Should I invest in tippet rings?

Big fan here. I started using them sometime last July, and haven't retired a leader since. I now tie one and only one knot. The double Davey, which I find less tedious than counting wraps.
 
I’m actually not a fan of tippet rings. I have broken off more fish at the tippet ring knots than I have when just using a triple surgeon between leader and tippet. I’ve tried tippet rings several times now and just can’t go back. I’ve tried the double Davy and clinch knots to no avail. So my downside is losing fish.
 
I like tippet rings. I have a lot of fly rods.

My father and grandfather had a lot of fly rods and now I have all of theirs. I am experimenting more with leaders and have yet to figure out what is better.

All of them are actually pretty good between the furled, knotted, fluorocarbon, and good old nylon.

My casting is improving each and every time I fly fish.

That said, I do like the tippet rings.
 
I use micro swivels. Works well with streamers. Don´t use rings or swivels when I use a surface fly/popper.
 
They are a small investment that might save you money on leaders in the long run. I have used them about 6 years now while nymphing, and I only tie up a new leader a couple times a year or if I notice one looking ratty. Otherwise, just fresh tippet added to the ring. The really small ones can get sharp if you abuse them in rocks. I use the steelhead size when euro nymphing because of that. I use them streamer fishing too, but I concur with Zipper that a micro swivel, especially in big water with big streamer, outperforms there. The ring does allow you to line up from 5X to 3X in a minute to fish a bugger, though. They work even better for transitions between drastically different tippets, and they keep a bobber in place too. I can't say I have never used them to dry fly fish, being lazy or quick in the moment, but I can say I don't head out to dry fly fish with a tippet ring on. The biggest down side is one more connection to worry about. If you are confident in your knots, they are great. But like a poorly tied on fly (whether you are rushing or in low light or blind) the knot at the ring may fail too.
 
If I am just connecting tippet, I use surgeon or blood knot. However, if I want to droppers in a multi-fly rig, I will sometime use the rings.
 
I, too, am a fan of tippet rings. Use them on every leader I tie.
 
Count me in as a fan. I have no cons. Don’t buy the eBay cheap ones. the expensive ones are cheap enough And have rounded edges that don’t cut line.
 
The only place I use tippet rings is on furled leaders that come with them. However I also use woven silk leaders and in the beginning I used furled leaders withOUT tippet rings. Both of these types of leaders have a small loop on the end.

With the no tippet ring leaders, I just attach my tippet sub-sections to the leader with an Improved Clinch Knot which works just fine.

I don't bother with tippet rings on other leader types or use them specifically for the tippet section because I can tie a Blood Knot with almost no waste so replacing a shortened sub-section is no problem, or just adding a new long tippet to the shortened old tippet is also not a big deal to me.
 
Instead of a tippet ring, I instead tie a micro loop in my line. Works the same as a tippet ring but nothing to buy or fuss with, floats better, works well for me.

 
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afishinado said:
Instead of a tippet ring, I use a tie a micro loop in my line. Works the same as a tippet ring but nothing to buy or fuss with, floats better, works well for me.

Click to expand...
Awesome video and method. Thank you so much!
 
To me, they're most useful in winter. I can pre-rig a point fly and dropper on a tippet ring, so that when I get to stream, I only need to tie the tippet ring to the leader. Only one knot to tie with cold fingers instead of three. I'll usually make up two or three sets like that. If I lose those, I'm done for the day.
 
I use em all the time. Tying on a dropper I find far less entanglements using the rings.
 
I use a similar approach to afish’s video. I use a tapered braided leader for the butt and middle section of my leader, and a tie a tiny loop on the end of that, and then attach my tippet to that.

I get YEARS out of the braided section, just replace the tippet as warranted.
 
I use them and I can easily change my distance between nymphs and tie a tag off the ring for my droppers. When I was on a float trip the guide cut it off and attached tippet with a surgent knot.
I do like the micro loop video that afish posted. Have to give that one a try.

Always buy a quality ring and you won't have a problem with them. Some of the cheaper tippet rings have some rough areas that will cut into your tippet and cause it to break. Just some info from my past experience with them.
 
did not take time to read other replies...

Like many things ...to get your answer...
u need to commit & experiment to find out yourself..."time on the water "

The money to buy tippet rings is not much.

Buy them...commit to spending time with them.
AND....commit & PRACTICE to learning 2-3 knots that u need most often.
 
I started using them about 8 years ago and have never gone back to blood knot or surgeon knots to add tippet. I don't believe I have ever used the 1 mm. Only the 1.5 mm and 2.0 mm. I use the 1.5 mm with dry flies all season long and have never experienced any issues. Some of my dry fly elitist friends say they hinge the cast and the tippet does not land the same. I say poppycock and I do not believe they would be able to tell the difference if they were blindfolded. Others say it sinks the fly. That is total BS because they are so light that they don't even break the surface tension of the water.

I always immediately cut the welded loop on any new fly line and tie a 5 turn nail knot to which I add a dab of UV and zap it with the line. This provides a very smooth transition from the fly line to the butt of the leader. If you hook a big fish and have a leader longer than your rod the loop or nail knot can get stuck in the tip top resulting in either a lost fish or a broken tip. For my dry fly rods I buy a 9' 4X Rio leader to which I tie a 1.5 mm tippet ring. Then I add either a piece of 5X or 6X four feet long. As long as I don't have a catastrophic wind knot in the leader it will last me the life of the fly line. About two years. I just add a new tippet every day.

One thing some guys do that messes them up is to remove the tippet ring from the snap swivel before tying the end of your leader to it. It is virtually impossible to try and manipulate a tippet ring in your fingers once it is removed from the snap swivel.
 
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