Tippet is the portion of a leader with the smallest diameter. This is where the fly is attached to the leader. Because the taper of a leader is essential to effectively casting a fly, tippet also comes in spools. These spools, unlike leaders, are of constant diameter. The method of “X” rating tippet is based on “11” – the sum of the tippet’s “X” rating and the thousandths of an inch in diameter are 11. (5X tippet has a 0.006” diameter) Both the diameter of tippet and its composition are important.

Tippet is composed of two substances – monofilament and fluorocarbon. Monofilament was the first substance used and still is the most commonly used form of tippet. Monofilament has an inherently lower density than water and thus floats. It is typically used on floating lines for dry fly fishing or for nymph fishing. Fluorocarbon is the newer type of leader. It’s advantages lie in its clarity – it has a closer light refraction coefficient to that of water and is less visible underwater than nylon.

Because of the keen eyesight that fish have, it is important to consider the tippet’s diameter. Wary, highly-pressured fish should be given extra respect as well as finer tippet diameter, somewhere in the 6X – 8X range. Less wary fish, especially where a larger fish is likely, should be given larger tippet diameter in the 3X-5X range. Learning to fish with lighter tippet will teach better fish fighting and landing techniques.