8-9-10X tippet???

[wthorpe]

i was roaming around on the internet looking for information about fishing in north GA and western NC when i ran across a suggestion from a really good fly shop n NC to consider using 8x and 9x tippet. Fishing Forecast and Stream Conditions | Davidson River Outfitters Huh? Say what? I dont think i ever heard of such a thing. i have been carrying around the same spool of 6x so long the label has nearly worn off, and i am sort of barely aware that 7x exists. Then i wondered: does anyone make such a thing as 8 or 9x tippet? Rio? Nope. Not on their website. Trout Hunter? OMG, they sell 10X tippet in flouro although i do not see the size in mm or breaking strength.

Show of hands?! Who uses 8-9-10x?

 

[Ard]

7X became an item in my part of PA. in the early 90's sold by Umpqua. I spent a whole lotta time fishing some very tough spring creeks and never had need for anything tinier that 7X. That was tricky enough when you got a surprise fish.

 

[planettrout]

I have used 8x and 9x from Puglisi.Now, it is only offered down to 8x:

EP™ TIPPET MATERIAL Archives - Enrico Puglisi Flies

Trouthunter Fluorocarbon goes down to 10x:

TroutHunter Fluorocarbon Tippet - TroutHunter - Island Park, ID

I recommend using the heaviest tippet that you can get away with. Anything smaller than 7x is pushing it...


PT/TB

 

[joe_strummer]

I'll use a good bit of TroutHunter 6.5X and 7X fluoro from now through next spring. I have a spool of 8X, but stopped carrying it around after never using an inch of it.

The 10X is for aquarium fish. Neons are VErY leader-shy.

 

[gpwhitejr]

I have enough trouble seeing and tying 5x. I am thinking it won't be long before I am going to have to stick to bass and salt water, just for the heavier line.

 

[eastfly66]

Here is a pretty good article written by Davy Wotton on fishing fine tippet & midges you might find interesting. I fish 7X regulary , 8X if there is no current and I'm getting refusals on 7. It should also be noted a 14" trout would be a good fish in these waters, I wouldn't try it if they were 16 to 20 inch.

http://flyfishing-and-flytying.co.uk/articles/view/mastering_the_midge_I/

 

[jeffnc]

Came across this thread while net searching for a "gag" stocking stuffer gift for my fly fishing son. We're going to see who can land the biggest fish on 10x tippet.

But anyway, there are very different opinions on the matter. I got 2 rather different opinions from 2 different members of the US National Fly Fishing Team. First said he often catches even small wild fish in competition with 5x tippet, but virtually never goes smaller than 6x. The other said 6x is basically the heaviest he'd use, he uses 6.5x and even 7x when there are large fish present, and often 8x when he doesn't expect much over 14"-15" max or more typically 7-12". He feels the advantage in invisibility to fish, less drag, and quicker sinking of nymphs is worth the occasional breakoff, but then he's a professional fish fighter.

I personally don't have enough experience to know. I have caught a 15" fish on 8x though, and usually fish 6x.

Anyway, I'm going with the TroutHunter 10x and see if it's usable. I kind of think they only make it as a conversation piece, just to get the word of mouth and shock appeal on the fly shop floor.

 

[Acheron]

I've often read and heard directly from various fisherpeople and guides that you must use 7x in a few of our crystal clear, high pressure fisheries. I always laugh, then I use 5x to the first fly and 6x to the second on those waters. 5x is a bit too tight going into #20 and smaller flies, so I still use 6x for that. I even use 5x to #18/#20 dries to those fish, in slow moving water, with no issues.

After a lot of experience, I feel there is no sense in over playing large fish on light tippet and when I went with the approach of the heaviest tippet I could use instead of the lightest I could use, my catch rate increased.

The line diameter cutting through water is for pros who can't use split shot. If they could use split shot they would, it's the best tool for the job.

People toss streamers with 4x but you must use 7x with nymphs in the same water? ? As Flava Flav said back in the day...Don't believe the hype!!

I kind of think they only make it as a conversation piece, just to get the word of mouth and shock appeal on the fly shop floor.

Agreed! Unless you are catcing baby goldfish

 

[dr d]

trout hunter 008 - 009 - 010.i´ve them stored and tested because of tricky graylings...

but the buoyancy is ridiculous: 0,8 - 0,5 kg...

meanwhile i retrust my steelon 008/007 with 1,9/2,8 kg . that´s my lower limit.


have fun.

thomas

 

[trev]

Back in the '70s I fished a lot of clear still water for trout with 7X being about the largest tippet that would get hits and some days 8X or 9X would get bit a lot more often than 7X. You learn never to lift the rod to set the hook. IIRC the 8X was ~3/4# test and 9X was ~1/2# test, so the big drawback was in having to exhaust the fish or break it off. In those days of 'put & take' we ate them all so the exhaustion was kinda standard.
I would not recommend lighter than 5X for any catch and release fishing.

edit> I'll add that not all tippet is as small as the label suggests one company lists the diameter of 10x in mm that would convert to ~8X by the standards.

 

[timoteo]

Lighter tippets WILL help small dry flies float more naturally. A size 20 dry fly tied to a 5x tippet does not look natural. On a slow clear spring creek this might matter; on faster broken water maybe not. Always a trade off - better chance of landing a fish, versus better chance of hooking one in the first place.

 

[jeffnc]

edit> I'll add that not all tippet is as small as the label suggests one company lists the diameter of 10x in mm that would convert to ~8X by the standards.

That's true, in fact the cutoff point for accurate diameters on tippet is between 7-8X. That's where they start to cheat. A quality 7X will actually be .004". Then they just start making stuff up. So much so that there's a company that makes 13X, if you want a real joke. Obviously it is not 13X (by definition of the X system, 11X means 0 diameter.) With today's technology, it seems about .003" is about as small as they can manufacture and it still stays in one piece. Maybe someday they'll have a true 10X, we'll see. Just not right now.

 

[COTater]

I never fish anything smaller than 5x

 

[wthorpe]

I never fish anything smaller than 5x

Agreed. Almost 3 years ago, I wrote, "i have been carrying around the same spool of 6x so long the label has nearly worn off." Just ckd. Looks like i am still "using" it. I have caught any number of fairly smart, bigger fish over the years on 4 and 5 X. None on flat, slow spring creek type places but some on Henry's Fork Ranch and quite a few on big western lakes, all on dries (typically size 16-18+/-) on mostly 4 and sometimes 5 X tippet --and usually flouro by the way. Now that i am focussed on it, I might just try some 5 and 6 X and see what happens. If i catch more fish i will 'fess up! these days 4 and 5 X is so strong, i find i rarely lose fish to break offs unless a fish really kicks my butt in some rocks or weeds. If I hook a fish and lose it normally it's because of a poor hookset or fish just throws the barbless fly.

 

[proheli]

Of the different tippits, when I give them the eye test, it seems like Trout Hunter is thinner than the others in the 6, 6.5, 7x. It's why I've been sticking around 6.5x as my clear water/small fly tippit when I am in NC. However, I do think jeffnc has a great point about 5x not letting a #20 drift naturally. I think because of that, and high pressured waters, and lots of poaching, I will be moving down a size to let my fly drift more naturally. It makes me wonder if a loop knot in a small tippit size might be the way to go.

Any thoughts on a 7x loops knot for dry flys?

P.S. I just bought a dozen Trout Hunter leaders. In the cheapest, most disgusting manner possible, they do not put loops on the end of their leaders, they expect you to do it. So there you are standing in the middle of a stream and putting on a new leader, and all of the sudden trying to remember how to make a loop. What a friggen waste of time. So cheap, when they know 99% of everyone uses a loop. On top of that you waste 6" making the loop. No doubt the accountant said they could save 10 cents a loop if they didn't have the machine do it. Cheap @#$%terds.

 

[wthorpe]

Had exact same reaction to the TH leaders. I actually like the material a lot. It feels a bit more flexible than Rio leaders. And i can tie a great perfection loop -- sitting at a table at home. So what I did after finding out they did not have loops is open all 6 packs i bot and tie the loops in at one sitting and put the leaders bag in the packages taped back together. BUT, that's an unneeded nuisance. I've been told they do this for the benefit of folks who dont wanna use the loop. Really? Those folks cannot just clip the loop off? I am back to buying Rio leaders.

 

[proheli]

I've been told they do this for the benefit of folks who dont wanna use the loop. Really? Those folks cannot just clip the loop off? I am back to buying Rio leaders.

They know. And we aren‘t the only ones who won’t buy their leaders anymore. It could be that it is actually a surprising amount that it costs to add the loop. Still everyone else does it so it cant be that bad. Probably losing $2 dollars a leader so you can save a dime. Brainiacs.

 

[stenacron]

I never fish anything smaller than 5x

Same

 

[poorfox]

Lighter tippets WILL help small dry flies float more naturally. A size 20 dry fly tied to a 5x tippet does not look natural. On a slow clear spring creek this might matter; on faster broken water maybe not. Always a trade off - better chance of landing a fish, versus better chance of hooking one in the first place.

I fish 5x with 20s quite successfully on the Missouri, can’t quite make myself use 6x

 

[flytie09]

They make 13x…

Leader & Tippet - Other Brands at BEARSDEN.COM

If you fish tippet and flies that small….. you’re a masochist.

I do use 6x, 7X and 8x routinely.