Herm's #64 Black Wasp was attached to a "gossamer" leader. Apply the 4-Rule and his tippet is 16X. Unfortunately, a 16X is not for us common folk. It doesn't exist! Most fly fishers will never use anything with a number above 6X. I can barely see a #24 fly, much less thread a tippet through the hook's eye. Even when I succeed, I need a magnifying glass to tie it off.

One other thought, what works going one way is apt to go the other when the lanes are reversed. If you happen to have a 3X tippet on the end of your leader and wonder what size fly might be the best, apply the 4-Rule: multiply 3, the tippet size, by 4. The suggested fly size is a #12.

You should understand that the 4-Rule is highly criticized by a number of fly fishers. Many prefer the 3-Rule. It works the same way. For that matter, you might want to use both -- the 4-Rule for bulky flies and the 3-Rule for slender flies. Whichever you prefer, be aware the numbers will not always come out even. When you apply the 4-Rule to a #10 fly, don't expect to tie-on a 2.5X tippet. Half-sizes don't exist! What to do? If the fly is slender, go with a 3X; if it's bulky try a 2X. The odds are, one of the two will properly tip over the fly before it settles to the water.

There are, of course, those folks who prefer no rules at all. I think of them as being one of the chosen few who are able to divine tippet size by communicating directly with the ancient Fish Gods or the Knot-Tiers. Unfortunately, I don't happen to have either talent. I need rules. Besides, I learned a long time ago that any rule is nothing more than a guide. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't!

Next up: More "Of Tippets, Leaders and Knots." The saga continues. Coming up -- leader/tippet diameters, breaking strengths, materials, knotless leaders and the other kind, the ones with lots of knots. God Bless.


© Copyright: Douglas G. Macnair, 1997-2003.