tapered fly leaders?

[pegasus bridge]

i have been using brought knotless tapered fly leaders, but would like a go at tying them myself, so ; couple of questions

would standard mono be ok to use? (got some to use) i was going to do 3ft 12lb, 3ft 8lb and 3ft 4lb to the fly - does this sound ok?

[hushpower]

I just use a straight lenght of 4lb for the leader for general reservoir trout fishing and have had no problems and have caught plenty,alot easier an quicker to use,hope this helps.If you are going to fish aspecialised big fish water obviousley you have got to scale up.

Edited June 22, 2012 by hushpower

[pegasus bridge]

do you find this ok for turning the fly over? do you get many tangles/ casting knots ?

 

cheers

[utectok]

Straight 6.6 lb on stockies for me tapered for brownies dry fly etc 12lb 6lb 4lb or sommat 4" 3" and 2" will do for normal fishing bit longer sometimes

[pegasus bridge]

cheers, its just for occasional still waters and stockies - i will give this a go.

[chefy]

Straight 6.6 lb on stockies for me tapered for brownies dry fly etc 12lb 6lb 4lb or sommat 4" 3" and 2" will do for normal fishing bit longer sometimes

[Dunkield]

You could give furled leaders a try? you just attach your tippet to the end.

For example:

http://www.thehighlanderway.com/online_sales.html

[pegasus bridge]

You could give furled leaders a try? you just attach your tippet to the end.

For example:

http://www.thehighlanderway.com/online_sales.html

 

 

hmmm, now i am confused! they look like a braid, i thought the idea with a leader was to (as well as turning the fly) reduce the visibility to the fish? wouldn't a furled leader just be like using a short leader onto the fly line? apologies if these are daft questions... this is a all fairly new to me.

[wymberley]

i have been using brought knotless tapered fly leaders, but would like a go at tying them myself, so ; couple of questions

would standard mono be ok to use? (got some to use) i was going to do 3ft 12lb, 3ft 8lb and 3ft 4lb to the fly - does this sound ok?

 

I'm still a novice and find that works for me except in one lake the fish are quite large so I end with 6lbs. I think really, it's whatever you fancy but I quite enjoy making them up. Also, as a novice, it does no harm to frequently check for unintended knots in the leaders. Have to say these poly leaders are quite good too.

[kent]

Heres how i do it, adjust diameters (in propotion) for lighter tippets with lighter rods. alternatively step up for a more powerful one. You must use the same mono throught and NOT stiff stuff, so called wind knots are a casting fault never due to limp line (infact the line shouls match your flyline tip at the Butt of your leader and idealy be as close to its suppleness. ITS ALL ABOUT SMOOTH POWER TRANSFER! berkley big game clear or clear maxima spinning lines are ammong the best available IMO

 

for a 9ft leader 50lb 4 1/2 ft, 40lb 1 ft, 30lb 1ft, 20lb 6", 12lb -8lb 1 1/2ft- 2ft.

 

If you wish to make a longer leader you increase the Butt section via the first two lengths only so a 12 ft leader might start with 6ft and 2ft respectively.

 

i am not a great believer in overly long leaders as any plus they come with generally carry minus points to balance them. I much preffer under these circumstances to fish a lighter AFTM rating instead

[Gillaroo]

cheers, its just for occasional still waters and stockies - i will give this a go.

 

Straight through 18-24ft of Grand Max Soft Plus in 13.7lb for me unless I'm on the dries. Droppers are usually 6ft apart for 3 flies and 5 ft apart for 4.

 

No need whatsoever for tapered leader for "occasional still waters and stockies" IMO.

 

Cheers

 

Gillaroo

[pegasus bridge]

Straight through 18-24ft of Grand Max Soft Plus in 13.7lb for me unless I'm on the dries. Droppers are usually 6ft apart for 3 flies and 5 ft apart for 4.

 

No need whatsoever for tapered leader for "occasional still waters and stockies" IMO.

 

Cheers

 

Gillaroo

i think i'm going to need some more practice before i can work up to a leader that long, 12ft with one dropper on is about as much as i could comfortably handle at the moment.

[Gillaroo]

i think i'm going to need some more practice before i can work up to a leader that long, 12ft with one dropper on is about as much as i could comfortably handle at the moment.

 

So long as the leader is balanced (ie you haven't got a heavier fly on your dropper than your point) I would bet you could go to at least 15ft to include a dropper or 2 with the 13.7lb Soft Plus leader. At 12ft no need to taper at all for what you are doing - just look at stopping your line at the last second on the forward cast to turn everything over. PM me if you need any help.

Cheers

Gillaroo

[kent]

So long as the leader is balanced (ie you haven't got a heavier fly on your dropper than your point) I would bet you could go to at least 15ft to include a dropper or 2 with the 13.7lb Soft Plus leader. At 12ft no need to taper at all for what you are doing - just look at stopping your line at the last second on the forward cast to turn everything over. PM me if you need any help.

Cheers

Gillaroo

 

actually diameter caries turn over energy, as the energy diminishes so must the diameter (hence taper) a competant caster can combat the need some though cannot remove it especially on longer casts and into headwinds. The other side of this is when fishing a single point fly it gives a finer tippet section for steath. Try rolling a nine foot tapered leader over back and forth by hand without a fly line or rod then try the same with a length of 6lb mono with a fly and the hook cut off at the bend. Its the same reason that fly lines have a front taper

[Gillaroo]

actually diameter caries turn over energy, as the energy diminishes so must the diameter (hence taper) a competant caster can combat the need some though cannot remove it especially on longer casts and into headwinds. The other side of this is when fishing a single point fly it gives a finer tippet section for steath. Try rolling a nine foot tapered leader over back and forth by hand without a fly line or rod then try the same with a length of 6lb mono with a fly and the hook cut off at the bend. Its the same reason that fly lines have a front taper

 

Agreed Kent BUT he is managing a 12ft leader with a dropper for the occasional stillwaters and stockies. Why complicate things? I took a novice out on Saturday and in no time he was handling a slow glass with a 15ft straight through leader and three flies on a balanced set up.

[utectok]

9-12' is plenty long enough for most stuff one dropper means you might have flies in the water longer and less time in a three fly tangle watching fish not fishing for them.

But each to his own

[kent]

Agreed Kent BUT he is managing a 12ft leader with a dropper for the occasional stillwaters and stockies. Why complicate things? I took a novice out on Saturday and in no time he was handling a slow glass with a 15ft straight through leader and three flies on a balanced set up.

 

each to his own, who unpicked the casting knots?

[Gillaroo]

No need Kent using the 13.7lb soft plus! It's only .235mm so same diameter as Fulling Mill 7lb and knots and tangles slip out easily compared to other leader materials. It is the go to leader for most people I fish with - a double up of Bewl blues on anything else and you're in trouble. If a novice (not a complete beginner) can be shown to open up the loop, short line (20 yards) and roll cast in front of a drifting boat why would they be getting tangles? No need to hit the horizon and the same would apply for a novice fishing stocked stillwaters.

 

It seems by your emoticon you think I don't know what I'm on about?

 

Cheers

 

Gillaroo

Edited July 11, 2012 by Gillaroo

[utectok]

I'm a big fan of seaguar Fluoro doesn't tangle and magic knot strength

[kent]

No need Kent using the 13.7lb soft plus! It's only .235mm so same diameter as Fulling Mill 7lb and knots and tangles slip out easily compared to other leader materials. It is the go to leader for most people I fish with - a double up of Bewl blues on anything else and you're in trouble. If a novice (not a complete beginner) can be shown to open up the loop, short line (20 yards) and roll cast in front of a drifting boat why would they be getting tangles? No need to hit the horizon and the same would apply for a novice fishing stocked stillwaters.

 

It seems by your emoticon you think I don't know what I'm on about?

 

Cheers

 

Gillaroo

 

no mate, the quote "knots and tangles slip out" did that

[kent]

I'm a big fan of seaguar Fluoro doesn't tangle and magic knot strength

 

Interesting stuff is fluorocarbon. A 5% nick in std leader might loose it 95% of its tensile strength but in this stuff its just 5%. its also very slippy and dont take well to the same knots though if you use the appropriate ones its very good. (doesn't tangle) is always relitive on the type of tangle, it is however quite stiff, some believe this makes turnover better - i don't buy that though as i think diamerter and the same degree of softness is key. Oh not to mention a bit of knoledge on what creates a bad turnover in the first place. when in a "wind knot" itself a misnomer it holds far more stregth than mono that sizzors itself under pressure

[Gillaroo]

no mate, the quote "knots and tangles slip out" did that

 

Meaning what exactly?

As you mention it is slippery and the soft plus is... yes you've guessed it... softer.

I should know as the team I fish for to national and international level is sponsored by them.

Cheers

Gillaroo

[kent]

Meaning what exactly?

As you mention it is slippery and the soft plus is... yes you've guessed it... softer.

I should know as the team I fish for to national and international level is sponsored by them.

Cheers

Gillaroo

Thats very good, is it like the dog men that don't feed thier own dogs on the food they push through sponsorship deals?

 

 

I think i have already said that profficient casters can overcome alsorts but advising the people who need to ask to use over long level leaders is just plain wrong IMO. your welcome to your own opinion of course.

 

flicking little roll casts loch style is just as extreame as fishing 3Ft tippets on a Teeny sinker. Do we advise using 3ft tippets and no leader on the basis to all? Nope!

[billytheghillie]

just use the same breaking strain all the way down. i would advise against flourocarbon as this stuff can be very brittle. i use maxima and have done all my life and never let me down. i am a professional ghillie and have tried all brands and keep going back to maxima.

[Gillaroo]

Thats very good, is it like the dog men that don't feed thier own dogs on the food they push through sponsorship deals?

 

Sorry Kent but that is an unbelievably stupid comment! The main difference being is that we do use it as do the majority of competition anglers I know because it is the best. Even if I wasn't sponsored I would use it and gladly recommend it. I also use TT floating lines and the Predator for which I am sponsored as I rate these the best in class but carry around 20 lines on a day out in the boat including Cortland (blue, ghost tip), SA(SSI, WC etc), Rio (midge tip, T-11 custom cut etc), Airflo (Slow/Fast glass and Di2 through to Di8) and Scierra (Aqua Tip). I have used these lines in both individual and team events including National and International finals but will still take the majority out on a pleasure day on any major reservoir as it gives me the armoury of tactics to work out what works best on any given day.

 

The problem with textbook anglers is that they are exactly that and will happily lend advice gleaned from studies such as your 5% nick theory (which I doubt was your own experiment) rather than get on the water and offer advice based on real experience and knowledge gained. We spend hours on the water trying to find fly fishing solutions rather than Googling them - remember I fish with and against some of the most innovative anglers out there so at least my opinion is based on what I know to work (or not as the case may be). Look at what gives you an edge and then improve it - same goes for all sport.

 

So I have let you know my fly fishing experience (for trout anyway) so let's hear yours Kent or at least tell us which website gave you your 5% theory or surprise me and say you carried the test out in your own lab.

 

Go back to your textbook or get on the water and tell us something we don't know rather than offer sly comments regarding me and any sponsorship I have earned.

 

Cheers

 

Gillaroo

 

PS to Pegasus Bridge - If you want me to tie up a couple of leaders PM me your address and you can give the Soft Plus a go. If you feel happy with 12ft I'll do that and if you tell me where and how you like to fish I'll tie on some flies as well. The Sexy Loops site is also worth a look to iron out any casting issues... http://www.sexyloops.com/movies/flycastingstandard.shtml as I am sure Kent knows.