Tippet Rolls should be purchased as a priority if the budget fits, and so it should if you holster an array of small and large flies. I like to keep at least six different tippet / line spools at usual disposal, which in the long-run out weighs and pays purchasing multiple 'packaged tapered leaders' for every outing or so.
Two Butts and Four Tippets will take care of most all stillwater applications. When I refer to this, I'm noting that having the same materials that a tapered leader is made of, can easily save the day. I still purchase tapered leaders, but strictly for floating line butt sections. If you are purchasing tapered leaders for the breaking strength to immediately tie a fly to, there's a much more effective and efficient system to try.
Keeping The Taper Flow is key. So try purchasing tapered leaders that end in much heavier breaking strengths. This is the basics of constructing long leaders on floating lines, more so directed at indicator and 'presentation sensitive applications'. For myself, having to use tippet lighter than 4 pound flourocarbon rarely occurs. 4 / 6 / 8 / 10 pound flourocarbon spools will cover mostly all of your stillwater needs, while still being prepared for a large Rainbow to take. Some incredibly clear lakes may not agree, but that's OK.
Attaching Tippet Immediately to tapered leaders that end in 10 or 12 pound test will protect the tapered leader (now a butt section) from numerous tippet constructions and trimmings. Length is crucial in keeping the tapers correct to achieve controlled casting and turn-over. I rarely add pieces of tippet longer than 3.5 feet (42") to maintain turn over balance. Once again, another duplicate length of even lighter tippet can be attached to gain almost 8 feet of flourocarbon to your leader. As long as the tippets are equal in length and not too long, the formula of "thick to thin" is easy to construct and eventually cast.
THICK and THIN Lines will cause grief when trying to tie together, therefore keeping line to line knots within 4 pounds of each other will produce a low profile knot with superior breaking strength. I always use a 'triple surgeon's loop' to attach tippets 4 to 6 pound, and a 'double surgeon's loop' with lines 8 to 15 pound. There are other knots to attach tippets together with but I have found that indicators will slide over these knots problem free.
A Simple Example of a 16 foot leader construction, with a readily available 9 foot packaged leader is as follows:
A) A nail knotted 9 foot leader ending in 12 pound test tied to-
B) A 3.5 foot piece of 8 pound test flourocarbon tied to-
C) A 3.5 foot piece of 4 pound flourocarbon tippet.
-By purchasing a 12 or 15 foot leader ending in 10 or 12 pound test and the above formula will produce leaders as long as 22 feet, while still retaining a proper, cast-able taper.
Now just think how long your original packaged tapered leader will last. It is third down the list where the trimming takes place, even when adjusting to different tests and lengths.
*Large flies demand larger tippets. So making proper adjustments at the tippet end of things, and sometimes constructing shorter pieces will improve turnover quality and cause less break-offs. Generally, long leaders and larger or heavier flies don't get along. So adjusting things back (lengths and strengths) will make a huge improvement, when using long leaders and chucking big flies.
BRENT GILL
Lodge Manager / Stoney Lake Lodge.