Straight mono leader

[Martin McFly]

I was reading something about butt sections and how they vary depending on the fly line wt. The in the article it was mentioned that for an 8wt line one should use a 40 pond test line and 30 for smaller lines. Now, if I'm using just a straight piece of mono (for striped bass fishing), what pound test you guys suggest I use? I take for that use I don't need a subtle presentation. I'll be using a sinking tip line, I do have popper leaders in case I go top water. I did want to tie some 9ft 1 & 0 x leaders but that means that I gotta buy line.
Thanks

[rainbowchaser]

The size of your leader material should be determined by the size of the fly you are casting and the fish you are casting to. I have a short piece of twenty-five pound test nail knotted on my #6 sink tip with a loop on the end to attach tippet as needed.

[Normand]

According to Charles Ritz in his book "A Fly Fisher?s Life", the diameter of leader butts should be 60% of the diameter of the end of the fly line. Other formulas indicate that 75% is the optimum butt diameter, but in either case, a leader butt of .017" to .022" satisfies most any formula. A leader butt of 60%-75% is quite ample enough to transmit and disperse casting energy downward to the tippet. Also consider the stiffness of the butt material. It should approximate the stiffness of the fly line.

[Martin McFly]

Yeah, I'm clear on the butt section and I do have the size (s) recommended for my 8wt but what I'm wondering is if whould tie just the 9' of 40pound test to my fly line or maybe taper it to 30 and then 20 or so. In that case I might as well tie a leader.
I guess I sound I bit confused because...well, I am. I found out by understanding the LeaderCalc2007 that I knew less about leaders than I thought. Just by figuring out how to read the formulas there I learned a ton. I guess the difference now is that I'm not tying leaders for a 3, 4 and 5wt fly line.
Please be patient with me.

[anglerdave]

Martin

Dave Micus told me that for striper fishing all he ever used when fishing Clousers and Deceivers was a straight 9' piece of 20# Berkely Vanish. He fished a 9' 9wt rod with intermediate line.

Dave

[Silver Creek]

You want a short straight section of flourocarbon as a leader with a sink tip or sinking line.

Unless you are using a fly like a Clouser Minnow, the sinking line is usually heavier than the fly and will pull the fly down. The shorter the leader, the deeper your fly will ride and the short leader will turn over bulkier flies than a tapered longer leader.

[Martin McFly]

Ok but if I'm going to fish for, let's say, bonefish then I need to get technical with the leades again, right?
Thanks much you guys.

[Buddy Sanders]

Martin,

You don't even need to get 'technical' with leaders even for bonefish.

For your sink tip, just put a straight piece of fishing line that is the pound test you want for your tippet strength and is a length to suit you.

Unless the stripers average over twenty pounds, or you are in lots of cover, a ten to fifteen pound tippet should be just fine. I'd go with around four to six feet of it. Use flourocarbon if you want it to sink faster, mono if you want it to sink slower.

If you find you ever need to fish for bonefish, just buy a bonefish leader from Cabela's and be done with it .

Buddy

[tailingloop]

My striper leaders are simple.

For Striper fishing with sinking lines of any type I use a straight piece of 12lb, 15lb, or 20lb Berkeley Big Game mono about 6ft long. I usually create a loop in one end with a bimini, but a three turn (4 turns with the 12lb) surgeons knot is actually sufficient most of the time.

For tossing surface stuff for stripers I use a 4ft butt section of 40lb Big Game. This has a perfection loop in each end. One loop to the fly line and the other to the tippet. I use a two foot tippet of 12lb, 15lb, or 20lb Big Game. One end has a loop created with a bimini or surgeons loop for looping to the butt section.

I choose the size of the tippet based on where I am fishing. I use heavier stuff more more abrasion resistance in congested waters, lighter for open waters.


I find published leader formulas to be of marginal value unless the actually specify the brand and model of mono to be used since there are so many variations between different products. I have settled on Berkeley Big Game because that is what I use on my conventional saltwater gear. I know others that use Izonline, Ande, Stren, TripleFish, etc.

[Martin McFly]

Ok, got it. A straight piece of mono will do. Sorry guys sometimes I do complicate things more than needed.

I need to get me a book on leaders or something because I really enjoy tying them but like tailing loop said the published formulas are way too general. I either use Maxima or Ande for my leaders.
Thanks for the patience and the useful info.