What do you think about not using a leader?

[FlyFishingTexas]

I just spend 4 wonderful days of fishing the White River in Arkansas. I caught plenty of fish, as many as I ever do, but this time I didn't use a leader, I only used tippet. Sound strange? It did to me until I tried it.

I had read an article recently in an Orvis newsletter where the author said that he used only tippet on a few occasions and I decided to give it a try. Since I dont fish dries on the White, I dont have to worry about my fly landing just right on the water.

My fly line has one of those loop connectors on the end of it, so I just pull out about 9 or so ft of the 5x or 6x fluoro, tie a perfection loop in one end and handshake it to the fly line - other end goes to the fly. As I got wind knots or change flies, I just surgeon's knotted more tippet on to the end.

I didn't notice any difference in my hookup rate, and I didn't break off any fish either. Well, okay so maybe one, but I was able to determine I had tied a poor knot at the fly and it was knot failure, not because of the tippet.

Anyone else tried this? Sure seems like I could save a few semolians by not buying leaders all the time.

[Benjo]

It doesn't sound like the greatest idea in the world. Think of yourself transfering energy from your body to the fly. Everything along the way gets smaller: your arm, then the rod, then the tapered fly line, then the tapered leader, then the fly. All of those things taper for a good reason, if they didn't energy would not go where you want it to and in the case of the leader it wouldn't want to turn over transfering the energy to your fly, resulting in your fly not landing far from the end of the fly line and other no nos that I can't imagine right now. Consider that a fresh leader will cost you about $3.00 and that 9 feet of flouro will deplete your $12.00 spool pretty quick and I don't really think you'll save much money. Now if you get into tying your own leaders that's a different story and may save you some cash as well as turn your fly over the right way.

[Soup]

I almost never use a leader for bass and bluegill fishing, but for trout I don't think that I would go without one. Until this year i tied my own from a kit that I bought from orvis about 4 years ago. Then last summer I made 6 furled leaders from som 6/0 thread (one for each reel) and the are still as good as new. I will never buy another leader again. I tid a loop in the end and connect to the tippet with another loop. I found the info here on this site.

[Jim Hatch]

Hey Tex,

In early spring time when my waters are
pretty clear, I use a tapered leader and
tippet. Rest of the year, just straight
Trilene. 4# for gills, 8# for bass. Warm
regards, Jim

[beadleech]

Our lakes seem to almost always develop a thermocline [sp?] in the summer at 15' or so. The panfish suspend around 10-12'. We use a straight leader of 6X of around 10-11' in order to get small flies down to them. The flies are weighted so turnover is a moot point [just kind of lob the line out and the weight will take of turnover]. It ain't purty but it works!

Donald

[Jec]

I live here in Ar. and that was how I was taught to fish, by just tying directly onto the fly line, 8-9 ft of just tippet material. I usually buy 4x 5lb tippet and use it for everything I fish for, from trout and even all my bass fishing even. I didn't know I was supposed to use tappered leaders and the such until I read an article off of this site about a year back saying about the White River System, and it told how many of the locals just basically tie 4lb test to the end of their flyline, so I guess it is a local thing.

[Buddy Sanders]

FFT,

Just to cut down on 'confusion', what you were doing is using a 'level' leader.

What you were avoiding was a 'tapered leader'.

Not using a 'leader' would mean that your fly/lure was knotted directly to your fly line.

Level leaders have been around as long as there have been fly fishermen. Tapered leaders are popular because of how they transmit casting energy to the fly (turnover?). They ARE more efficient in this regard and allow a delicacy in presentation that is often desirable when placing dry flies onto trout streams.

Level leaders are used mostly where delicacy or consistant turnovers aren't needed. They are the 'norm' for most sinking line applications.

Many warmwater fishermen use them, and many don't bother buying 'tippet' material. They just use plain old mono for their leaders.

It's truly just a mater of choice. It all works just fine.

By the way, you can catch LOTS of big bass on topwater bugs without ANY leader at all.

Good Luck!

Buddy

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[rrhyne56]

FlyFishingTexas

You are going to go straight to hell!

Seriously, if it worked for you and you were happy then it sounds like there is no need for any further action. Just be sure to hide in the bushes if you see any other fly fishers coming around the bend.

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RRhyne56
[url=http://www.robinscustomleadersandflies.com:7871c]http://www.robinscustomleadersandflies.com[/url:7871c]
IM = robinrhyne@hotmail.com

Wouldn't it be kind of diffacult to get the fly line through the eyes of those hooks without a leader...Sorry about that one, I know what you mean!

IMHO what you have done is discover a "secret"! Quite a few guys do just what you describe. There are advantages to using an untapered leader when fishing wets. It causes a pile up of the leader pretty much at the end of your line where it can sink quickly. Especially true when casting into the wind. Hey when something works use it the next time the conditions are the same.
You can use the same leader with dries if the wind is favorable(at your back).

Ol' Bill



[This message has been edited by snipe (edited 21 March 2005).]

[Jec]

If you go to Ozark Angler on the side bar of this website, go to the bottom of the article and click to view past articles and then click on the article titled "The Cold Water Fisheries of the Ozarks", it has a paragraph about what you describe. I'll just past the bit below. I thought everyone did it this way, until I read this.


"In the Ozarks, most proficient anglers don't bother using a tapered leader when nymphing. Instead, they tend to use straight tippet material attached directly to the fly line. The same can be said for fishing with streamers like the Wooly Bugger. This is by no means universal, but a clearly evident phenomenon among resident fly anglers. Some even prefer 2-4 lb. test monofilament fishing line mostly due to economics and the fact that it still works.
"