I've been using about a 6 ft. leader made out of Fireline when fishing topwater flies for bass. Earlier this year I was using the standard monofilament leaders and getting strike after strike but few hookups. I finally started pointing the rod at the popper, removing all slack and then strip striking. I started getting more bass but still a frustrating number of misses. Then one day I was out trying a new 10 wt. I had just bought and getting many more hookups and that got me to thinking that 10 wt has a much stiffer tip that my 8 wt that I had been using. So I began using my 9 wt and getting still more hookups but still missing and loosing more fish that I liked. Then I noticed all the stretch in mono and thought I'll try Fireline as that has no stretch but is quite stiff. I made a leader using about 4 ft of 30 lb. test and then, because 30 lb test Fireline so stiff and heavy, added about 2 ft of 15 lb. test crystal Fireline using a double surgeons knot and then tied the bass bug on using a no slip loop knot. Eureka! Sucess.
Now I rarely miss a strike and the fish stay hooked ;also I don't have to set the hook nearly as hard as when I was using a mono leader. When I get very few strikes a night as I am no it's nice to know I can hook and land nearly all the fish that bite.
Has anyone else tried this?