You don't need a pre-made tapered leader.Originally Posted by NCVirginian
Most of the fishing i do is for stripers and stuff up here in the Northeast. I use 2 different leaders-- one with floating lines and one with intermediate/sinking lines.
With floaters, a 9' 4/3/2 leader with a 4' butt section of 35 or 40lb mono, 3' mid section of 30 or 25lb mono and a "tippet of 2' of 20 or 16lb mono. I generally use clear or Ande.
With intermediate and sinking fly lines I just use a short, straight shot of 20lb Ande, (not tapered) anywhere from 4 to 6' long. The short leader prevents flies from rising up defeating the purpose of a sinking line.
I often fish this as is with out a shock or bite tippet for stripers. But, depending on what I'm fishing for, I might add a short 60lb mono shock leader if there are big fish around, and for toothy fish like bluefish, I have simple flies pre-tied to 4-6" of single strand wire with a haywire twist, but you could carry a knot-able wire like Tyger Wire to rig up quickly on the water.
Leaders in SW can be a lot less complicated than the ones used in trout fishing where they need to turn over small flies, and provide drag free drifts. SW flies will generally have enough weight to lay out pretty well, and even if they don't they are usually actively retrieved when you strip them in, or swung on a tight line.
Good luck,
Mark
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