Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Spawn Sack]

I know this has been discussed before, but I can't seem to find the thread so apologies for the redundancy...

I am wondering when it is "necessary" to fish a tapered leader. I believe someone told me when using a smaller fly with little weight it is advisable as it will be difficult to get a small fly to turn over. Along the same lines I believe when fishing a heavier fly like a winter intruder a straight piece of mono is sufficent as the fly has enought weight to turn over on its own.

I just hate buying expensive tapered leaders! I am a novice fly fisherman and tend to be pretty hard on my leaders...sometime get a knot in the line, etc. I don't mind going through lots of regular mono as I have tons kicking around in various breaking strengths.

I know I could make my own tapered leaders by joining different strengths of mono, but I'm not really sure how long to make each piece.

In the next few weeks my plan is to get out on the Vedder as often as possible and work on my single hand spey casting. I'll likely be fishing smaller light weight flys like muddler minnows, etc. If I can get away with it I would like to just run a straight piece of, say, 12LB maxima, but I'm not really sure if these small/light flies will turn over well with this set up. My goal is to practice and have fun, so the less obstacles to peeve me off the better

[HOOK]

when im fishing leader of 8' or less then i just use one section of mono. when fishing longer then i will make my own tapered leaders, usually adding in a swivel when lake fishing then adding a flouro tippet to the fly

when making my tapered leaders i join my sections with an ALBRIGHT knot. its easier to tie than a bloodknot and also stronger and the diameters can jump more then only 1 size difference. I go from 6lb mono to 4lb flouro all the time when i eliminate the swivel on short leaders

this info is for lake fishing. when river fishing you normally wont find your self fishing a leader more than 9-12' and usually more like 3-8'. only time i have ever fished more than 8' was under an indicator nymphing a deep hole.

If you want better info on making your section lengths for long leaders then try googling "fly fishing leader construction"

[Spawn Sack]

Hook. good tips, thanks for that. Right now I'm river fishing on the Vedder.

I've never tried the albright. I checked out a video and it looks fairly easy to tie. Do you feel it is stronger than a double surgeon knot or uni-to-uni knot?

I normally use a d/s to connect to pieces of line of dissimilar diameter and the uni-to-uni if the lines are closer to the same. I've never had one come undone or break. I almost use a non-slip loop knot at the fly.

Just for kicks I've started putting a dab of UV knot glue on such knots. Then I KNOW the knot is not going to come undone/break. However, to use it outside is nearly impossible as it cures almost instantly in UV light. The albright looks like a good knot I'd like to add to my repitoire.

[HOOK]

I use the Albright because its got a small profile like the bloodknot of nail knot. I would say the Albright and Double surgeons are close in breaking strength. I also use a loop knot for every fly i tie on whether its being cast/stripped, dangled, swung..........only time i would is when using a dry or riffle hitching

[RalphH]

It's a matter of what an angler can work with comfortably. With sinking lines and short leaders I don't bother with tapering the leader. I have known guys happy to fish a single 10ft piece of 4x... kind of wasteful though.

I don't use more than a few tapered leaders per year. I mostly buy them but you can tie your own and the good news is they are both easy to tie and to repair. You don't have to toss a leader that has a few wind knots in it or where the tippet is gone. Just cut out the knot or tangle and reattach with a double surgeons knot.

You can buy a standard size ...say tapered to 3x and then add thinner tippet as conditions warrant. For anything over about 2x I just tie my own.

Download leadercalc;

http://globalflyfisher.com/fishbetter/leadercalc/GFFLeaderGuide.pdf

http://globalflyfisher.com/fishbetter/leadercalc/download.php

for a plethora of advice and leader formulas.

For most leaders I just use the easy to remember Flip Pallot design:

half the length of the desired leader length: for 10 feet 5 feet of 25lb of butt material

for the taper: step down 5lbs and 1/2 the length from the previous section: ie 2.5 feet of 20lb, 15 inches of 15lb, 7 inches of 10 lb then 18 inches of tippet - 6 to 8lbs . If you need a lighter tippet just ad 6 inches of 8lb then the tippet.

Measurements needn't be exact.

For dry fly or emergers the Borger formula is easy: 4 to 5 feet of butt material (say 20lbs) 1 foot of taper (say 10lbs) and 4 to 5 feet of tippet.

You don't need expensive mono just about anything work.

All you really need is to be able to tie a double surgeons knot and a blood or barrel knot.