Leaders for saltwater

I have a question about saltwater leaders. I started fly fishing the salt last year..mainly sheltered waters here on Long Island for stripers, bluefish, weakfish and summer flounder. How do you guys handle your leaders? I've been told everything from use tapered fluorocarbon or mono leaders, to just use a straight 6' shot of 20 lb mono. I picked up some tapered leaders from Orvis, and when i snipped it back far enough to lose the tippet, I just put a double surgeons loop in the leader, did likewise to the tippet mat'l (12, 15 or 20 lb mono). Is this the most cost effective way of doing things? Would tying up my own leaders be better than purchasing tapered ones? Any help is appreciated. Oh, forgot, I'm fishing a 9' 9wt with either a WF floating line or an intermediate line with a 1.5 IPS sink tip Thanks for looking.

Ken

Ken- What I use is some 40 or 50 # Berkley clear mono and tie a 4-turn surgeons knot loop in both ends for the butt section of my leader. To this I add my tippet via loop to loop (I tie another 4-turn surgeons knot loop in the tippet) and leave the tag end in place to use for tying on the dropper. The butt section is usually about 30" long and the tippet is about 36" long and generally 30# test Berkley or a camo line. The heavy tippet allows for two stripers fighting in opposite directions without breaking the tippet. I have no trouble fishig this set up on a floating line from shore. Its an easy leader set up and turns over in a head wind nicely. I also whip a loop in the end of my fly line to accept the loop in the butt section. rel

Ken,

I tie up all my own saltwater leaders. I start with a fairly stiff butt section to help it turn over smoothly, and then I go to a lighter mid section, sort of taper it myself, and then the tippet. I usually use an 8lb tippet. On the end of the tippet I'll tie on a 2ft section of 30lb florocarbon for a bite/shock tippet. I've never lost a fish to one of my leaders breaking. They seem to cast really well for me, and are way more cost effective than purchasing new everytime. I have yet to run completely through a spool of the line that I purchased for making my leaders.

I use a double surgeons knot for all the connections. If my memory serves me correctly I start with a 20lb butt section, go to 17lb, then 8lb. 12lb might work even better.

Good luck,
TT

In the long run, you will save yourself a ton of money making your own leaders. For your floating line, start with 4 feet of 40-50lb, tie that to a few feet of 20-25lb down to whatever size you want to end in. I use 15lb next. Join them with double uni knots and put a perfection loop in the end of the but section.

You will not need as long a leader on the intermediate line but I would still use at least two sections that taper down.

Lots of ideas and they all work.You can use a 6-7 ft piece of #20 mono on your floater with no problems.For my intermediate I use about 5' of #15 mono for my 8wt and #12 for 6 & 7 wts.If you want to tie your own leaders,use a 60-20-20 formula.Make the butt section 60% of the leader,the mid section 20% and the tippet 20%.For this I have used 4' of #30 mono for the butt,2' of #20 for the mid and 2' of #15 or #12 for the tippet.I use a surgeon knot for the butt to mid and a perfection loop for the mid to tippet.My feelings are that floro is mostly hype and is not needed so I go with mono.Its cheaper and the fish just dont care.

I build my own saltwater leaders with fluoro.
Simple 4-1-4 or 60%-20%-20% formulas.
I use this one:
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...-box.jsp.form1

what's the 4 1 4 formula?

Martin...4ft, 1ft, 4ft, Butt, transition, tip.
Good luck

That sounds like an easy formula. I need to tie some leaders for the surf also, what wold you recommend for # 4 and 6 flies?

Martin,

For So Cal surf fishing with a sinking line. I just just a straight piece or 10 to 12lb test mono about 6 feet long. If you use a heavy butt section it will actually impair the sink of the leader and thus the fly too.

Should I use something thicker if I'm throwing an 8wt?

No. No need to go heavier.

One of the Florida guides that visit this site can confirm or contradict this, but what I use down there is 40#-50# butt section about 3-4 feet, then a class tippet (lighter line to use for records and such) about 18 inches, then at least 20# shock tippet -- probably more like 30# of about 2-4 feet.

I use a similar configuration for topwater or when using an intermediate line for many situations. I have never fished for bonefish or tarpon but I used leaders like that for trevally and queenfish on the flats in Australia. For ocean topwater or I line presentations here in SoCal I will omit the bit leader use a longer class tippet unless I am targeting barracuda.

Martin, I don't know in your area but in my surf area of long beaches and mid-size waves I use WFFloating lines and WFIntermediate (I rate sink).
Both formulas work perfect in my case with Deceivers, WB's and Clousers. 25 to 40lbs butt, to start the leader, depending on what fish and rod.
For 6wt rods and 4-6 size hooks y use 25-20-15 or 10lbs leader progresion.
For 8wt rods and bigger hooks, 40-30-20lbs knotted leaders.
Regards

Thanks for all the help guys. I knew I'd get some good answers here. I;m going to try to make my own..the 60, 20, 20 idea sounds good, so that's where I'll start....and then go from there. Thanks again for the help, it's greatly appreciated.

Ken

Thanks RocketFish, I appreciate the info.

All the options mentioned are good. There are a couple of others(just to add to the confusion). If you're tying your own, a 50% "rule" works-step down 50% with each section. i.e. on a 9' leader that's 4'-5' of butt(40#-50#), 2'-3' next(30#-40#), then a foot or two of 10#-15#.
You can also use purchased tapered leaders and customize them. I've been buying 12#-20#, 7.5' leaders when they're on sale, and adding the tippet needed for the specific fish. Even though a tapered leader may cost you $5, most of it will last a long time, and adding tippet is what you'll do no matter the system you choose.
Finally, I've become a fan of twisted(not furled) leaders. I used the same leader for 5 days last summer in Baja. Caught 20# jacks every am, plus roosters and skipjacks later in the day. Just added a length of tippet each nite.

Is fluorocarbon a must? I got enough regular green mono size 10 and 12 that I'd like to use. I like Tailingloop suggestion (level leader 6' of 10 or 12 pound test).