leader advice

[jbird1933]

The leaders I have been making are too soft and I want to make a better leader. I am looking to purchase some mono in different sizes for varying trout conditions. I fish mostly in sierra rivers with a 4 or 5 wgt rod, sinking and floating line. Does anybody have any good suggestions on brands of mono for leader building?
thanks

[Mr T]

I've used masons hard mono for butt sections and maxima chameleon for mid sections for years and had very good turnover regarsdless of fly size or weight.

[FISHEYE]

I just use maxima clear for my trout leaders. Since I am fishing for big trout it is usually 20# butt to 15#. If needed, I add a Rio fluroplex plus tippet.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Most people use factory knotless tapered leaders now, with Rio being the most popular one.

Pick a tapered leader with a larger diameter tippet to start and it will have a larger butt diameter, then you can add lighter tippet for good turnover.

Years ago we only had Gladding and Berkeley knotless tapered leaders that were not very good so we tied own.

Mason butt section, Maxima transition sections and some hot tippet of the day.....Cortland Nylorfi from Europe?

We have a micrometer at the shop so you can measure the diameter of all the mono we have.

If you tie your own you have all these spools of level tippet material and in a short time they are all old and compromised.

For trout fishing most use a factory knotless tapered leaders and add transsion sections and a tippet section.

Tying your own leaders from scatch for dry fly trout fishing with all those knots are not a good thing, especially around aquatic vegitation.

I think tying your own leaders is OK though for many other parts of the sport.

I use to teach the leader and tippet part of the Fenwick, Orvis and Mel Kreiger fly fishing schools some years ago so I can talk for days about tying and modifieing your own leaders if need be.

I just have a few fresh heavier 9' and 7 1/2' tapered leaders in my vest along with some spools of fresh 0x to 7x tippet. With that I can make any type of leader I need.

Not saying it a bad idea but I bet less than 5% of the fly fishers tie their own dry fly leaders from scatch today.

Some "Spring creek hatch matcher kind a guys" probably still tie theiir own....but not too many "freestone attractor casting anglers".

.

[Ralph]

I used to tie all my own leaders. Those days are ancient history as tapered leaders have totally eclipsed the knotted leader role. My standard any more is to take a 7.5' 3x power taper leader, cut off the 3x section and tie on a tippet ring. From that I tie on the length and size of tippet as indicated by the situation. The tippet to ring knot is much stronger than any tippet to tippet connection and I can loft tiny dries on spring creeks or drive big hoppers with just a quick tippet swap. Brainless. Fast. Cheap.

For nymphs I just use straight mono from the flyline - no need for a taper when the weight of the nymph is turning over the loop. Same goes for streamers except I tie a #10 Spro swivel somewhere along the mono to avoid line/leader twist.

[Larry S]

+1 to Ralph's post about the tippet rings. These things are the cat's pajamas.
You might even consider a furled leader that comes with a ring. The initial cost
might scare you; but, you'll be buying less leaders.
Best,
Larry S

[timmosazz]

Since we are talking leaders here, I have never used a furled leader. They look so big and bulky. What is the deal with these? How and when do you use these?

[Larry S]

Tim,
Google "cutthroat furled leaders" for their site. Lots of info there. I use a fluorocarbon
furled leader with tippet ring in the surf. Turns over the weighted flies nicely, cuts
thru the on-shore winds, and I just add several feet of mono from the ring to the fly
depending on conditions. I've been using one for streamers in lakes and
streams. I haven't figured out a way to use one for indi-midge fishing at Crowley, etc. This
past summer we were fishing in 17 - 20 feet of water much of the time.
I prefer the ones with the tippet rings rather than the loops on both ends. I
don't trust my loop knot all that much.
There are plans on the Internet to build a board if you want to create your own.
Best,
Larry S

[Don S.]

I've been tying my own leaders for as long as I can remember. Everything from saltwater to 7X trout. I'm cheap so I buy a leader tie kit about every 10 yrs. I just tie on a new tippet section as needed and maybe replace the next section as well. This way I just buy a spool of new tippet in 4x, 5x and 6x every year or so. I dry fly fish a lot and turnover is good even with a dropper, it also helps to coat the knots in the butt sections so they slide through the guides. I just fished the Yuba and had about 20 hookups and landed 7-8 with a 5x leader I tied about 8 yrs. ago. Only once during the day did I have to tie on a new tippet as it was getting too short and only at the end of the day did I have a break when a fish got it wrapped under a rock. and then it broke right at the tippet. I never worry about the knots in the heavier sections since even if they have lost half their strength, they are still stronger than the tippet. YMMV

[Darian]

Don, I'm not sure that I would trust 10 year old mono, regardless of the pound test.... Altho, you don't seem to have had any problems using it.... :confused:

On one of my recent trips to La Ventana, I lost about a dozen flies on hook-ups where the leader parted. The mono was about 3 years old. Threw it all out. :-|

[Don S.]

Well I might be taking it to the extreme, but since most of my leaders have between 7-9 sections, I see no need to throw it all away. The last third of leader including the tippet section is all I replace and I have never had a break in the heavier sections and only toss them if they have abrasion issues. The first two thirds are really just for turning over the fly and I admit I tie a heck of a good knot, so no issues with knots breaking.

Now if I was taking a trip to fish the flats for bones, I would go with all new leaders. I may be cheap but I'm not stupid. :)

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Your in a small group now Don S but it is still very cool to tie your own.

[Don S.]

Your in a small group now Don S but it is still very cool to tie your own.

I hear ya Bill, I've been part of a small group for a long time and it's getting smaller by the day. The thing is while everybody seems to be looking for the next great thing, I take pleasure in going backwards. Probably why I roll my own cigs (bad I know), roast my own coffee beans and mess around with marlinspike seamanship knot working. Just spent the last couple of evenings putting eye splices in some new rope I got. Most people would ask why bother and I just say because I can.

[Mike O]

I like Uni thread furled leaders. Supple as all get out, but still turn over well. I like the one I have that is a yellow-gold color, makes a good indi-line too