Leaders-mono, fluoro or furled

[turfdawg]

Just wondering what type of leaders everyone uses. I have been using Cutthroat thread leaders and Feather Craft furled mono leaders for awhile now but think I am just going to start using just the regular tapered leaders again. I do like the tippet rings that are on my other leaders  so I think instead of blood knots or surgeons knots I will put tippet rings on some 3X and just add my tippet to the rings. Does anyone just buy mono leaders then add fluorocarbon tippet on to them? If I do start using them I think I am going to the New Zeeland Strike Indicators also.


Thanks, Bill 

[jonbo]

I use a 2x or 3x tapered mono leader, tippet ring, then usually 5x tippet. I have some floro still in 5x, but when I run out I may just go back to mono. It's so much cheaper. Frank gave us all a long euro-leader at Evan's presentation. I plan to play around with that a little, but euro-nymphing's so different I doubt I'll use that for anything else. I bought a furled leader once, made by that Cutthroat company. I think it's probably a real good leader, but I could never figure out how to use it right. I actually saw it scare trout away!

[hankinsfly]

I have started tying my own tapered leaders, partly because those knotless ones wear out and are expensive, but also I can make a better product myself and I just like to make stuff. But especially with fluoro, you will save money tying your own. The price of a few knotless fluoro leaders will get you a 200-yard spool of Seaguar fluoro. I fish all fluoro when swinging wets and streamers. I like a butt section of mono and the rest fluoro for lots of dead-drift approaches, usually all mono for dries or maybe a tippet of light fluoro.

[mirvc17]

I usually do what jonbo does. I usually buy 7.5' 3X mono tapered leaders and then tie on a tippet ring and attach fluoro. If you wanted a longer leader, you can buy a 9 footer and go from there.

I keep some 9' 5X ones for dry flies or if I just need a new leader. Tippet rings will/should float due to the surface tension of the water or you can also grease them a little bit too if you make the switch to a dry fly. I like the new Rio Powerflex Plus leaders (and tippet too). The new mono tippet is stronger, more abrasion resistant, and you get more of it but I primarily use Rio Fluoro. It never degrades. I want to give the new mono a try though.

I have a couple of Cutthroat Furled leaders but don't use them much. The dry fly leader turns over beautifully, but it sprays a bit more than nylon and you have to maintain it after a while with some Payette Paste. It doesn't do well nymphing, so you wind up having to switch leaders. The hi-vis nymph leader would be OK for normal streams, but not so great when you need to get really deep.

The worse leader I've ever used was an Orvis Super Strong tapered leader--might have been ok for dry flies but couldn't turn over a medium weight nymph ring worth a darn. I'm not sure about their new leaders (Super Strong Plus)--maybe it's better.

Fluoro leaders for trout just aren't worth the cost IMO.

I've tied some of my own leaders in the past--maybe it's time to try it again. Maxima Chameleon I do like....

[turfdawg]

Why do I feel the need?
I watched a video on a nymph leader that I liked. I guess I will be buying red amnesia, maxima chameleon, large and small tippet rings and some 3x fluorocarbon.
2' of the amnesia, 3' of 12 lb maxima [large area to place indicator], large tippet ring, 4' of 3x fluoro, small tippet ring and then 12-18" of 4x or 5x tippet.

[jonbo]

Man, I've got Amnesia, Chameleon, and still end up just buying a tapered leader and putting a tippet ring on the end.

[golferjeff]

C'mon, if you are fishing for stockers, just use the butt section of any leader and tie 6-8' foot of fluoro to it and go fishing. Vanish works great. If the fish are really picky, I may tie some 6x tippet to the 4 lb. fluoro. You guys are overthinking this!

Now when I got to Colorado or Utah, THEN I match my leader to the water type. Especially the heavier pressured areas like the South Platte or the Taylor C&R.

[turfdawg]

C'mon Jeff, tying me a cool leader will be like peeing on yourself wearing black pants. It will give me a warm feeling even if nobody else notices.

[jonbo]

Overthinking. It's what we do. How do you think we became fly-fishermen, for Pete's sake!?

[hankinsfly]

That's right, if there wasn't a little bit of over-thinking, I'd be throwing rooster tails! But I'm still way too good to fish power bait....... 😏

[breeden3]

Just depends on the fish I am going after. If I am going after trout in the 10lb plus range, I will build my own leaders. If I am just going after trout in general, I just use a tapered leader and adjust my tippet accordingly, even on heavily pressured fisheries.

[troutbum54]

I like to tie my own flouro leaders! I happen to have a bit of seaguar red label for carp, stripers, and smallies since 8lb+ range red label is seemingly a lot cheaper than tippet for 200 yards. The only time I'm throwing mono on the butt end is with my 8wt since I have large spools of 50lb and 30lb Berkeley big game mono from my grandfather (it's some great butt section for heavy streamers)

[turfdawg]

Jan 31, 2017 21:49:15 GMT -6 breeden3 said:

Just depends on the fish I am going after. If I am going after trout in the 10lb plus range, I will build my own leaders. If I am just going after trout in general, I just use a tapered leader and adjust my tippet accordingly, even on heavily pressured fisheries.

See people, this just proves my point!!!!!
This is why Peter and Jeff don't catch many fish, because they just use regular tapered leaders. If they tied their own nymphing leaders they might catch some fish.  

[golferjeff]

Peter and I will be attending a class taught by Stephen, Jon, JP, and Bill to learn the intricacies of tying a 17 foot leader tapered to 8x in order to catch some fish finally. IN fact, I am going to ask the Missus if she doesn't mind me having a whole room in the new house just set up for tying leaders. I think she will be OK with that (Uh, no).

Cool discussion though. Maybe someday when I am residing in Creede for the summer I will tie some leaders....

[mirvc17]

Woah woah woah, my leaders are at least 20 feet long...

And usually terminate in 9X...

[hankinsfly]

You're going to end up re-constructing leaders after a while anyway. To each his own!

[troutbum54]

If you're not running 25 feet of leader to 10x, you're not catching fish!

[troutbum54]

Along with that you'll need to fish a 000wt and size 32 flies

[kingnothing]

Feb 2, 2017 11:03:44 GMT -6 mirvc17 said:

Woah woah woah, my leaders are at least 20 feet long...

And usually terminate in 9X...

Same here, but I like to add 18 to 22.5 inches of 12x flouro, especially when fishing size 40 to 44 midges. 

[turfdawg]

drop shot leader anyone? www.slideinn.com/drop-shot-system-sliding-dropper-loop/

[jonbo]

Turfdawg, I tried something like that awhile back, didn't get too far with it.

I was wondering, though, what other people do while dry-dropper fishing when their dropper fly is something tiny like a midge emerger in a 22-24 or even an RS2 in like a 20. Every time I try it the dropper fly just sits at the surface. It won't break through the film and drift underwater, but sits there like I'm trying to fish 2 dries. I've tried adding a splitshot, but I can't get one small enough that it won't want to drag my dry under and still stay on the tippet. I've got some really really small splitshot from somewhere but I can't get them to stay on the tippet. The worst thing is, my 18" 6x dropper tippet, being a short little thing it tends to coil up a little so I have my dry with this coil of tippet floating around or next to it on the surface. Not what I want at all.

I'm thinking the next time I fish I'll bring some of the smallest tungsten beads I have (2 mm, I think). I'll run them as a sliding sinker on the tippet of the dropper. Maybe they won't be too heavy, but will be -just right! Anyone have a better idea?

[turfdawg]

If they are hitting something on top then I try to use something on the large size out of foam then the dropper with some split off of the tag end or just the Palsa stick on indicators or yarn with the split on the tag end. I thing I use a 6 split. Those green colored/coated egg split shot seem to stay on better without slipping. I have heard that the "Sinkit & Xink" will help the droppers sink without weight but I have never tried any.

[stephenl]

I have been using furled leaders for a few years now. I make my own.

[jonbo]

I just ordered from Tactical Fly Fisher a 20' (I think) Euro-leader, just in time to try out over the Memorial Weekend. I want to see if I can cast it just a little as opposed to basically dabbing it around as I have when I've "Euro-ed" so far. I want to see if I can extend my reach at least by a speck. Say like a 20' cast!? The trouble is (maybe?), the rod I'm using is a 10' TFO BVK 4wt. I think it may have a faster action than other euro-rods and therefore harder to cast or lob or whatever, the rig. What's wierd is hardly being able to cast AT ALL, I've found the euro-system pretty effective. The dadgum fish will bite right at your feet, practically, a lot of the time. I don't know. It's slightly unsatisfying, just kind of dabbing the rig around. I'll let y'all know!

[hankinsfly]

Jon, I agree with that statement. Euro'ing is another tactic to keep in the skill skill set, but the absence of a real cast leaves much to be desired.