can't select 'stroke path' in photoshop CS6 to taper pen tool edges

i have option of stroke path but when i click its still not working .....................what should i do?

If I understand you correctly JimFro, you want to draw a path with the pen tool then apply a stroke that tapers to nothing using the path as your guide.

To do this in CS6:

First draw out your path, making sure to draw in the direction you want the line to fade to.

Then you need to create a new layer onto which your stroke will be drawn. Make sure you have it selected.

Next you need to set up your brush. Select the brush you wish to use (size, colour etc.) - then open the brush panel and under 'shape dynamics' select fade in the control for size jitter. then enter in pixels the distance you want to fade the stroke in. You'll probably have to trial & error this figure.

Finally in the path panel select the 'stroke path with brush' icon (second from left at the bottom of the panel) to apply the faded stroke to the selected layer.

I've just figured out while trying to stroke on a layer using ellipse shape.

Just select the shape with path selection tool and press ctrl+x then ctrl+v (just cut and paste it anywhere). Now the stroke options must be available.

Cheers

When you use the pen tool, make sure path is selected in the top right corner. You have it selected to shape not path

If its smart object, it wont work.

In your screenshot you have a shape layer selected. In order to stroke paths you need to either save the path if it's a shape layer and make a new blank layer to add the stroke

or make your path using the paths option instead of shapes and use a non shape layer, smart object, adjustment layer to put the stroke on. In other words the active layer needs to be a pixel layer (such as layer 3 in your screenshot) in order to stroke a path with one of the brush tools.