Recent History of Furled Leader Question

[jvs]

Can you answer the following questions for a school project related to furled leaders (NOT braided):

Do you remember about when, before 1995, did you hear of furled leaders?

Were you using furled leaders before 1995?

Have you read the book Micropatterns by Darell Martin?

Did you read Micropatterns prior or after knowing about furled leaders?

Do you think the book Micropatterns started the furled leader popularity of the past decade?

If not, what other source do you think help popularize the furled leader?

Thanks in advance for your responses.

[Kathy Scott]

Hi,

My years are fuzzy, but I know both Henk Vehar and Claude Freaner had posted very early Internet information (I'll confess that I found Claude's to be difficult to understand, personally, so I called him to talk.... he was a rocket scientist, go figure, grin), and Jim Cramer had posted early on on FAOL.

But I learned from Tom Smithwick's passed along information to George Barnes at a rodmakers gathering, and Tom had read Micropatterns but redesigned the process to the one I use. I'd been making them quite a while when I finally met Jim (California) when I (Maine) traveled to Montana for a rodmakers gathering in Livingston. They were the only people I knew personally who were making the leaders.

I don't think the role of Darrel Martin can be ignored. I went back to read his revelation about them, casting a fly that hung up on a spider web, attributed to the furled leader's supple presentation. It's pretty enticing! But I do think Blue Sky deserved some credit for the endless series of ads that have appeared everywhere for years. More furlers probably have heard of Blue Sky than of Martin.

The DVD came out in 2003, and I was better able to track the spread of furling, in a way, by mapping where it was sent, so it feels, to me personally, like the actual boom in furling went from my knowing a handful of furlers to widespread furling happened in this decade.

Then, checking the European furlers, it sometimes seems like they've been at it continuously since Walton's time

Just my perspective, hope it's some help.

Kat

[pszy22]

I started twisting and fishing furled leaders sometime around 2000 or 2001. I first heard about furled leaders on the internet, I did read Martin's book not too long after I started furling.

I'm not sure I fully understood (or maybe appreciated) the information I first found on the internet, so I pretty much developed my own process/tools and methods via trial and error. I agree with Kathy that Blue Sky did alot to popularize and spread the word.

Over the past few years, there has been alot of word of mouth (and word of forum). I think for the most part, people who use furled leaders under the right situations, tend to like them. That helps generate positive buzz to friends and acquaintances.

[HCR]

Didn't know of furled leaders until the shop I patronize began to stock them in summer of '09.

[JohnScott]

Can you answer the following questions for a school project related to furled leaders (NOT braided):

Do you remember about when, before 1995, did you hear of furled leaders?

I learned to furl leaders and started using them in 2005.

Were you using furled leaders before 1995?

No. I wasn't even fly fishing in 1995.

Have you read the book Micropatterns by Darell Martin?

No. I hadn't even heard of this book until reading this thread.

Did you read Micropatterns prior or after knowing about furled leaders?

See above comment.

Do you think the book Micropatterns started the furled leader popularity of the past decade?

I have no idea what impact this book may or may not have had.

If not, what other source do you think help popularize the furled leader?

I think the internet has played a major role in popularizing furled leaders. In the marketing arena, besides Blue Sky, Feather Craft out of St. Louis has been featuring a large selection of furled leaders in their catalogue and on their website for a number of years.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

When I learned how to furl leaders in '05, the fellow who taught me commented that only 5% of fly fishers even knew about furled leaders. I can't vouch for that statistic, but I do know that even today I meet people who have fly fished for a long time who have never heard of or seen a furled leader. Some old timers still think you are talking about braided leaders when you mention furled leaders.

John

[Clay]

That's really cool of you to respond Kathy. I see that JVS is a junior member and he might not know who you are. In a very lame attempt, with limited knowledge I will tell you that Kathy travels to the various fly fishing shows, giving demonstrations of how to furl leaders. She also sells the video that she refers to, about how to furl leaders and I have seen her published in the fly fishing media.

So JVS you are getting some information from someone who has more than a passing interest in this particular aspect of fly fishing and not just a person who has furled a couple of leaders. My, after the fact, introduction of Kathy is very inadequate but I felt the need to tell you that the above information is like interviewing a star athlete. Here is a short review of her DVD on this web site that might interest you: http://flyanglersonline.com/prorevw/kathyscott.php

I still look forward to others responding to your questions regarding your school project and I want to thank you for taking this subject matter on as a school project. Good luck to you,

Rick

[rainbowchaser]

Hey JVS I hope your project turns out well. How about submitting a copy for a reader's cast article if it does. Lots of people would ber interested in what you find.

[MSD53X]

JVS;

You may want to take a look here. Furled Leaders - Home

[Silver Creek]

I would suggest a search of the Flyfish@ archives for the early history of furled leaders.

Claude Freener and Martin Joergensen were at one time or another on the original Fly Fishing mailing list Flyfish@ which dates back to the 1980's well before the WWW and internet browsers. I seem to remember Kathy Scott was on the list at one time also. Joel Dunn has archived all the postings on this list since 1990. Using Joel's archive I searched "furled" and "furl".

The first mention of furled leaders was in a post in December 1994 by Layton James:

"I have just finished reading Darrel Martin's new book Micropatterns.

I was also intrigued by a description of a furled leader, twisted in a machine from thread, mono, or almost any other material, to form a very supple leader. Martin gives some arcane (at least to me) drawings of distances to set the various furling whirls from each other in order to form weight forward, double taper, etc. leaders. Has anyone heard of furled leaders, and how to get hold of a furling machine and whirls? Sounds like a great Winter project."

The next post on furling is from Martin Joergensen in January of 1996:

"A while ago Henk Verhaar from The Netherlands sent me a description on how to make twined or furled leaders. These are quite easy to make (after having made the rather large and somewhat complex tool) and work like a charm. 

The principle is that many strands of standard mono are twined together in a special process where two parts each consisting of several strands of mono are combined. 

These leaders can be made to measure and both thickness and taper can be varied as you want. They are subtle and very limb and turn over beautifully. 

I have put Henk's thorough description online along with detailed drawings on my web site. Look at http://www.idg.dk/mj/tacktech/henk. Possible variations and my own comments can be found at http://www.idg.dk/mj/tacktech/henk/varaint.htm. 

Several people have tried making them from Henk's description, and I have had positive reactions only. 

Give it a look over."

I asked Martin about these leaders and he sent me a sample from the Netherlands which I still have somewhere.

[aged_sage]

I first learned of them when I got my copy of Martin's book in the early 1990's. I have no idea what the contribution is his book has had on the current popularity of furled leaders. I made my first (crude) one in about 2003, but did not get into serious making until 2008. Have made and used them since then on all of my lines, from 3 wt to 9 wt, except my full-sink lines. Have introduced numerous colleagues to them in the past year.

What an excellent project to undertake for a school project. With some expansion, it could make a nice Science Fair project, provided that your school participates in this program.

GOOD LUCK!