How do I know what tip to use and when?

[flynnboy]

Hi

In a follow up to my previous questions about leaders, how do I know when to use my floating, intermediate, slow sink or fast sink tip? I would guess that it is conditions but what conditions suit which tip best ?

Thanks again for all of your help

[macd]

have a look at the conditions and make your best guess to start with. if you get a fish ;D ;D

if not:

then try different combos. big fly on the floater, tiny fly on a fast sink etc.

have a browse around the general board as there is a lot of stuff on tactics, reading water etc.

ross

[sagecaster]

A generalisation but :

• Summer Low water/Summer level- Floater
  
• Spring low water(cold)/- Intermediate
  
• Spring medium water, warming up - Intermediate
  
• Spring/Autumn med high/highish water- Sinkers
  

You have to then consider the depth and speed of water in the pool and the depth at which you expect the fish to be at.

In cold water you need to go down, the fish will not travel far to take the fly, and in warm water 50's and 60's F fish will travel quite far up through the water column to take a fly. This is a real simplification but something for you to work on.

[macd]

salmosalar.proboards80.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1175756355

salmosalar.proboards80.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1175403349

good generalisation from sagecaster, but if you you want to get into it in detail- check out these threads.

They might help or put you off for life ;D ;D ;D

macd

[flynnboy]

great stuff guys, thanks a million. It'll take me a while to digest all that but I hope it'll be fun and I live in hope, of a fish. I dare say that as I plough my way through the info' I'll have even more stupid questions for you. ;D

[macd]

Dont be hard on yourself flynn

there are no stupid questions, only stupid people. ;D ;D

keep the questions coming.

Tight lines

Ross

[ceilidh]

Assuming you don't have a queue of impatient anglers waiting to fish down behind you, you will sometimes find that it pays to change tips and or fly size as you fish down a pool. For example, if you are fishing a full floater and you notice your fly beginning to skate as you approach the faster water at the tail, change to an intermediate tip.