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Bruce,
When nymphing, high sticking or not, you want a leader that has enough backbone to turn over, meaning to control the nymph and not have the nymph control the leader. So, you would not use a really thin leader on a nymph and yes, you can get away with just using an untapered leader. I simply use tapered leaders on all my flies except streamers, but it is not necessary when nymphing.
Larry ---sagefisher---
Bruce:
I have played with tapered leaders off and on through the years and for the type of fishing I do I find it about impossible to tell the difference. Most of my stream fishing is with wet flies or nymphs.
Tim
I think the whole "Use 8X tippet so you don't spook these fish in the clear skinny water" is only there to scare the noobs off of going to that location. I have never felt the need to use anything smaller than 6X..and even that, rarely.
Wanna try an experiment? Put a piece of 7X Flouro into a glass of water. Can you see it? So can the fish, they live there, and make their living off of their vision. If a trout is more "educated" he is more likely to look for stuff like leaders...of any size. And we still keep catching, even the educated ones.
My point? Don't over think this. Trouts may not live in ugly places...but they still ain't very bright, either. How do I know? I can catch them, therefore they must be kinda stoopid.
In The Dry Fly Code, St. Vincent Marinaro recounts his delight at getting some 5X gut strands delicately slipped to him by a friend. It did not get any finer. 5X gut broke at 1/2 pound or so in those days.
Kwitchyabellyachin!