Make own leaders?

[Byron haugh]

I can remember sitting at my dining room table many years ago and making knotted leaders. Have not done so in many years. Preferred the smooth knot less leaders.

Wonder, except for furled leaders, if many fishers still make their own knotted leaders?

[bikebum]

Yes, some of us still do. I like furled leaders but I always seem to come back to my own hand tied leaders. Have yet to find a factory knotless that I like as much as my own but I have always swum against the conventional wisdom so I don't know if I do it out of crankiness or just to be different but it suits me and at this age I believe I shall stick with it.

Bikebum

[Chuck441]

Sure do, Byron. Knotless tapered leaders can do just fine in many cases, but not always. Example: The butt diameters on most of the 9 foot commercial ones tend to be about .023-.024". That's just too big (stiff) for many of my fly lines, and causes hinging at the line portion of the line/leader junction. Also- I can build a leader of any length that I wish, not being limited to 7 1/2, 9 or 12 feet. And there are different tapers that can be tied also. I'm not knocking knotless leaders here. I often use them- but even then, I sometimes alter them a bit. Just my $0.02, I guess!

Chuck

[Byron haugh]

Thanks,
The main reason I quit was to avoid the "bumps" if I reeled a fish in for landing and the leader went through the tip guide.

Isn't that why they started making knotless leaders.....in addition, I presume, to being cheaper?

[Marco]

I sometimes start out with about a 12" knotless tapered leader but invariably within three months it becomes a hand tied knotted leader sorta like Dolly Partons' "Coat of many colors".
But that fact aside, i do mostly tie my own with about 3 descending wt sections. My knots are so attractive that fish sometimes hit the knot and totally ignore the fly.

Mark

[Byron haugh]

I have to say, in all the shops I go through, I very rarely see knotted leaders anymore.

Marco: I would be like you and the oat of many colors, except that I now just change leaders. I figure, given all I spend to GO fishing, a few leaders is a small price to pay for nice smooth leaders that turn over well and don't catch algae on the knots.....


The more I think about it, I think the debris may have been the bigger reason to abandon them

[tedshuck]

I do much the same as Marco, starting with a 7.5' tapered 3X leader, add some 4X tippet, 5X tippet, and add more as necessary. This usually lasts for a few days of fishing. Once I start snagging too much debris on the knots, I start with a new taper leader base.

I am usually surprised at how much more supple a new leader is than the one that I retire.

Ted