Tippet
What is tippet?
In fly fishing, the level section of line added to the thin end of a tapered leader, replaced as fly changes eat it away.
Tippet at a glance
- Sizing
- 0X (thick) to 7X (fine)
- Trout sizes
- 4X and 5X
- About 6 lb and 4.75 lb
- Rule of thumb
- X + hook size ≈ 10
- Material
- Nylon floats, fluoro sinks
Why do you need tippet at all?
A fly leader is tapered, so every time you cut a fly off and tie a new one on you are removing a little more of the thinnest end and moving up into thicker material. Within a few fly changes the leader no longer turns over properly and the fly lands with a splash.
Tippet is the fix: a spool of level line in a matching diameter that you tie onto the end and consume instead of the leader.
How does the X sizing system work?
Tippet is sized by the X system, which runs backwards. 0X is thick, 7X is hair-fine. Common trout sizes are 4X and 5X, roughly 6 and 4.75 pound test.
The old rule of thumb is that the X number plus the hook size should come to about 10, so a size 14 dry fly wants roughly 4X or 5X. It is not a law, but it gets you close without a chart.
Nylon or fluorocarbon tippet?
Fluorocarbon tippet sinks and hides better, which suits nymphs and streamers. Nylon tippet floats and is the usual choice for dry flies, where a sinking tippet drags the fly under and ruins the drift.
Carry 4X and 5X and you can fish nearly all trout water. Add a foot or two of fresh tippet whenever the leader gets noticeably shorter.
What this means when you’re choosing
- Two spools rather than a full set to start. 4X and 5X cover nearly all trout water, and the rest can wait until something specific demands it.
- A tippet ring or a well-tied blood knot at the leader join, so you are not rebuilding the taper every time.
- The date on the spool. Nylon tippet degrades on the shelf, and a spool from three seasons ago is not the pound test on the label.
The common mistake
Cutting into the leader instead of adding tippet
Skipping the extra knot feels efficient and quietly ruins the leader's taper, which is the thing making the fly land softly and straight. Four or five fly changes in, you are tying a size 16 dry to material meant to sit halfway up the leader, and the presentation falls apart. Tie on tippet first and spend that instead.
Common questions
What size tippet should I use for trout?
4X and 5X cover most trout fishing. A rough guide is that the X number plus the hook size should come to about 10, so a size 14 fly pairs with 4X or 5X.
What is the difference between leader and tippet?
The leader is the tapered section joining the fly line to the fly. Tippet is level line you add to the leader's thin end so that changing flies consumes the tippet instead of eating into the taper.
Where this comes up
The guides that use tippet and show it on real gear.
Last reviewed . Tippet is one of 222 terms in the fishing glossary.