making knotted leaders.

[Fly Goddess]

Fly Goddess, I have yet to try using fluorocarbon yet. How do you like it??

All I use, so I can't tell you. I like the idea of invisible and I swear to it. I do stress not throwing pieces of it on the ground as it doesn't disintigrate. I have never had a problem with tying it to mono either. I even use it on my dries.
It is thinner and stronger pound for pound, that is why I like it.

[Jeremy]

I can't go that simple. My leaders have go to be at LEAST a 6 parter
That site Normand posted is a great starting place.


For a simple 7 1/2' 5X DRY FLY "short" mine goes like this:

7" of 26 lb
14" of 20 lb
14" of 15 lb 0X
9" of 11.1 lb 2X
10" of 8.5 lb 3X
13" of 6.2 lb 4X
24" of 4.9 lb 5X (this is usually substituted for 5X Fluorocarbon)


For a 9' 4X unweighted NYMPH leader:

16" of 52.9 lb
16" of 42 lb
16" of 35 lb
16" of 26 lb
10" of 20 lb
9" of 15 lb 0X
6" of 11.1lb 2X
19" of 6.2 lb 4X (again I substitute this for Fluorocarbon)

These weights may vary from different co. I us Frog Hair.

FG,

Don't you find that first lot of leaders is hard to turn over well?

Seems I have the best luck with approx. 21" of the heaviest mono (Maxima) then around 18" and approx.15" and so on. I've had cumbersome times with leaders having little butt length in thicker dia's.

Just me though...

Jeremy.

[Fly Goddess]

It works fine, but maybe it is the Frog Hair.

[J Castwell]

Then again, perhaps you want a strong leader. Careful what you wish for!
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/ligh...man/jack17.php

[Fly Goddess]

Then again, perhaps you want a strong leader. Careful what you wish for!
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/ligh...man/jack17.php

Remember, I use glass, so when the rod tip starts itching my fingers....then I might be in trouble

[Den]

I make my own knotted leaders and I really prefer them over the commercial tapered leaders. I extend a tape measure to about three feet and use it to get the lengths right. The best part is that I started using a medium sized crochet hook to make the double surgeons knots and that really speeds up the process. I can make a 9 foot leader now in about ten minutes. I stick them in little zip lock bags from the local craft store and stick a little piece of paper in showing the date of manufacture, butt section and tippet size and length. Quick, cheap, easy and my weights don't slip down when I am nymphing. And I can make any size and tippet combo I want. Cool beans!!!

[analogbob]

Too bad Cortland got rid of their "twin tip" leaders many, many years ago. They had 5 and 1/2 feet of stiff nylon for the butt section which tapered down from 24x to where it was tied to a 4 and 1/2 foot limp nylon section that tapered down to the tippet you needed. It was 10 feet long and you could use it all year with an 8 or 9 foot rod, merely by changing the tip section to a tippet with the length and size you needed. It casted perfectly. Nice "S" curves in the lower 2/3 of the leader.

You could adjust it for a shorter rod and smaller streams by cutting off a foot or so from the top of the butt section and a foot or so from a 6x or 7x tip of the lower section and then you were in business. The idea was TOO good. I bought about 4 at the beginning of each season; they each had two tip sections. I added some tippet spools in various x's and that was it. Not much money to be made there I'm afraid.

Bob