One of things that seems to confuse novice fly fishers is the proper selection of leaders and tippets. Leaders for fly fishing are a tapered piece of monofilament or fluorocarbon, thicker in the butt and tapered to thinner at the front. This not only provides a separation from the fly line to the fly but also aids in casting the fly. The tippet is a piece of level monofilament or fluorocarbon about one or two feet in length that is added at the end of the leader. It must be the same diameter or one size smaller than the end of the leader. The tippet is primarily a sacrificial piece of line that allows you to cut off tangles or tie on new flies without shortening the tapered leader. By doing this you will extend the life or your leader. When the tippet gets too short, just add a new length and your leader remains intact. One of the common mistakes made is purchasing leaders/tippet based on breaking strength rather than fly size. Leaders/tippet are assigned an X designation based on diameter, the higher the number the finer the material. The size of the fly you are using should dictate the size of leader/tippet you use, not the size of the fish you are pursuing. The chart below is the rule of thumb for fly to leader ratio:
| TIPPET SIZE | DIAMETER (in.) | FLY SIZES |
| 8X | .003 | 24-26-28 |
| 7X | .004 | 20-22-24 |
| 6X | .005 | 16-18-20 |
| 5X | .006 | 14-16-18 |
| 4X | .007 | 10-12-14 |
| 3X | .008 | 8-10-12 |
| 2X | .009 | 6-8-10 |
| 1X | .010 | 4-6-8 |
| 0X | .011 | 2-4-6 |
The other common mistake made by fly fishers is the "mixing" of materials. That is using one brand of leader and a different brand of tippet. Even though they may be the same diameter and breaking strength the "hardness" of the materials can be different causing one to cut the other. If you use RIO leaders use RIO tippet, if you Climax leaders use Climax tippet etc.
