Tangled Tippet

[alliette]

I can fish a caddis all day without any trouble, but as soon as I put on an adams, blue-winged olive, or any other mayfly pattern end up with two feet of tippet all wound up in a knot. Is there a way to stop this from happening? (besides staying home...) Is the fly spinning in the air? on the water? both? My olive bead-headed buggers end up doing the same thing a lot of the time.

I've been using 5x and 6x most of the time. I was thinking it was from the current, but it has happened on the ponds as well.

Thanks,
kevin

[nhmacusr]

That's a tough question. Flies can spin in the air especially bigger hackled flies. Casting can also cause some of the problems. Could be a combination too. You can try stepping down a tippet size. A stiffer tippet can sometimes help. Have someone look at your casting or video tape yourself to see if there are any problems there.

[NH YOUNG GUN]

You do look a little odd when you cast.... but I look alright and the same thing happens to me... Mostly stimulators and BWO's. I bet if you started using worms it wouldnt spin as much...

NH YOUNG GUN

[Adam L.]

Read your post and 5x and 6x is way too light to be chucking buggers. Switch to 4x and you will notice improvement with the tangles. Same goes for mayflies. If you are tossing 12 and 14's on 6x the stiff hackle and the wings will make it spin in the air. I start with the largest tippet for the fly and only change if the fish are being picky. Also you can buy tippet material that is a little stiffer i.e. orvis super strong, and my favorite umpqua tippet. I find the cheaper cortland and SA is too limp for my liking. One last thing keep your false cast to a minimum.

[Gerry]

Kevin, you got some good advice in the other posts. To match tippet to fly size, use the "Rule of 3." Take the size of the fly and divide by three. Round up to next size for fractions. A size 12 fly would match to a 4X tippet, etc. Go down in tippet size for wary fish and go up a size or two for faster current and/or less wary fish.
Also, try slowing down your casting stroke with flies that "helicopter" and twist your leader.
Tight lines,
Gerry

[overmywaders]

Even with the rule of three, some fly designs twist leaders. For example, I can't use Orvis SS 4x on a #12 Fanwing, I need to use Maxima (very stiff) 3x.

I think the rule of three was less for balancing the fly to the tippet than allowing the fisherman to use heavier gut as the fly got larger. We don't need to use heavier anymore because our modern Nylon is so bloody strong. However, in 1949, IIRC, 5x Nylon had to meet "at least 1/2 lb test" (I use Orvis SS usually and at 5x it is rated for 4.75 lb test), while 6x was 3/8 lb test, and 7x only 1/4 lb test (whew, a 2lb fish would snap that quickly).

[al-v]

"...but as soon as I put on an adams, blue-winged olive, or any other mayfly pattern end up with two feet of tippet all wound up in a knot. Is there a way to stop this from happening?"

Besides your casting habits, wind, or length of tippet, your problem is caused -most likely- by hackle-tip wings and/or wing or hackle density, Kevin. Hackle-tips are tricky; they look good but, unless positioned at a certain separation angle and lined-up perfectly they'll cause the tippet to twist, more so if you are using a long one.

If you tie your own you may try: -select narrower (and softer) hackle tips, -line'em up perfectly, -fewer turns of hackle. But a more certain cure is to go with single wing.
Woodduck, hen or mallard fibers, as well as several types of hair can be tied by the tip (on the hook center, as single wing) and shaped with scissors once the fly is finished. You may also treat them with WaterShed at the same time, since the softer fibers (mallard, hen) do absorb water quickly.

Good luck!


Al