Kabutt, your comments about forum communication are accurate, in that tones can never really be conveyed well in writing, especially when folks are cranking out responses in between work emails and such. However, I will also add that this forum is a bit unique in that many of the members have met and fished together. Putting a face to name, observing forum members interact with others is very valuable when determining their creditibility, as well as their mannerisms on the forum.
My point? When you have time, try to join one of the outings. I know it's not everyone's thing and sometimes folks can only find time to fish and not socialize, but if you get a chance I can tell you it was fun. And I think even HA learned something at the last one, so these aren't just for the newbies.
All of the above said, I've only met HA once, but my brother has fished with him for years. Damn near killed him actually, but that didn't involve a rod. Still, HA was brave enough to mountain bike with my brother on another occasion, so he wins some points for bravery at least.
Tippet Rings: These rings are so tiny, the manufacturer actually draws a large arrow with a sharpie, to indicate where the rings are located in their package. Honestly, I doubt the titanium rings weigh much more than a bloodknot knot of 1x tippet.
To the OP, leaders are available with the tippet ring already connected. While I'm certainly no expert, my brother continues to fish them with excellent results. And he's been fishing a lot longer than mountain biking... There can be tradeoffs with any equipment, but he hasn't found these to be lacking in poerformance.
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