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How to Reduce Drag - Part 3 (62 of 62)

There are times, especially when fishing a big fly in the wind, that you can get away with a tippet that is from 12 to 20 inches. However, in flat water, on calmer days, a longer tippet gives you more insurance against drag because your fly is less influenced by the heavier part of your leader as the longer tippet will land in loose coils which help reduce drag on your dry fly or nymph.
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Video Transcript:

Baby! Tomiano special.

When you're using your new Hydros reel, how long should your tippet be? Well, you know what? It doesn't have anything to do with the reel you have, the line you have, or the rod you have. It has to do with the conditions.

Today we're out in the Pampas, and the wind is really cranking.

I'm using the same tippet size that I used the other day when it was calm, but I'm using a much shorter tippet.

Here, where the water is broken up by the wind, you don't really need a long tippet. There's not much of a problem with drag in these conditions.

By shortening your tippet, it's going to be much easier to cast into the wind.

On the other hand, if you're fishing in calm, flat water where drag could be a problem, then you'll want a longer tippet.

The average tippet section is about 20 to 24 inches long. On calm, flat water, I'll go as long as five feet for my tippet length.

Here in this windy situation, I'm using the same tippet size, but I've shortened it to probably about 12 inches.

And that's all I need here. Choose your tippet length based on the conditions.