Hello from another newbie....(listens for the groans, lol)

[jimsnarocks]

Cottonmouth, Welcome to FAOL. Hope to see you around the campfire here. Jimsnarocks

[Jack Hise]

Leaders gone in todays mail, should be there Friday or Saturday. I hope my reply helps with "What is a Furled Leader?"

Mike;
Thanks for the plug on the event this weekend. FAOL will be well represented.

[okflyfisher]

Welcome!

There are not any rules try what you like that is what we call experience.

In my warm water fly fishing here in OK I generally fish weighted flies on 6wt to 8wt rods. I use a 3 section hand tied leader out of cheap spooled mono,60%(of the desired total length) is the butt section, 20% middle and 20% is the tippet. In this heavy leader case it steps down in lb test from 30 to 20 to 12. Each step down in leader strength(lb-test) should be in the range of 50% to 67%

A warm water leader for a 4wt or 5 wt rod might step down from 20(lb test) to 12 to 6 .

With weighted flies you can get by with just a straight section of mono as a leader,but I feel you have better control to hit tight spots with a tapered leader.

Air resistant bugs will cast better on a tapered leader,and may be near impossible with straight spider wire because it is so soft.

Good luck

[Cottonmouth]

thanks for all the info, and for the warm welcome!

going out to find a rod now, hope to get it wet in the morning!

I'll let you know what happens!

Cottonmouth

[Old #art]

If the Spider Wire you are talking about is a true braid, you have to be very careful with any knots to mono. It will cut through it like a knife through butter. Same with your finger if it gets wrapped around it and then pulled. Be very careful with the small diameter Spider Wire.

George

[Cottonmouth]

Thanks George, don't think I'll be messing with the Spiderwire in light of all I've heard.

I did get a rod (7', 5/6 wt.) and a pfluger reel. Getting it lined and ready, and picking up some other stuff. Raining today, so not going to try to fish.....

[hungNtree]

Welcome aboard Cottonmouth! You will love Jack's furled leaders, I have got a couple and they are great.

hNt

[turvy]

I make my own mono leaders and have played with floro tippets but have had trouble with knots. Getting the floro to the mono and then a knot that doesn't slip on the fly. Any suggestions?

[okflyfisher]

I use a 2 turn Seaguar Knot with excellent results http://www.netknots.com/html/seaguar_knot.html

It is blinding fast and strong. I make a bigger loop, hold the loop with my left hand, twist the loop with my right hand index finger. Then I slip my right hands index ,middle and thumb through the loop and catch the the tag end and leader and pull them through loop
it is a 1 & 1/2 second knot.

[turvy]

OKFLYFISHER

Thanks for the info. I'm all thumbs when it comes to knots but the Seaguar doesn't seem too difficult. Your help is appreciated.