Free Fly Fishing Advice

I continue to see weird fly fishing information being provided in a variety of forums. Recently, I saw two questions posed by a couple of people and the answers they received were interesting, to say the least. The answers came from someone who claimed to be an “expert” on fly fishing. Sometimes, you should run from those that label themselves “experts.” I’m no expert and continue to learn.

One of the questions was to do with fly lines and the different types. The “expert” mentioned that there were a number of different types of fly lines, but then went on to discuss floating lines, and how a “piece of nylon” was then attached to the fly line. Attached to the “nylon are the flies which then sink.” No mention of dry fly fishing at all and flies that sit on top of the water.

Another question had to do with tippets. The “expert” that answered the question wrote that tippets were matched to the type and size of fish being targeted. Well, if 32 inch trout are taking size 20 flies, I’d love to see the “expert” use 2X tippet and get it through the eye of the hook. No, tippet size is matched to the size of the hook. If you’d like more information on tippets and what the ratings mean, over in the Beginner’s Corner of this site, I have an article about that has a chart you can use to match your tippet size to the hook size you are using. You’ll discover you don’t actually need to purchase every size of tippet material, most likely.

Hopefully it will clear up any confusion. If not, leave a comment and we’ll try to improve on the article.