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Thread: Leader tie kits

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    Auburn
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    10

    Default Leader tie kits

    Does anyone make these any more? I used to get the one Orvis put out with their Super Strong mono but can't find that.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
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    24,238

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    Quote Originally Posted by Don S. View Post
    Does anyone make these any more? I used to get the one Orvis put out with their Super Strong mono but can't find that.
    Hi Don,

    Leader tying kits were available some years ago.


    Before "knotless tapered leaders" came on the scene most tied their own "knotted tapered leaders."

    Today most do not tie their own knotted tapered leaders.

    Most use knotless tapered leaders and add some different size tippets to the end of them.
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Auburn
    Posts
    10

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    Hey Bill,

    I did some looking around and only found one company that puts out a kit. FrogHair of which I'm not familiar with, sells a kit.

    Can still buy all the various sizes needed from Orvis and probably could from Maxima and Umpqua as well.

    I don't know but always seems to me that my leaders turn over better than store bought ones do and I can really dial in the lengths and
    vary the butt sections depending on what weight rod I'm using.

    Plus it gives me something to do while watching the tube.

    Cheers

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
    Posts
    24,238

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    Don,

    You have to be pretty old to understand what we are talking about here.

    50 years ago we tied up our own knotted tapered leaders with Maxima "Chameleon", the stiffer brown stuff.

    I still have the rough formula in my 78 year old brain.


    These leaders were for, mostly, fishing on or near the surface.


    The butt section should be 2/3 the diameter of the tip of the fly line. (Lefty said it was the rigidity.)


    I thought it was 1/3 butt, 1/3 transition and 1/3 tippet?

    The butt could be 36 to 48 inches.

    The transition sections could be 6 to 9 inches, depending on how long you wanted the leader to be.

    The tippet could be 24 to 36 inches.

    ________________________________

    Bob Giannoni is a high technical angler and he showed me how to tune a leader so it would turn over just right.


    This could be for a knotted leader or a knotless leader. Add a 36" tippet first.

    Put it on your rod and cast it with the fly size you will be using.

    If it does not turn over, just cut 6 inches off and repeat until it does turn over.
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Auburn
    Posts
    10

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    Bill,

    I guess this does make me old. A harder butt section for sure and think it's more like 60% butt, 20% mid and 20% tippet. Stepping down no more than .002" per section. Having a blood knot between last section and tippet made it easy to know when to replace tippet and after you've done that a number of times you could replace the last two sections. I swear some of those leaders would last years just by changing the last 2-3 sections.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Dunsmuir,CA
    Posts
    191

    Default Froghair

    Hey Don:
    For what it's worth, I have found FrogHair to be excellent tippet.
    I do not use it regularly but that is entirely a price point consideration, (I be frugal, not cheap).
    If it was closer in price to its competitors I would use it.

    No substitute for hand-tied leaders, they perform much better that knotless tapered leaders.
    Steven Bertrand
    Fly Fishing Guide Service
    6216 Scherrer Ave
    Dunsmuir CA 96025
    (530) 235-4948
    FlyfishingGuide@Juno.com
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCloud_River
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramento_River

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