CatskillKid
Either you're dirty, or you're not.
I'm going to start this post off with a research piece I did a while back. Once we get going and we get some replies, I'm going to at some point post THE BIBLE on Leader Formulas. I'm hoping that folks will read this and more experienced anglers will post their favorite leader formulas for making hand tied leaders. I will look at the formulas 'yall present and test/evaluate them. Maybe one will even get added to the Bible.
But first, let's establish basic theory on leader. I've read a lot of stuff on this topic but obviously I had to do my own research because everything I ever read was inconslusive at best. Some companies put out books on this subject and they flat out miss the mark because they clearly don't have the insight and they subscribe to a certain way of thinking as factual when it really and truly isn't. So, here's where this post starts. Please post your favorite formulas for tying leaders in the pages to follow...also, pleaese critique what I've presented here if you so feel inclined.
Nymph
But first, let's establish basic theory on leader. I've read a lot of stuff on this topic but obviously I had to do my own research because everything I ever read was inconslusive at best. Some companies put out books on this subject and they flat out miss the mark because they clearly don't have the insight and they subscribe to a certain way of thinking as factual when it really and truly isn't. So, here's where this post starts. Please post your favorite formulas for tying leaders in the pages to follow...also, pleaese critique what I've presented here if you so feel inclined.
Leader Design
By the Catskill Kid
By the Catskill Kid
All fly fisherman must make one of three simple choice: Buy leaders and use them as they are, buy leaders and adjust them, or buy leader material and make their own. Depending on the choice made, there are basic issues to be aware of, such as material selection, cost, effectiveness and ease of changing the leader to adapt to conditions on the river. In this seminar, we'll look at materials, philosophies and formulas.
Since we want to fish in water, we must select materials that work well in water. Two key terms must be considered by the fly-fisherman. Specific Gravity and Index of Refraction. I often hear people in the fly fishing industry say, don't get too technical with the customers, you'll only confuse them. Well I for one don't like the implication that my customers should buy something just because I said so and for that reason, I will get technical for your benefit and to ensure that I don't cheat you or shoot under you in any way.
Specific Gravity is the measure of the density of a mineral. It is a unitless measure because specific gravity is derived from the density of the mineral divided by the density of water and thus all units cancel. The SG of water is 1 gram per cubic centimeter. An SG of 2 would be twice as dense as water and an SG of 3 would be 3 times as dense. Leaders for dry flies should have a SG near that of water. The closer the SG to 1, the better it will float. Sub surface leaders should like to sink and not resist sinking.
The Index of Refraction of a material is the ratio of the velocity of light in a vacuum to that of the material or: n=c/v where n is the index of refraction value of a material, c is the speed of light in a vacuum and v is the speed of light in a material. The net velocity of light in a material is decreased because of continual absorption and reemission of the light wave by atoms that it encounters. The light wave energy absorbed sets electrons in the atoms into vibrational motion. This energy is then remitted as an electromagnetic wave with the same frequency of the original wave. The index of refraction usually increases as the physical density of the material increases. Ice floats on water. Ice has a refraction index of 1.31 Water is 1.33 Light travels faster through ice because the optical density of ice is less than that of water. Leaders made of certain materials will be more invisible in water than others, depending upon how close their refraction index is to that of water, or 1.33
Leader materials are absolutely crucial to leader performance. 40 years ago, your elders soaked animal intestine in water for several hours before they became limber enough to lie out straight and cast. These early leaders were replaced by early monofilaments, the most popular made by Dupont and the Mason Company. These monofilaments were extremely porous, absorbing up to 30 percent of their mass in water when wet and thus scoring 30 percent worse in a knot strength test when wet. Modern monofilaments are much less porous, and thus only score 3 to 5 percent lower when wet. Modern monofilaments have a specific gravity of around 1.14, which is very close to that of water's 1.0 . The Refraction Index of modern monofilaments is 1.72, which is pretty far off from water's RI of 1.33 . Therefore, they tend to cast a visible (to fish) shadow when floating on the surface. Modern dulling techniques include substances like Orvis Mud or rubbing your tippet on a leaf to dull it up and take some of the glare off from its surface. However, to not cast a shadow in daylight, fly-fishermen ultimately have to use finer and finer diameters of modern monofilament tippet material. The theory is that by making the diameter extremely thin, they don't cast nearly as thick a shadow and trout don't notice. Of course, could it be that the trout are leader shy for other reasons? In fact, they are. Finer diameter tippets allow the flies to float freely in the micro currents that surround them, acting as a shock absorber, which allows the fly to drift more realistically and thus makes it work better. Fish that see lots of flies become leader shy and thin tippets help to fool them more often. Of course, the right fly pattern is important too, as is whether or not the surface of the water is flat or broken. The more broken, the heavier the tippet one can use and the less sparse the fly pattern is. Also, the less sun light, the heavier the tippet one can use.
Speaking of sun, the much has been made of the effect the sun's ultraviolet light rays have in breaking down monofilament materials, eventually disintegrating them. Fishermen are pleased by the environmental impact of this fact but wary of purchasing out-dated material, which would break if sneezed upon, let alone used!
Another material, Fluorocarbon, is impervious to UV light effects and has a specific gravity of 1.26, which is significantly heavier than water and thus makes this material particularly attractive for sub surface fishing. The refraction index of fluorocarbon is 1.46, which is a lot closer to that of water than monofilament is. This makes Fluorocarbon nearly invisible in water, especially on overcast days when there is less light to magnify the difference. Fluorocarbon is much more abrasion resistant than the softer monofilaments and is much stiffer, which make it preferable for saltwater fishing as well. I would definitely not recommend this material for surface fishing, as a whole leader made of it will sink your fly. Fluorocarbon is also much too stiff to absorb micro drag like a Monofilament leader and tippet can. Also, Fluorocarbon is three times the cost of Monofilament, which makes it less attractive for sure. However, if you fish with nymphs, wets, streamers or like saltwater fly-fishing, this material is an absolute must and you should make entire leaders out of it, or at least mid sections and tippets. A side note applies here, anglers who choose to use this material should take great care not to litter it because it doesn't de-compose.
<TABLE borderColor=#000000 cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=7 width=696 border=1><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="25%">Material Examined
Recently, leaders called "Turnover" or "Poly" leaders have appeared on the market. They are made by coating a monofilament core with polyethylene. Bigger in diameter than monofilament leaders, they as they are less dense, they have a lower specific gravity, in fact the ones that are pure poly minus a mono core actually float. Because they have greater mass than mono leaders, they tend to out "punch" any leader ever made. The inherent problem with them is that, due their greater mass, they land on the water with a tremendous splash. Also, tippets must be looped to the mono core which creates a hinge, and for those that loop them to their lines, a second hinge. This makes casting more difficult and also creates several chances per presentation of having the fly snag on the looped connections. Poly leaders with short fluorocarbon tippets are very good for casting streamers or bulky nymphs and on windy days they can make life a lot easier.
Another type of leader has been around for a bit longer, it is called a "Braided" leader and is made of braided nylon. They are made of very fine filaments, each much finer than a strand of 6X tippet. They are woven together and as the taper approaches the tippet mark, filaments are eliminated to make the taper slope to a finer diameter. What the manufacturers of these leaders want you to do is to loop your tippet to the tippet end of the leader. Nice and easy right!? Well, yea, but not exactly the way you ought to do it. You see, what they don't reveal to you is that the tippet mark on the leader is as thick as a piece of 2X mono. If you are connecting 5X to 10X material to this loop, your leader lacks a mid section, and that spells disaster for casting accuracy, wind performance and drag/micro drag shock absorption. In a moment we'll look at a way to address this issue. Many dry fly guys don't like these leaders out of the package. The woven filaments act as a microscopic trolling net and they will absorb algae over time and begin to sink. Also, they absorb water with every cast and spray it off with every false cast. Now, you shouldn't be false casting over a fish, so it really shouldn't matter, but who wants to spook an entire pool while working a single fish? A braided leader treated with floatant will resist picking up water and minimize spraying, but the leader must be treated prior to each fishing day. Braided leaders have some give to them, which allows them to help absorb the shock of a strike. They also have almost zero memory, which means they can sit on your reel spool from week to week without ever having you straighten them when you decide finally decide to fish!
Now that we've looked at the properties of the two leading leader materials, lets look at the three philosophies of leader design and use. Whichever philosophy you use, make sure you carry a selection of leaders for different jobs. Way too many anglers put no thought into their leader. A guy in a fly shop said to use a 9 foot 5X leader so that's what they use. The same anglers are willing to buy hundreds of custom tied flies. Unfortunately, they will miss present most of these flies because they don't have the right leader for the right job, they instead have a generic all purpose leader and they change tippet diameters occasionally to try to offset their leaders inherent flaws.
Anglers should have dry fly leaders, nymph leaders, wet fly leaders and streamer leaders at the very least. By changing leaders for certain jobs, the chances are upped dramatically for catching fish. The stress of tying 500 knots per day while building out and cutting back the leader you started the day with is also reduced. Some people prefer spare spools with dry fly and nymph leaders set up on WF, DT, Mini Sink Tip (5 to 10 feet) and full on Streamer (Tungsten Impregnated lines with 24 foot heads) lines. That’s the way I do it also.
Since I always hated advice that didn't have a reason, allow me to touch on fly lines as related to certain fishing jobs. Most everyone these days fishes with a WF line. They are easier to cast, or at least that's what the sales guy down at the fly-shop says. The fact is, they are suitable for working 35 to 40 feet and closer. But not any nicer than a DT line. And, a DT line is much easier to hold in the air on a long cast than a WF line. If you are trying to make a 50 foot cast with a dry fly, something you do occasionally each season, a WF line is hard to hold in the air once the head is "aeraelized" and is really meant to be shot from your stripping basket, which brings me to my question: do you carry a stripping basket when you trout fish? (probably not) Why not cast a fly line with a much longer head, or a DT line, which has a head that never ends. Also, most WF lines have 5 to six foot front tips that are completely level and fine in diameter. If your tip is sinking, and its clean and treated, cut it back two to three feet and attach your leader. I have talked extensively with many fly line manufacturers from the 3M company and the fact is that dirty fly lines tend to sink. Of course, a DT line has a much more delicate front taper than a WF line. With the WF line, the head is immediately behind the front taper. With a DT line, the front taper gradually melds into the line's belly. This makes the DT line a line best suited to nymphing, or roll casting in tight quarters- unless you cut back 3 to 5 feet from its tip, in which case you have a custom made dry fly line. I however propose another solution that has worked like a charm for me. Fish a regular old DT line for nymphing and sub surface work, and for surface work, fish a WF "Long Belly" or "Long Cast" line which has an extended head. It will be much easier to make and measure longer casts and will out mend a standard WF line by a large margin. Keep in mind, you can cut back a few feet from the tip of this line too, but don't do it until you've tried it as is. With this trick you can fish a two leader system that requires you to tie far fewer knots each time out and allows you to present flies in optimal ways, which is downright easier than trying to doctor up that same old leader every time out. Now lets take a look at leader philosophies.
The first philosophy is the simplest, and that is buying commercially tied leaders. Carry 9 foot 4X-7X leaders and 12 foot 6X-7X leaders for all dry fly situations. 9-foot leaders are obviously easier to control. 12-foot leaders are better for bigger water. Also, carry a 6-foot to 7 1/2 foot 4X leader for a brushy stream. The shorter leader will keep you out of the trees and bushes and make fishing that stream a pleasure instead of a nightmare. Sub-surface 7 1/2 foot 2X to 6X fluorocarbon leaders are best for nymph fishing and streamer fishing during times when it is most productive to be below the surface. Carry plenty of tippet material so you can build out whatever leader you are using when you start getting too short. Generally, when you have used a foot and a half of commercially made leader, it is time to add two feet. Yes, you'll have a knot in you leader now. But it's better than using a brand new leader and believe me, the fish won't care a bit! Super simple approaches for technically demanding waters like the Farmington River here in CT could be utilized. I would suggest settling on a 9' 7X leader for dry flies (which could be modified by adding 8X and or 9X material for midge fishing and a 7 1/2' 6X leader for tiny bead head nymphs. A 5 to 7 1/2 foot 3X leader could be used for streamers as well. Most "buyers" use loop to loop connections or plastic leader connectors to make life as simple as possible and change these connections every once in a while as needed. How about buying a Tie-Fast Nail Knot tool and slap the leader on your fly line with a quick nail knot for a super easy to cast set up? Or, is there a corporate created law against that I have overlooked? Hmmmmm? I don't actually recommend braided loop to loop connections by the way. Unless you actually want your line to land like a cannonball and also sink intentionally. If you must use a loop, use a welded loop. Obviously, knots are way better, they turn over better and they present less of a chance to foul up a cast with a mid-air snag of some sort.
The next philosophy is tweaking commercial leaders. This involves using a butt section and building it to the desired requirements. Most tweakers use nail knots to connect the leader butt, eliminating the hinge of a loop to loop connection. Obviously one must be proficient at this knot on the stream in order to go from surface to sub surface fishing. Of course and again, two spools cuts down on the need to tie knots. Popular leaders to tweak are mono and braided leaders. Mono leaders can be built out and should be bought in the knotless variety. They are wonderful all around leaders and are especially great in the fall when lots of debris and micro particles make knotless leaders much less apt to catch "junk" that knotted leaders almost certainly would pick up. Building them out involves the same taper as described below. With braided leaders, there are only two types and lengths available, 5 foot and 8 foot, floating and sinking. Using a 5-foot leader, attach it to the fly line however you like. Clip the tippet loop off and use 12" of 3X, 20" of 4X fluorocarbon. Presto, awesome nymphing leader with superior wind casting attributes, no hinge and permanent, all season long staying power in the highly abrasion resistant and memory free butt section. Use the chart below to create two leaders for the entire season by utilizing the 12/10/8 taper. Also, remember to treat the dry leader braid with floatant each time you fish to nullify spraying.
Since we want to fish in water, we must select materials that work well in water. Two key terms must be considered by the fly-fisherman. Specific Gravity and Index of Refraction. I often hear people in the fly fishing industry say, don't get too technical with the customers, you'll only confuse them. Well I for one don't like the implication that my customers should buy something just because I said so and for that reason, I will get technical for your benefit and to ensure that I don't cheat you or shoot under you in any way.
Specific Gravity is the measure of the density of a mineral. It is a unitless measure because specific gravity is derived from the density of the mineral divided by the density of water and thus all units cancel. The SG of water is 1 gram per cubic centimeter. An SG of 2 would be twice as dense as water and an SG of 3 would be 3 times as dense. Leaders for dry flies should have a SG near that of water. The closer the SG to 1, the better it will float. Sub surface leaders should like to sink and not resist sinking.
The Index of Refraction of a material is the ratio of the velocity of light in a vacuum to that of the material or: n=c/v where n is the index of refraction value of a material, c is the speed of light in a vacuum and v is the speed of light in a material. The net velocity of light in a material is decreased because of continual absorption and reemission of the light wave by atoms that it encounters. The light wave energy absorbed sets electrons in the atoms into vibrational motion. This energy is then remitted as an electromagnetic wave with the same frequency of the original wave. The index of refraction usually increases as the physical density of the material increases. Ice floats on water. Ice has a refraction index of 1.31 Water is 1.33 Light travels faster through ice because the optical density of ice is less than that of water. Leaders made of certain materials will be more invisible in water than others, depending upon how close their refraction index is to that of water, or 1.33
Leader materials are absolutely crucial to leader performance. 40 years ago, your elders soaked animal intestine in water for several hours before they became limber enough to lie out straight and cast. These early leaders were replaced by early monofilaments, the most popular made by Dupont and the Mason Company. These monofilaments were extremely porous, absorbing up to 30 percent of their mass in water when wet and thus scoring 30 percent worse in a knot strength test when wet. Modern monofilaments are much less porous, and thus only score 3 to 5 percent lower when wet. Modern monofilaments have a specific gravity of around 1.14, which is very close to that of water's 1.0 . The Refraction Index of modern monofilaments is 1.72, which is pretty far off from water's RI of 1.33 . Therefore, they tend to cast a visible (to fish) shadow when floating on the surface. Modern dulling techniques include substances like Orvis Mud or rubbing your tippet on a leaf to dull it up and take some of the glare off from its surface. However, to not cast a shadow in daylight, fly-fishermen ultimately have to use finer and finer diameters of modern monofilament tippet material. The theory is that by making the diameter extremely thin, they don't cast nearly as thick a shadow and trout don't notice. Of course, could it be that the trout are leader shy for other reasons? In fact, they are. Finer diameter tippets allow the flies to float freely in the micro currents that surround them, acting as a shock absorber, which allows the fly to drift more realistically and thus makes it work better. Fish that see lots of flies become leader shy and thin tippets help to fool them more often. Of course, the right fly pattern is important too, as is whether or not the surface of the water is flat or broken. The more broken, the heavier the tippet one can use and the less sparse the fly pattern is. Also, the less sun light, the heavier the tippet one can use.
Speaking of sun, the much has been made of the effect the sun's ultraviolet light rays have in breaking down monofilament materials, eventually disintegrating them. Fishermen are pleased by the environmental impact of this fact but wary of purchasing out-dated material, which would break if sneezed upon, let alone used!
Another material, Fluorocarbon, is impervious to UV light effects and has a specific gravity of 1.26, which is significantly heavier than water and thus makes this material particularly attractive for sub surface fishing. The refraction index of fluorocarbon is 1.46, which is a lot closer to that of water than monofilament is. This makes Fluorocarbon nearly invisible in water, especially on overcast days when there is less light to magnify the difference. Fluorocarbon is much more abrasion resistant than the softer monofilaments and is much stiffer, which make it preferable for saltwater fishing as well. I would definitely not recommend this material for surface fishing, as a whole leader made of it will sink your fly. Fluorocarbon is also much too stiff to absorb micro drag like a Monofilament leader and tippet can. Also, Fluorocarbon is three times the cost of Monofilament, which makes it less attractive for sure. However, if you fish with nymphs, wets, streamers or like saltwater fly-fishing, this material is an absolute must and you should make entire leaders out of it, or at least mid sections and tippets. A side note applies here, anglers who choose to use this material should take great care not to litter it because it doesn't de-compose.
<TABLE borderColor=#000000 cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=7 width=696 border=1><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="25%">Material Examined
</TD><TD vAlign=top width="25%">Specific Gravity
</TD><TD vAlign=top width="25%">Refraction Index
</TD><TD vAlign=top width="25%">Bottom Line
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width="25%">Water
</TD><TD vAlign=top width="25%">1.0
</TD><TD vAlign=top width="25%">1.33
</TD><TD vAlign=top width="25%">Never impedes or alters the drift of a fly, if you can find tippet material made of this substance, buy it immediately.
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width="25%">Monofilament
</TD><TD vAlign=top width="25%">1.14
</TD><TD vAlign=top width="25%">1.72
</TD><TD vAlign=top width="25%">Floats very well, reflects light and thus casts a shadow, necessitating fine diameters when fishing on the surface. Knot strength decreases when wet
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width="25%">Fluorocarbon
</TD><TD vAlign=top width="25%">1.26
</TD><TD vAlign=top width="25%">1.46
</TD><TD vAlign=top width="25%">Somewhat invisible to fish, sinks, best used beneath the surface film or totally under water, more abrasion resistant than soft mono.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Recently, leaders called "Turnover" or "Poly" leaders have appeared on the market. They are made by coating a monofilament core with polyethylene. Bigger in diameter than monofilament leaders, they as they are less dense, they have a lower specific gravity, in fact the ones that are pure poly minus a mono core actually float. Because they have greater mass than mono leaders, they tend to out "punch" any leader ever made. The inherent problem with them is that, due their greater mass, they land on the water with a tremendous splash. Also, tippets must be looped to the mono core which creates a hinge, and for those that loop them to their lines, a second hinge. This makes casting more difficult and also creates several chances per presentation of having the fly snag on the looped connections. Poly leaders with short fluorocarbon tippets are very good for casting streamers or bulky nymphs and on windy days they can make life a lot easier.
Another type of leader has been around for a bit longer, it is called a "Braided" leader and is made of braided nylon. They are made of very fine filaments, each much finer than a strand of 6X tippet. They are woven together and as the taper approaches the tippet mark, filaments are eliminated to make the taper slope to a finer diameter. What the manufacturers of these leaders want you to do is to loop your tippet to the tippet end of the leader. Nice and easy right!? Well, yea, but not exactly the way you ought to do it. You see, what they don't reveal to you is that the tippet mark on the leader is as thick as a piece of 2X mono. If you are connecting 5X to 10X material to this loop, your leader lacks a mid section, and that spells disaster for casting accuracy, wind performance and drag/micro drag shock absorption. In a moment we'll look at a way to address this issue. Many dry fly guys don't like these leaders out of the package. The woven filaments act as a microscopic trolling net and they will absorb algae over time and begin to sink. Also, they absorb water with every cast and spray it off with every false cast. Now, you shouldn't be false casting over a fish, so it really shouldn't matter, but who wants to spook an entire pool while working a single fish? A braided leader treated with floatant will resist picking up water and minimize spraying, but the leader must be treated prior to each fishing day. Braided leaders have some give to them, which allows them to help absorb the shock of a strike. They also have almost zero memory, which means they can sit on your reel spool from week to week without ever having you straighten them when you decide finally decide to fish!
Now that we've looked at the properties of the two leading leader materials, lets look at the three philosophies of leader design and use. Whichever philosophy you use, make sure you carry a selection of leaders for different jobs. Way too many anglers put no thought into their leader. A guy in a fly shop said to use a 9 foot 5X leader so that's what they use. The same anglers are willing to buy hundreds of custom tied flies. Unfortunately, they will miss present most of these flies because they don't have the right leader for the right job, they instead have a generic all purpose leader and they change tippet diameters occasionally to try to offset their leaders inherent flaws.
Anglers should have dry fly leaders, nymph leaders, wet fly leaders and streamer leaders at the very least. By changing leaders for certain jobs, the chances are upped dramatically for catching fish. The stress of tying 500 knots per day while building out and cutting back the leader you started the day with is also reduced. Some people prefer spare spools with dry fly and nymph leaders set up on WF, DT, Mini Sink Tip (5 to 10 feet) and full on Streamer (Tungsten Impregnated lines with 24 foot heads) lines. That’s the way I do it also.
Since I always hated advice that didn't have a reason, allow me to touch on fly lines as related to certain fishing jobs. Most everyone these days fishes with a WF line. They are easier to cast, or at least that's what the sales guy down at the fly-shop says. The fact is, they are suitable for working 35 to 40 feet and closer. But not any nicer than a DT line. And, a DT line is much easier to hold in the air on a long cast than a WF line. If you are trying to make a 50 foot cast with a dry fly, something you do occasionally each season, a WF line is hard to hold in the air once the head is "aeraelized" and is really meant to be shot from your stripping basket, which brings me to my question: do you carry a stripping basket when you trout fish? (probably not) Why not cast a fly line with a much longer head, or a DT line, which has a head that never ends. Also, most WF lines have 5 to six foot front tips that are completely level and fine in diameter. If your tip is sinking, and its clean and treated, cut it back two to three feet and attach your leader. I have talked extensively with many fly line manufacturers from the 3M company and the fact is that dirty fly lines tend to sink. Of course, a DT line has a much more delicate front taper than a WF line. With the WF line, the head is immediately behind the front taper. With a DT line, the front taper gradually melds into the line's belly. This makes the DT line a line best suited to nymphing, or roll casting in tight quarters- unless you cut back 3 to 5 feet from its tip, in which case you have a custom made dry fly line. I however propose another solution that has worked like a charm for me. Fish a regular old DT line for nymphing and sub surface work, and for surface work, fish a WF "Long Belly" or "Long Cast" line which has an extended head. It will be much easier to make and measure longer casts and will out mend a standard WF line by a large margin. Keep in mind, you can cut back a few feet from the tip of this line too, but don't do it until you've tried it as is. With this trick you can fish a two leader system that requires you to tie far fewer knots each time out and allows you to present flies in optimal ways, which is downright easier than trying to doctor up that same old leader every time out. Now lets take a look at leader philosophies.
The first philosophy is the simplest, and that is buying commercially tied leaders. Carry 9 foot 4X-7X leaders and 12 foot 6X-7X leaders for all dry fly situations. 9-foot leaders are obviously easier to control. 12-foot leaders are better for bigger water. Also, carry a 6-foot to 7 1/2 foot 4X leader for a brushy stream. The shorter leader will keep you out of the trees and bushes and make fishing that stream a pleasure instead of a nightmare. Sub-surface 7 1/2 foot 2X to 6X fluorocarbon leaders are best for nymph fishing and streamer fishing during times when it is most productive to be below the surface. Carry plenty of tippet material so you can build out whatever leader you are using when you start getting too short. Generally, when you have used a foot and a half of commercially made leader, it is time to add two feet. Yes, you'll have a knot in you leader now. But it's better than using a brand new leader and believe me, the fish won't care a bit! Super simple approaches for technically demanding waters like the Farmington River here in CT could be utilized. I would suggest settling on a 9' 7X leader for dry flies (which could be modified by adding 8X and or 9X material for midge fishing and a 7 1/2' 6X leader for tiny bead head nymphs. A 5 to 7 1/2 foot 3X leader could be used for streamers as well. Most "buyers" use loop to loop connections or plastic leader connectors to make life as simple as possible and change these connections every once in a while as needed. How about buying a Tie-Fast Nail Knot tool and slap the leader on your fly line with a quick nail knot for a super easy to cast set up? Or, is there a corporate created law against that I have overlooked? Hmmmmm? I don't actually recommend braided loop to loop connections by the way. Unless you actually want your line to land like a cannonball and also sink intentionally. If you must use a loop, use a welded loop. Obviously, knots are way better, they turn over better and they present less of a chance to foul up a cast with a mid-air snag of some sort.
The next philosophy is tweaking commercial leaders. This involves using a butt section and building it to the desired requirements. Most tweakers use nail knots to connect the leader butt, eliminating the hinge of a loop to loop connection. Obviously one must be proficient at this knot on the stream in order to go from surface to sub surface fishing. Of course and again, two spools cuts down on the need to tie knots. Popular leaders to tweak are mono and braided leaders. Mono leaders can be built out and should be bought in the knotless variety. They are wonderful all around leaders and are especially great in the fall when lots of debris and micro particles make knotless leaders much less apt to catch "junk" that knotted leaders almost certainly would pick up. Building them out involves the same taper as described below. With braided leaders, there are only two types and lengths available, 5 foot and 8 foot, floating and sinking. Using a 5-foot leader, attach it to the fly line however you like. Clip the tippet loop off and use 12" of 3X, 20" of 4X fluorocarbon. Presto, awesome nymphing leader with superior wind casting attributes, no hinge and permanent, all season long staying power in the highly abrasion resistant and memory free butt section. Use the chart below to create two leaders for the entire season by utilizing the 12/10/8 taper. Also, remember to treat the dry leader braid with floatant each time you fish to nullify spraying.
Nymph
(use all Fluorocarbon) Dry (use all Monofilament)
5 foot braid 8-foot braid
12" 3X 12"3X
20" 4X or 10" 4X to 20" 5X or 8"4X to 10"4X
!0"5X to 20"6X 8"5X
8"6X
22"-30"7X or 8"7X to 22-30" desired tippet of 8X thru 10X
The third philosophy of leaders involves Tying Your Own Leaders. True purists elect to follow this path, and I admit I am one. Why do it? Better casting performance of course. It's also way cheaper and infinitely more customizable to the kind of fishing you will be doing. The "Tier" tends to be a planner type as well. He'll spend 10 to 20 minutes the night before a trip to make sure everything's right!
Not virtually all of, but ALL of the major leader makers use leaders with extremely thick butt sections, rapid mid sections and extremely long tippets. These are known in the industry as Commercial Tapers. Keep in mind, a Commercial Taper can be knotted and sold as such. You can also duplicate a Commercial Taper by tying your own replica, the only difference is you'll have many knots in your leader and the Commercial one is of course knot free.
Commercial Leader tapers cast poorly in the wind as their excessively long tippets don't turn over well. They are also rather inaccurate and the butt sections and mid sections do zilch to help drift by absorbing shock and assisting in slack leader casts. A leader with a thinner, stiffer butt, longer more gradual mid section and shorter tippet will walk circles around a commercial leader when fishing on the surface. The Guru of Leader Making George Harvey cemented this fact with his life's work. He actually used a standard Butt Section for most of his leaders. It's listed for you later, don't worry.
I have clients comment almost instantly that my rods cast way better than theirs do. It's not the rods entirely; the leaders are at the core of the superior performance. I also have put a ton of thought into my line selections (matching a given rod), but that's another story for another day. I realize this is a big claim to back up. Follow my advice and you'll be chuckling to yourself as it gets dark the next time you're out.
Don't use nail knot to connect your home made leaders either, because extremely tight loops get caught on them often and the leader sets off at an angle once the line is on the water. Loop to loop connections create hinges, plastic connectors break and create catches. Physics says to transfer energy perfectly, the leader must exit the line's core. Some anglers will place a heated needle into the core of a line, and then glue the leader butt in place. I don't trust glue over time, period. It also contributes to head sink because the glue is denser and heavier than the fly line. Place a sewing needle into the core of the line, push it in 1/2 an inch using a finger thimble and exit the line. This creates a tunnel to place a piece of .017" or .015" Maxima butt material into. The "Chameleon" or brown colored Maxima is the butt section of choice for all leaders. Many years ago, Mason Hard Monofilament was the choice because it was stiff as h-e-double hockey sticks. Mason Soft Monofilament was the "other half" or the business end of the leader. Maxima however is simply the best material available for Leader Butts. It is dull (non reflective) resilient, abrasion resistance and has low memory. Maxima also is outstanding at turning over the leader, even in wind. Back to the Leader Knot: Exit the core and tie a 5-turn nail knot, which snugs down right above the exit point. Pliobond (flexible water proof glue sold at hardware stores, comes in red/white tube with black cap) the knot. This leader butt should be 16" to 26" long and every time you change your leader, do it with a barrel knot.
Obviously, you'll need a few spools for nymphs, dries and streamers. The nymph line should be a DT because the front few feet of it sinks slightly due to its fine diameter, and it out mends and out roll casts and out picks up weight over a WF all day long. DT lines give optimal line control while nymphing.
The dry fly line should be a long belly line, which has a large long head, which assists in floating the leader and out mends a conventional WF line. These lines load the rod exceptionally well and assist in casting performance and leader turnover.
Specially fused sink tip lines are long belly WF lines with sink tips built into their front tapers. They are excellent for fishing slow moving pools when the fly needs to float along suspended off the bottom for long drifts. Sink tips are also pretty good for stripping streamers after an across and down cast. But, Teeny lines with 24' Tungsten Impregnated Heads are truly the best for dredging the bottom with streamers. They are terrific in fast moving water and they also double as wonderful pond and lake lines and both Sink Tip and Streamer lines are generally set up with 5 to 7 1/2 foot leaders.
In fast moving pocket water, a level line made of Teflon Coated Mono can be set up with an extremely short leader (3 to 5 feet) for "Tuck" casting and bouncing nymphs on the bottom.
Another line that's nice to have is a custom made shooting head attached to a running line. These lines work great in close due to their weight and also shoot like missiles when cast on ponds or bigger water. 7 1/2 foot leaders are common on Shooting Heads.
At the .011 mark I change the material to monofilament (dry leaders only) for its blend of softness, strength, suppleness and floatability and Fluorocarbon (nymph leaders) for their stiffness, and invisibility in the water. I use a variety of dry fly leaders on open water, none longer than 12 feet or so. If the water is broken, the leader's tippet is heavier. If the water is flat, the tippet is lighter and thus the entire leader is lighter (as the butt section can be thinner than you would normally use).
The conclusions I am about to share in terms of tapers or formula's come from extensive conversations with George Harvey (founder of the Fly Fishing Class at Penn State University), Tom Rosenbauer, and Bill Cairns (Experienced Orvis guys) Joe Humphreys (a deciple of George Harvey), John Shaner (a truly knowledgeable Orvis Dealer Rep who is not a Hardy Rep), Walt Dette (the Catskill Great), Francis Betters (an Adirondack Legend), Jim Bashline (the greatest Night Fisherman I ever met), Dave Seekers (a pure genius and Fly Fishing Instructor on Long Island). Keeping an open mind, I've conversed with many other tremendously knowledgeable people I've interacted with along the way and considered their feedback as well.
I have listened very carefully to all the theories, conducted countless hours of experiments, and can now share the facts with you. Obviously, I disagree with some viewpoints and agree more with others. Unfortunately, we must connect the fly to our line with tippets made of materials other than air or water. Unfortunately, we don't have wings to hover over the perfect casting lanes to rising fish. The leaders I'm about to share are the next best thing.
The leaders can be carried in a "Cast" if replacing one becomes somehow necessary. A Cast is a square tin box that when opened has a hinged leafs. The Angler flips through the box and unfurls the leader of his choice. Each leader is held in place by angled metal tabs. You can make your own cast with some thin cardboard. Just cut it into a square and make eight 1/2" cuts into the square, two on each side positioned right in the center of each edge. This will create four tabs. Bend them at a slight angle (facing up) and wrap the leader in place, tip first. Use a sandwich bag to help the cardboard stay dry.
As you will see, I use a variety of leaders for different conditions and situations and ways of fishing. They are always tied on in advance of a particular outing. Knot tying is limited to a barrel knot, a nail knot with my tool, and an emergency tippet knot for times when a barrel knot takes too much time or concentration. I will share how to make your own tool and the easiest way to tie the knots with you if you like.
When tying the leaders, use a tape measure and don't worry if you're an inch off here or there. I used to watch George Harvey make leaders and I'd measure them when he was done, seldom did they match his taper formula exactly, and when questioned he would just say, "It doesn't matter if you're an inch or two off here and there." Remember that a blood knot requires lubrication (I use knot perfect at the bench and good old saliva on the stream) and figures to slip almost 3 inches every time. Measure back 3 inches from the desired connection length as you are tying the knot. Also, the dropper knot is important when nymphing and can be used in any of the three systems mentioned today.
Finally, I encourage you to fish with the right leaders, and guarantee that if you do, you'll catch more fish. Also, and I can't emphasize this point enough, when you are fishing nymphs, focus on how much weight you have to add or subtract in order to get your fly bouncing on the bottom. I get a real chuckle out of watching guys change nymphs constantly without any luck when the problem is half leader related and mostly a result of not putting the fly near the fish. A nymph on the bottom drifts much slower (naturally) than a nymph 6 to 12 inches off the bottom. Remember, you can't see the nymph drifting along, but the fish is watching it and if it looks to be drifting naturally, well, you just might catch him (or her). This advice pertains to presentation skill and acquiring this skill is paramount to using all these neat leaders the right way. The best skill guy I ever met is Joe Humphreys and his book, Trout Tactics, though a bit out dated and lacking continuity, is still the best way to understand how to become a better fisherman.
When choosing Leader Material Manufacturers, use material you have confidence in. I prefer Maxima as I've said, for my leader buts and half of the mid section of my leaders. I also strongly prefer Frog Hair for Monofilament. I love how supple it is and it's knot tying quality is truly wonderful, it's impossible to get those annoying kinks caused from cinching down a knot. I also think the Frog Hair is the least reflective Mono I've seen to date. Frog Hair makes Fluorocarbon and they do it wonderfully, but other makers like Rio seem to be just as good.
My favorite WF line Manufacturer is Rio, I feel their tapers are incredibly smooth to cast. The new Rio Gold is one of the best lines I've tried and seems to build energy as it unfolds in the air, this seems to aid a slack leader dry fly cast. However, Sci Anglers makes some outstanding lines with very similar tapers, their Expert Distance line is a wonderful casting line (every bit as good as Gold) as is their new Shark Skin line. Shark Skin in fact is absolutely the most advanced line I've ever cast and certainly the highest floating line with the least amount of memory I've seen. It is a little bit noisy as it zings back and forth. Cortland also produces an outstanding "Platinum" line that casts wonderfully and possesses a similar taper to the lines previously mentioned. Air Flow is also a super line, very supple and high floating with incredible tapers that make it easy to cast them.
For DT lines I've come to trust Orvis and Sci Anglers. Their bellies are very thick and high floating and they perform nicely when roll casting or mending. Rio makes a Selective Trout taper that is almost like having two WF lines on each end of your fly line, it shoots a little bit in addition to functioning as a DT. I have found the Rio DT to be a little too thin for my liking, as are the Cortland DT's.
The best Sink Tips and Streamer lines I've seen are Sci Anglers, Teeny and Rio. All three are very similar in performance. For a 5' Mini Tip the Teeny Line is excellent, it casts very well and really loads up nicely in close. The Sci Anglers 8' Sink Tip is a dream to cast as well and Rio makes a super sink tip too.
Remember, all lines crack, start sinking and perform like garbage if you don't clean them regulary (in warm water with a sponge. If they get absolutely filthy or you haven't cleaned a line in a long, long time, you can use Octagon or Dove (detergent free soap). Rinse the line and dry it with a cloth. Then treat it with a line dressing, my favorite of which is Rio's Agent "X
12" 3X 12"3X
20" 4X or 10" 4X to 20" 5X or 8"4X to 10"4X
!0"5X to 20"6X 8"5X
8"6X
22"-30"7X or 8"7X to 22-30" desired tippet of 8X thru 10X
The third philosophy of leaders involves Tying Your Own Leaders. True purists elect to follow this path, and I admit I am one. Why do it? Better casting performance of course. It's also way cheaper and infinitely more customizable to the kind of fishing you will be doing. The "Tier" tends to be a planner type as well. He'll spend 10 to 20 minutes the night before a trip to make sure everything's right!
Not virtually all of, but ALL of the major leader makers use leaders with extremely thick butt sections, rapid mid sections and extremely long tippets. These are known in the industry as Commercial Tapers. Keep in mind, a Commercial Taper can be knotted and sold as such. You can also duplicate a Commercial Taper by tying your own replica, the only difference is you'll have many knots in your leader and the Commercial one is of course knot free.
Commercial Leader tapers cast poorly in the wind as their excessively long tippets don't turn over well. They are also rather inaccurate and the butt sections and mid sections do zilch to help drift by absorbing shock and assisting in slack leader casts. A leader with a thinner, stiffer butt, longer more gradual mid section and shorter tippet will walk circles around a commercial leader when fishing on the surface. The Guru of Leader Making George Harvey cemented this fact with his life's work. He actually used a standard Butt Section for most of his leaders. It's listed for you later, don't worry.
I have clients comment almost instantly that my rods cast way better than theirs do. It's not the rods entirely; the leaders are at the core of the superior performance. I also have put a ton of thought into my line selections (matching a given rod), but that's another story for another day. I realize this is a big claim to back up. Follow my advice and you'll be chuckling to yourself as it gets dark the next time you're out.
Don't use nail knot to connect your home made leaders either, because extremely tight loops get caught on them often and the leader sets off at an angle once the line is on the water. Loop to loop connections create hinges, plastic connectors break and create catches. Physics says to transfer energy perfectly, the leader must exit the line's core. Some anglers will place a heated needle into the core of a line, and then glue the leader butt in place. I don't trust glue over time, period. It also contributes to head sink because the glue is denser and heavier than the fly line. Place a sewing needle into the core of the line, push it in 1/2 an inch using a finger thimble and exit the line. This creates a tunnel to place a piece of .017" or .015" Maxima butt material into. The "Chameleon" or brown colored Maxima is the butt section of choice for all leaders. Many years ago, Mason Hard Monofilament was the choice because it was stiff as h-e-double hockey sticks. Mason Soft Monofilament was the "other half" or the business end of the leader. Maxima however is simply the best material available for Leader Butts. It is dull (non reflective) resilient, abrasion resistance and has low memory. Maxima also is outstanding at turning over the leader, even in wind. Back to the Leader Knot: Exit the core and tie a 5-turn nail knot, which snugs down right above the exit point. Pliobond (flexible water proof glue sold at hardware stores, comes in red/white tube with black cap) the knot. This leader butt should be 16" to 26" long and every time you change your leader, do it with a barrel knot.
Obviously, you'll need a few spools for nymphs, dries and streamers. The nymph line should be a DT because the front few feet of it sinks slightly due to its fine diameter, and it out mends and out roll casts and out picks up weight over a WF all day long. DT lines give optimal line control while nymphing.
The dry fly line should be a long belly line, which has a large long head, which assists in floating the leader and out mends a conventional WF line. These lines load the rod exceptionally well and assist in casting performance and leader turnover.
Specially fused sink tip lines are long belly WF lines with sink tips built into their front tapers. They are excellent for fishing slow moving pools when the fly needs to float along suspended off the bottom for long drifts. Sink tips are also pretty good for stripping streamers after an across and down cast. But, Teeny lines with 24' Tungsten Impregnated Heads are truly the best for dredging the bottom with streamers. They are terrific in fast moving water and they also double as wonderful pond and lake lines and both Sink Tip and Streamer lines are generally set up with 5 to 7 1/2 foot leaders.
In fast moving pocket water, a level line made of Teflon Coated Mono can be set up with an extremely short leader (3 to 5 feet) for "Tuck" casting and bouncing nymphs on the bottom.
Another line that's nice to have is a custom made shooting head attached to a running line. These lines work great in close due to their weight and also shoot like missiles when cast on ponds or bigger water. 7 1/2 foot leaders are common on Shooting Heads.
At the .011 mark I change the material to monofilament (dry leaders only) for its blend of softness, strength, suppleness and floatability and Fluorocarbon (nymph leaders) for their stiffness, and invisibility in the water. I use a variety of dry fly leaders on open water, none longer than 12 feet or so. If the water is broken, the leader's tippet is heavier. If the water is flat, the tippet is lighter and thus the entire leader is lighter (as the butt section can be thinner than you would normally use).
The conclusions I am about to share in terms of tapers or formula's come from extensive conversations with George Harvey (founder of the Fly Fishing Class at Penn State University), Tom Rosenbauer, and Bill Cairns (Experienced Orvis guys) Joe Humphreys (a deciple of George Harvey), John Shaner (a truly knowledgeable Orvis Dealer Rep who is not a Hardy Rep), Walt Dette (the Catskill Great), Francis Betters (an Adirondack Legend), Jim Bashline (the greatest Night Fisherman I ever met), Dave Seekers (a pure genius and Fly Fishing Instructor on Long Island). Keeping an open mind, I've conversed with many other tremendously knowledgeable people I've interacted with along the way and considered their feedback as well.
I have listened very carefully to all the theories, conducted countless hours of experiments, and can now share the facts with you. Obviously, I disagree with some viewpoints and agree more with others. Unfortunately, we must connect the fly to our line with tippets made of materials other than air or water. Unfortunately, we don't have wings to hover over the perfect casting lanes to rising fish. The leaders I'm about to share are the next best thing.
The leaders can be carried in a "Cast" if replacing one becomes somehow necessary. A Cast is a square tin box that when opened has a hinged leafs. The Angler flips through the box and unfurls the leader of his choice. Each leader is held in place by angled metal tabs. You can make your own cast with some thin cardboard. Just cut it into a square and make eight 1/2" cuts into the square, two on each side positioned right in the center of each edge. This will create four tabs. Bend them at a slight angle (facing up) and wrap the leader in place, tip first. Use a sandwich bag to help the cardboard stay dry.
As you will see, I use a variety of leaders for different conditions and situations and ways of fishing. They are always tied on in advance of a particular outing. Knot tying is limited to a barrel knot, a nail knot with my tool, and an emergency tippet knot for times when a barrel knot takes too much time or concentration. I will share how to make your own tool and the easiest way to tie the knots with you if you like.
When tying the leaders, use a tape measure and don't worry if you're an inch off here or there. I used to watch George Harvey make leaders and I'd measure them when he was done, seldom did they match his taper formula exactly, and when questioned he would just say, "It doesn't matter if you're an inch or two off here and there." Remember that a blood knot requires lubrication (I use knot perfect at the bench and good old saliva on the stream) and figures to slip almost 3 inches every time. Measure back 3 inches from the desired connection length as you are tying the knot. Also, the dropper knot is important when nymphing and can be used in any of the three systems mentioned today.
Finally, I encourage you to fish with the right leaders, and guarantee that if you do, you'll catch more fish. Also, and I can't emphasize this point enough, when you are fishing nymphs, focus on how much weight you have to add or subtract in order to get your fly bouncing on the bottom. I get a real chuckle out of watching guys change nymphs constantly without any luck when the problem is half leader related and mostly a result of not putting the fly near the fish. A nymph on the bottom drifts much slower (naturally) than a nymph 6 to 12 inches off the bottom. Remember, you can't see the nymph drifting along, but the fish is watching it and if it looks to be drifting naturally, well, you just might catch him (or her). This advice pertains to presentation skill and acquiring this skill is paramount to using all these neat leaders the right way. The best skill guy I ever met is Joe Humphreys and his book, Trout Tactics, though a bit out dated and lacking continuity, is still the best way to understand how to become a better fisherman.
When choosing Leader Material Manufacturers, use material you have confidence in. I prefer Maxima as I've said, for my leader buts and half of the mid section of my leaders. I also strongly prefer Frog Hair for Monofilament. I love how supple it is and it's knot tying quality is truly wonderful, it's impossible to get those annoying kinks caused from cinching down a knot. I also think the Frog Hair is the least reflective Mono I've seen to date. Frog Hair makes Fluorocarbon and they do it wonderfully, but other makers like Rio seem to be just as good.
My favorite WF line Manufacturer is Rio, I feel their tapers are incredibly smooth to cast. The new Rio Gold is one of the best lines I've tried and seems to build energy as it unfolds in the air, this seems to aid a slack leader dry fly cast. However, Sci Anglers makes some outstanding lines with very similar tapers, their Expert Distance line is a wonderful casting line (every bit as good as Gold) as is their new Shark Skin line. Shark Skin in fact is absolutely the most advanced line I've ever cast and certainly the highest floating line with the least amount of memory I've seen. It is a little bit noisy as it zings back and forth. Cortland also produces an outstanding "Platinum" line that casts wonderfully and possesses a similar taper to the lines previously mentioned. Air Flow is also a super line, very supple and high floating with incredible tapers that make it easy to cast them.
For DT lines I've come to trust Orvis and Sci Anglers. Their bellies are very thick and high floating and they perform nicely when roll casting or mending. Rio makes a Selective Trout taper that is almost like having two WF lines on each end of your fly line, it shoots a little bit in addition to functioning as a DT. I have found the Rio DT to be a little too thin for my liking, as are the Cortland DT's.
The best Sink Tips and Streamer lines I've seen are Sci Anglers, Teeny and Rio. All three are very similar in performance. For a 5' Mini Tip the Teeny Line is excellent, it casts very well and really loads up nicely in close. The Sci Anglers 8' Sink Tip is a dream to cast as well and Rio makes a super sink tip too.
Remember, all lines crack, start sinking and perform like garbage if you don't clean them regulary (in warm water with a sponge. If they get absolutely filthy or you haven't cleaned a line in a long, long time, you can use Octagon or Dove (detergent free soap). Rinse the line and dry it with a cloth. Then treat it with a line dressing, my favorite of which is Rio's Agent "X
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