As I go over my furled leaders things occur to me that I learned along the way.
Maybe we could all learn something if we each mention some we learned or some tips.
For Example:
I tended to make my Shorb loops too small initially…can be a PITA …don’t recall anyone mentioning size just how to make them.
Shorb loops can end up twisted…easy to not have this happen by paying attention as you form the initial loop.
MY lesson learned is : i tried them. didnt like them. i dont waste any more money on them. went back to tapered leaders. 
My lesson was that after trying all types of thread I finally decided to use Cortland Camo extra soft 2# mono for most of my leaders.# 2 is to use a # 12 crochet hook to put on the tippet rings
… on the Election Day Results thread.
"The Sage is an Fli …
Originally Posted by pillcaster 
…May I ask what type of leader/tippit length are you using?..
… 9’ for 7 wt, which is a bit much for this stream but handles the indicator / nymph rig better than my other rods.
"The leader is a homebrew 6’ thread furled leader made out of Danville 210 Flymaster Plus fly tying thread. This is the same leader I use on my 3-4-5 wt rods for dry fly fishing and fishing smaller nymphs. It handles the large thingamabobber and the size 6 4XL heavily weighted stonefly nymph just fine. The tippet for this set up was Frog Hair 3X fluoro. Had about five feet tied to the tip ring of the leader. The indicator was placed about 2’ up from the tip of the leader most of the time.
John
"P.S. Some folks profess to have tried and not liked furled leaders. Makes me wonder what kind of junk they had to try out, or if they gave it a fair chance for the kind of fishing they were doing.
I mean, one thread leader that handles flies from size 20 dry flies on 6X tippet to size 6 4XL weighted stonefly nymphs under an indicator fished on 2X tippet and turns over both of those extremes and everything in between beautifully and enhances the prospects for a perfect drag free drift !! What’s not to like about a leader like that that costs about a buck to make and lasts a long time ?? "
Just saying …
“P.S. Some folks profess to have tried and not liked furled leaders. Makes me wonder what kind of junk they had to try out, or if they gave it a fair chance for the kind of fishing they were doing”
John, I had a club member have a bad experiance with a furled leader but I convinced him to try one of mine. He had purchased someones “JUNK” that only wanted to kink up when cast! Now he likes furled leaders.
I wish people would state “Why” in stead of just blowing off furled leaders! “Good Grief” they may have even had a “Braided” leader and did not know the differance!
I figure there are about 3000 furled leaders that I have made floating around someplace in the universe. I’ve never had one returned. To the contrary, some of my repeat customers have bought so many leaders, I wonder what they are doing with them all. Nobody fishes that much.
They are really nice people who give them to their friends and family they like them so much I would think. It’s always nices to find something you really like that doesn’t cost a lot so you can afford to share with a friend.
Not to mention, one of the ONLY leaders that one can cast by it’s self.
I’ve tried them. First the mono and then the thread. Didn’t like the mono. And won’t ever use one again.
Several folks here sent me some (Betty Hiner for one) thread leaders to try. And I bought one from Kathy Scott.
For most dry fly applications and soft hackle, I think they are okay. My only hang up is having to dry them every so often and grease them to keep them floating. Also, I don’t like the fact that the big loop that attaches to the loop on the fly line will eventually twist and is a p.i.t.a to try and straighten and loop back on. I should mention that I have gotten to the point where I primarily use them on my 7’ 4wt boo. On my longer graphites I still mostly use mono leaders.
I do not like them nor will ever use them again when nymphing. Unless I was fishing very shallow water upstream and without an indicator. But then again I probably would stick with mono for that as well.
Just my 2 cents.
I guess no sense in offering you one of my “special” mono leaders. More supple. I do a little different loop on them…
anglerdave…see the last line in my original post…they don’t have to twist if they are"laid in" properly.
I suspect certain monos tend to coil.
For nymphing I think you might like fluoro…right Warren & Jack:D
Tigh on Dduckster!! 4# Test Berkley Vanish Transition Gold!! Sinks like a rock and lasts forever. I’ve even started putting a #14 swivel in the tipet end to reduce line twist.
… you can put a homebrew bright orange thread furled 12’ 6" line / leader on a Tenkara rod, add 4’ of 5X tippet, tie on a heavily weighted size 6 4XL stonefly nymph, and throw it in here …
… it may not be pretty when you are casting that rig, but the fishy isn’t all that bad …
… so it ain’t really a big deal what the cast looks like.
Just saying.
ducksterman,
Right on!! Berkley Transition Gold in 4# test is all I use for my furled leaders. 32" butt section, 24" mid section and 24" tippet section. Makes about a 6 foot furled leader and I always add at least 5 to6 feet of 4 pound test fluorocarbon for tippett material and sometimes, depending on conditions, I will use 6 pound test fluorocarbon tippet. The whole thing turns over as smooth as butter!!
… but on a couple of the most recent thread furled leaders I made, the thread around the incorporated tip ring seems to be fraying prematurely. In the past, I’ve fished the same leaders for 20-30-40 or more days with no evidence of fraying so this development is rather surprising. It may be that I got some bad thread, or that the new tip rings are not quite as smooth as the older ones, or maybe I used more weight when twisting / furling that I have in the past.
In any event, to ensure that I did not lose a tip ring, fly, and fish while fishing, I removed the incorporated ring from a fraying leader and then tied it back on using a simple clinch knot, and applied a liberal amount of head cement. There is a question how durable this attachment will prove. Another question is how the size of the clinch knot at the tip ring might affect those rare instances of a wind knot or some leader / tippet tangling.
If the clinch knot method of adding the tip ring proves durable and trouble free, I might just go to using it as a matter of course. It would be simpler than the way I have been finishing leaders, and undoubtedly provides a stronger connection.
Hmmmmm …
John
Are you going to share the details with us, Joni?
Has anyone found the the Coats & Clark .005" nylon threads tend to twist/coil?
Anyone use them and quit?
I have and it makes nice leaders. PM me Duck about my special mono
Uh, oh. Are you sure you are ready for the firestorm of PM’s that you are going to get?
F-50 what’s your source of Cam-O-Extra Soft?