If this has been posted before, please disregard, I didn’t see it.
I love the furled leaders which were sent to me by board members…at the same time, I also love fishing long leaders, especially with mixed surface currents and eddies. I feel I get a longer drift (slightly). I have trouble turning over 4’ of tippet at the end of a “standard” furled leader.
That said, has anyone used an extremely long 10-12’ or better leaders for fishing other than Tenkara? Does it work well? Would grey thread negate the visibility of having only a foot of tippet out the end?
Mike;
Are you using thread leaders exclusivly? Leaders made from 4# test mono or fluoro are a bit more agressive and will turn over more tippet. With a 7’ mono/fluoro leaders I use 6’ of tippet.
4 lb?! That has got to be a monster leader. 2lb max here. I do use 10’ leaders. I been reading about the long leadersand the furled just makes it that much easier, even with my 8’6 JWF. I would love to send you ont to try. I have a special mono or thread.
… but this is the result of fishing a large salmonfly tied on a size 4 3X long hook with an extended body off 4’ of 4X tippet on a 5’8" thread furled leader with a WF4F line on a 9’ for 5 wt TFO BVK on mixed surface currents, yesterday.
I do a lot of that kind of fishing, and my tippets are almost always 4’ or less. The thing about thread furled leaders, and why I think they excel for this kind of fishing, and with shorter tippets than a lot of people prefer, is that they are so supple that they absorb all those little mini currents between the end of the fly line and the tippet.
Stiffer leaders, which include all other forms of leaders, including furled mono and fluoro leaders, are going to steer the tippet and fly to some extent, and especially regular mono leaders with their stiff butt and relatively stiff mid sections. It takes a lot of tippet on those leaders to overcome the steering effect of all that stiff stuff.
The thread furled leader does no steering at all - the entire length of the thread furled leader is contributing to the best possible drift for the longest possible time.
As far as tippet length goes, and leader color, I have fished with as little as one foot of tippet off a light colored thread furled leader and caught fishies. But I wouldn’t recommend it, because I do think some length of tippet between the end of the leader and the fly is desirable - which is why I generally stay in the 3-4’ tippet length regardless of the water I’m on or the size of the fly. I do generally use a supple 4X or smaller mono tippet, except when I think there may be some really big fish to deal with.
John
P.S. If you want to see more of the “mixed currents and eddies” and other water that I’ve fished with this same set up the past several weeks, follow the link. The posts since May 1 cover mostly dry fly fishing.
If you fish waters like Montana and Idaho that are full of hungry trout and many waters that have NO pressure, the leader length might not matter. I have been reading about the LOCH style. The gentleman in the picture is a good friend Devon. I made these out of furled leaders and the tippet is where that tags are. Made it easier to roll cast it away from the boat. http://americanangler.com/technique/loch-style
In the latest issue of American Angler, there is a wonderful article of the benefits of the long leaders.
While searching however, I ran across this. Reminded me of the past post about “furling?” without a jig.
… you still have to get a great drift. And thread furled leaders excel at that. Especially when they don’t have any “gunk” on them to make them float instead of just submerging, without sinking the fly.
… that Rock Creek, the Blackfoot River, and the Bitterroot River in Montana have NO pressure, Joni.
Also, that the Henry’s Fork, the South Fork of the Snake, and the Big Lost River tailwater below Mackay in Idaho have NO pressure.
I’ve used the same set up described in my earlier post on all those creeks with very satisfactory results.
John
P.S. Not to mention Kelly’s No Tell’um Spring Creek in SE Idaho, which some folks think is pretty tough water, that gave up a good number of those beautiful brown trouts and cutthroats to the very same thread furled leader / 3-4’ 4X tippet combination.
… Berkley Vanish 2 lb fluoro tip end ( six strands ) …
… and Danville 210 FlyMaster Plus butt end ( ten strands ) …
The mono tippet and the fluoro furled leader do not get more supple when wet. The Danville 210 thread furled leader does get more supple when wet.
It seems obvious to me which ones are most likely to negatively affect the drift and which one is most likely to positively affect the drift.
I’m not trying to sell thread leaders. There are valid reasons why many, maybe most, folks don’t like them, and some folks simply can’t handle them. Which may be why some people who do sell furled leaders seem to tout mono and fluoro.
John
P.S. That BV furled fluoro leader is really good for nymphing big weighted stonefly nymphs under a medium size thingamabobber.
Not discounting you experience John, hope you are not discounting mine. The post was not about material but length. I just want to say I am always in a learning mode. Long leaders have peeked my interest as well.
I never said thread leaders were not a good choice. I believe they are the most supple of any out there and most versatile, but I will not say that mono does not have a place. It most certainly does and I am not talking just stillwater. I have a mono that is not like the any other I have tried. It is truly wonderful. I fish a lot of rivers, just don’t post pictures. For a 10’ to 12’ leader in which you want to ad 10’ to 8’ of tippet, I would not over look mono.
John, can you post a picture of 2" to the ring in thread so everyone can see the difference?
After you post a pic of 2" to the ring in the mono you are liking, Joni.
In the meantime, I’ll just add that the last 2" to the tip ring of a thread leader is more supple that the butt end. And, that I definitely think mono has a place, as well as fluoro.
Seeing how you brought it up, I am not getting the furled leader out of Fluoro idea. Sure fluorcarbon sinks but not like a brick by any means. Soak a thread leader and it will sink fantastic for nymphs and streamers. Plus there is Kevlar. Fluorocarbon being as expensive as it is and the fact I think Vanish is junk (my choice), I don’t get it. Just use more tippet, use fluoro tippet. If fish see my leader, they are seeing too much, but some fish just dont care. People want stealth, I think it is more in the delivery and the tippet, not the leader and flyline, however both will make it possible to deliver that fly the way and the where needed.
Thread leaders do well for me for the smaller nymphs, either fished trailing a dry or under a small indicator.
Fluoro does a better job fishing a couple heavily weighted stonefly nymphs under an indicator, or even one of those puppies.
I know Warren likes fluoro for the wet fly fishing that he does. And I am sure there are other situations where fluoro offers advantages over thread or mono. But I can’t speak to any of that because I have a very limited use for it.
John
Now back to your regularly scheduled discussion of leader and tippet length for fishing mixed currents and eddies.
I have a couple of Fluoro furled I made…of course they are nice. But as you mentioned, stiffer and costy. Thread and Kevlar if you want to nymph, not to mention strong as all get out, but still that thread flexible. BUT, I always use Fluoro for the tippet, my choice, but I am always trying other things…made a few changes along the way. I feel that is a good thing. Curious about something, Try it. Then you know for sure.
