What is your favorite material for most of your furled leaders....wet and dry?
And why?
For example FISHN50 has said Cortland Camo Soft...didn't say why but I can guess.
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What is your favorite material for most of your furled leaders....wet and dry?
And why?
For example FISHN50 has said Cortland Camo Soft...didn't say why but I can guess.
I've experimented with thread (Uni 6/0) and different sizes of mono and fluorocarbon. I like the the Uni for dry fly fishing, and the mono for everything else.
For the mono, I have tried everything from Coats & Clark mono (0.005) all the way up to 10lb mono :shock:. In general, I have found that leaders made from the smaller diameter material, with more loops, perform better.
I found 4lb mono to be the heaviest that will turn out a nice leader. And leaders from 10lb mono... well if you're going after Moby Dick it migh be what you want, but not for me. They were horrible.
99% of my fly fishing is with nymphs, streamers, buggers and wet flies. I hardly ever fish dry flies. I have made furled leaders from just about every material out there to find one that "fits" my "style" of fly fishing and Berkley Vanish Transition Gold in 4# test is the best for me. I feel it is the only material that once furled, it sinks very quickly and takes my flies deeper than any other leader or material. I always attach at least 5 to 6 feet of either 6# or 4# fluorocarbon for my tippet. With this thought in mind, if I wanted to fish a dry fly for any reason, I can still fish it because by the time the furled leader sinking starts to affect the dry fly, my dry fly has already drifted through the section of water I wanted to fish due to the length of my tippet. Bare in mind that I am talking about fishing rivers where there is always a current. If I am using 6# test fluorocarbon for my tippet and decide to swing smaller wet flies, I will triple surgeon knot some 4# test on the end of the 6# test to give the wet fly more freedom of movement. I do not use tippet material for my tippet. I purchase 4# and 6# fluorocarbon in bulk and respool it onto smaller spools to carry with me on the river. I have tried Berkley Vanish and feel it does not sink as fast as the Berkley Vanish Transition Gold.
I know my style of fly fishing goes against most traditional ways of fly fishing, but, it works for me and I can usually catch my fair share of trout on each trip.
Just my way and nothing more......
I prefer the clear mono 'sewing' threads. Both .005 and .004 and in clear and the smoke. I use these for all around furled leaders.
For heavy topwater I use 10 pound braided spiderwire. It's two pound diameter, furls nicely, and will tow a truck...best part is it floats really well. No stretch to speak of, so the hook sets are positive.
I'll also furl 4 pound flourocarbon for subsurface fishing where I don't want any bouyancy in the leader.
Buddy
I have not tried the Vanish Transition, but I also use 4lb and 6lb Vanish for my tippet material for my warm water fishing 99% of the time. When trout fishing and using nymphs smaller than say a size 16, then I will switch to actual tippet material.
Tim,
The ten pound spiderwire is a braid. It's more like thread than mono. Very, very 'limp'. Leaders furled with it perform more like those done with thread than those made with mono. I use it primarily for floatation and lack of stretch. The incredible strength is a nice by product.
Buddy
Im new to the world of making my own furled leaders. and have been experimenting in many different materials.
I have used mono 2lb and 4lb, threads of all sorts even old tying silk that wont tie well, made a great leader. I have even used #12 piano wire after a friend who makes his shark fishing leaders out of it wanted to try it furled instead of what he called dipped or coated and now loves it. I have found I like for my dry flies 8/0 or 6/0 threads in different colours soaked over night in floatent dried and then soaked again. and 2lb mono or fluorocarbon for sinking or intermediate leaders.
I've gone through all my catalogs and can't find a source for Berkeley Vanish Transition Gold. Anyone
know where I can get some?
Sweets
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fishing/Fishing-Line/Fluorocarbon|/pc/104793480/c/104719680/sc/104338080/Berkley174-Vanish174-Transition-Line-Filler-Spool/738468.uts?
Wal Mart used to have it.
Realize that plain Vanish comes down to 2#....Transition only to 4#