What Are Tippet Rings and How Do You Use Them?
Tippet rings are one of the simplest upgrades you can make to your fly fishing leader. They provide a dedicated connection point for your tippet, making leader adjustments quicker and extending the life of your leader. I use them on nearly every leader I build.
In this guide, you’ll learn
- What tippet rings are and why they’re worth using
- How I use tippet rings on my own leaders
- Which sizes work best for trout fishing
- How to tie a tippet ring to your leader
- Common mistakes to avoid
What are tippet rings?
Tippet rings are tiny metal rings that create a connection point between your leader and your tippet. Because they’re so small, they’re typically sold attached to a small wire swivel, making them much easier to handle and tie onto your leader. Once the ring is tied in place, you simply remove it from the wire and save the rest for later.
How I Use Tippet Rings
On my typical mono rig leader, I use two tippet rings. The first one connects my sighter to my leader. The second one is where I attach my tippet. Using a simple clinch knot, I can quickly and securely attach a level tippet section to complete my leader, where I add my flies.
This setup has a number of advantages:
- It eliminates the need to tie surgeon’s knots or blood knots constantly.
- My sighter stays intact, even with frequent adjustments.
- It’s easy to adapt to different fishing conditions on the water—a crucial factor when tightline or Euro nymphing.
Best Tippet Rings Size for Trout
Tippet rings are often sold pre-rigged on a small swivel, which makes them easy to clip onto your pack and keep within reach. For trout fishing, I stick with the 1 mm or 2 mm sizes. They’re small and light enough that they don’t interfere with casting or affect your drift, yet they’re still plenty strong for everyday trout applications.
How to Tie a Tippet Ring to Your Leader
Tying on a tippet ring is simple. Thread your leader through the ring and secure it with an Improved Clinch Knot. Once it’s tight, slide the ring off the wire holder and trim the tag end. Attach your tippet to the opposite side of the ring using another Improved Clinch Knot.
Warning: Why You Should Avoid Cheap Tippet Rings
However, it’s important to invest in quality rings. My go-to brands are Rio, Cortland, and Umpqua. I recently purchased an off-brand set from Amazon, only to find that the rings cut into my 6X fluorocarbon tippet, rendering them useless. Spending the extra money for quality tippet rings—which typically cost about $1.00 per ring—is well worth it. They last a long time and perform reliably.
Tippet Rings Provide Versatility Beyond Nymphing
Tippet rings aren’t just for nymphing. I use them on my dry fly leaders as well because they make it easy to replace tippet without rebuilding the entire leader. They’re especially useful when switching fly sizes or adjusting to a hatch. Best of all, they’re small enough that they don’t interfere with delicate presentations or spook wary trout.
Final Thoughts
Tippet rings may be small, but they’ve become a permanent part of the way I build leaders. They save time, simplify rigging, and help my leaders last longer. If you haven’t tried them yet, I think you’ll be surprised how quickly they become part of your own setup.
Continue Learning
Thanks for reading, and I hope this article helps you catch a few more trout.
Spend more time on the water.
Jeff Smecker
Founder, TroutStrike Fly Fishing, LLC
©TroutStrike Fly Fishing, LLC
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