Thread: breaking off is hard to do

OK,
I guess the good thing is I'm getting hits from bigger fish,but have started to have a problem with break offs. I'm losing more flys to the fish than the trees. I'm using flourocarbon tippetts usually 4x or 5x. I'm sure the problem is not that the break strength of the tippet is too low. I retie my tippet before I fish and replace it if it starts to get too short from switching flys. Most frustrating is everything seems to hold just fine when I snag the bottom or a tree. I'm using a double surgeons knot on the tippet and usually use a trilene knot to the fly. Any sense in switching to nylon tippet? Thanks for any help,Frogge.

Originally Posted by frogge

OK,
I guess the good thing is I'm getting hits from bigger fish,but have started to have a problem with break offs. I'm losing more flys to the fish than the trees. I'm using flourocarbon tippetts usually 4x or 5x. I'm sure the problem is not that the break strength of the tippet is too low. I retie my tippet before I fish and replace it if it starts to get too short from switching flys. Most frustrating is everything seems to hold just fine when I snag the bottom or a tree. I'm using a double surgeons knot on the tippet and usually use a trilene knot to the fly. Any sense in switching to nylon tippet? Thanks for any help,Frogge.

Could be a few factors here. You didn't mention where you're breaking off. Is it at the fly, at the knot, somewhere in the middle???

What rod are you using. It might be too stiff for your skill level. Maybe you need something softer that will be a bit more forgiving. You're possibly setting your hook too quick...

Please give more details.

Thanks

I use lots of 5x fluorocarbon. I piece together tippet and leader with a double surgeon's knot and use and improved clinch/cinch(?) knot to attach the fly. Always wet knots before tightening. Fluorocarbon does expire I believe. Sometimes the knots I tie pull right out while tightening but if they tighten up nice...they usually hold up very nicely.

thanks, I'm using a 5wt. white river rod from bass pro shops. I don't think it is the hook set, since I seem to be able to really yank on the rocks and trees. Most beak off are at the fly. When fising tandem rigs, either two nymphs or dry dropper, I usually use 4x on the first fly and 5x on the dropper. Most of the time I lose both flys which I figure means my knots stink, or the tippet material is damaged. I always "test" my knots before after retying. Must admit I land so few fish that I haven't routinely replaced tippet after each fish. Thanks, Frogge.

Froggie

You may want to try diffrent tippet it could be bad tipped or expired floro. Start by replacing the 4X first and see if still lose both flys or one. Something else worth considering is are you using commercially tied flies? If so check the eyes for rust that could be the issue. Even the slightest amount of rust on the eye of the hook will slice through tippet. Inspect your flys just to be certain and if it ends up that you are just setting the hook too hard go out and get some of Rios Shock Absorbing leaders Fly Lines, Fly Leaders, and Fly Fishing Accessories - Rio Shock Absorber or just put on a streamer to straight 15lb tippet if your lazy. If you start losing fish with the 15lb tippet you know its your knots.

I have had the same problems with floro, knots slipping at surgeons connection. I went back to using straight mono. sometimes if you use two different brands of floro they are just not compatable, or mono to floro the same thing happens. Ive had some luck using a triple surgeons knot, or an extra turn on the cinch knot . good luck

What about your drag? Is it set right for the size tippet you are using? Its an elementary suggestion, but it something that wouldn't show up until you started catching the biguns.

From my own experience, the problem is sometimes caused by a simple wind knot which winds up close to the one used to tie the fly on. When it breaks, and you see that your tippet looks to be about the same length, one automatically assumes it was the knot used to tie the fly on that failed. Nobody makes perfect casts every time and you might just want to check for wind knots every so often.

Seems like most of the guys use a double surgeons knot. I've always tied a triple surgeons. I feel the improved clinch is a must.

Frogge... a couple of other pointers which relate to how you fight the fish.

are you breaking them off on the hook set or later in the fight? If it is the hook set you might try a slip strike or thinik lift the rod rather than set the hook ala bass masters. Also... let a big fish have at for the first run don't try and put too much pressure on them unless there are obsticles in the water he can break you off on or if you can't follow him downstream. Finally... keep a bit of a supple wrist when fighting the fish. If you feel a sudden strong pull let your wrist "break" tipping the rod more parallel to the water for an instant. Relieves the pressure and also the drag to more easier do it's trick.

Finally a little more experience and you'll know better the breaking point of your tippet. Good luck and hope this helps.

It maybe something as simple as not adding saliva to your tippet as you begin to pull it taught.

I learned that lesson the hard way.

The knot my seem tight even as you pull on it, but over time it can loosen and when you have the extreme stress on the tippet when you play a fish it can unravel.

next time it happens to you, look at the end of your tippet, if it has curly twists to it.. your knot just simply untied.

The saliva reduces the friction of the material allowing you pull bind it tight.

As always, lost more than a few from a poorly tied knot.

AK Skim

Thanks to everyone who offered advice. 90% of my problem was poor knots. I'm now testing them before casting. I've had a couple of breakoffs that were immediate and I think form too much stress on a light tippet(6X). Unfortunately I recently have solved the problem by not getting any hook ups. I'm working on tying good knots and testing them and am optimistic that this will minimize the problem. Thanks again, Frogge.