Mission Statement

At Sipping Tippet, our mission is to create gear that helps protect our watersheds by reducing plastic pollution. We're here for the fish, for better days on the water, and for the generations of anglers yet to come.

Our Story

Our story started in Wyoming, during a massive salmon fly hatch. I cut a piece of tippet, slipped, and went straight into the water. Standing there, I said to Heidi, “How much tippet do you think ends up in the water from people switching flies and cutting line? There has to be a better way to do this.”

Heidi looked at me and said, “What about those pencil sharpeners that catch all the shavings? Why don’t we make something like that?”

And just like that, Sipping Tippet was born.

From that idea forward, we set out to create a better solution for anglers and for the places we love to fish. We researched what consumers want, what they need on the water, and most importantly, what we could do to help reduce plastic pollution in our rivers and streams.

Since then, we’ve designed multiple prototypes, tested different ideas, and spent countless evenings talking through problems, refining solutions, and improving every detail of the product. That process led us to our latest model: the Eco-Chamber Nipper, designed to help anglers cut and capture tippet instead of letting it end up in the water.

At Sipping Tippet, we believe great gear should do more than perform well. It should help protect the fisheries and wild places that make fly fishing possible in the first place. We also believe that anglers should have the right to repair their own gear.

We’re excited to bring the Eco-Chamber Nipper to market, and even more excited for you to be part of our story.

- Bennett & Heidi

What's wrong with current Nippers?

Most nippers do one thing: cut tippet. But they don't solve a bigger problem of managing tag ends.

Right now, when anglers trim leader or tippet, that excess line often ends up on the ground or in the water. Over time, these bits contribute to microplastic pollution, harming fish, aquatic insects, and the entire food chain.

Some brands have attempted to address this by designing products that manage waste line, but none have done it well. Most solutions are clunky, slow, or add extra steps that anglers don’t want to deal with on the water.

Here’s how our Nippers solve the problem.

Our Nippers cleanly cut and catch tag ends, keeping them out of the water and off the ground, protecting the places you love to fish.

Here are three evidence-backed reasons why littering microplastics, like fishing line, in streams and oceans is harmful

  • It Pollutes the Food Chain

    Studies indicate that around 60% of wild fish species ingest microplastics, with rates reaching as high as 90% in freshwater species.

    Microplastics in the Food Chain 

  • It Endangers Aquatic Wildlife

    The potential damage caused by macroplastics on a wide range of freshwater fauna is as yet undetermined, even though negative impacts have been well documented in similar marine species.

    Freshwater Plastic Pollution 

  • It Degrades Human Health

    Microplastics have recently been detected in drinking water as well as in drinking water sources. This presence has triggered discussions on possible implications for human health.

    Microplastics in freshwaters and drinking water