Quote Originally Posted by CM_Stewart View Post
I may be wrong, but my impression is that the need for long leaders is primarily to minimize drag, particularly for dry fly fishing on spring creeks where there are a lot more small current variations in the glassy smooth surface than you can imagine. For wet fly fishing, which is what I was doing, I really do not think a long leader is critical. I've frequently read of streamer fishermen only using 3-4' of surprisingly thick tippet.

When the line is a supple as John's furled tenkara line, or as thin and supple as the line I was using that day (equivalent to 2x tippet diameter), combined with the ability to minimize drag that tenkara fishing provides, it really doesn't seem to matter that the clear tippet is pretty short.

I've found some hi-vis fluoro that should be thin enough to actually use for the tippet. I'll try it to carry the colored line question to it's logical conclusion.
... Chris.

I have used the same 3-4' tippet on a thread furled leader for nymphing smaller nymphs in shallower water, and even shorter tippet on occasion. I don't normally use that set up when strictly nymphing because my thread furled leaders are somewhat limited in how big / heavy a nymph they will comfortably cast. That is on the leader, not on the tippet length. It is not uncommon, whether fishing dries or nymphs, that the end of the leader is actually much closer to the fly, and the fish, than the length of the tippet.

When I do fish streamers, it is typically on a Class II full sinking with a down and across presentation. I use about 3-4' of 2X tippet, the heavy tippet because I'm usually streamer fishing with baitfish style streamers for larger brown trout which are likely to break off a lighter tippet, especially if they take it just as the streamer is being stripped.

I do think the point of the suppleness of the basic leader is worth emphasizing. That is where thread, as in furled thread leaders, comes in. Much more supple than regular mono leaders and more supple than furled mono or fluoro leaders. The entire length of a thread furled leader is more supple than the tip end of a mono leader, and I would venture to say the tip end of a 6X mono leader / tippet. The only thing that is going to drag the fly is the tippet, so less is probably better in most cases, even using very supple tippet, which I do.

John