Hi,
I read a post on here a month or so ago…and I can’t seem to find it.
There was a comment someone made regarding re-using knotless leaders. I have some knotless leader of the 7.5’ and 9’ variety that have lost some bit of their tippet. I am looking to bringing them back to their original state. Someone on here I believe had a post about adding say a foot or so of tippet after using up a foot of leader…then adding one X size larger if you cut it back 2 feet. Am I remembering that right?
I’d say that’s about right. I usually do exactly that, or at lease something very similar. I’ve got some tapered leaders that I’ve been using for almost three years. I don’t use a tapered leader when I’m nympy fishing though, only when I’m dry fly fishing, so maybe that’s why they last me so long. If I’m nympy fishing then I use a short 3’-4’ level leader, and if I’m streamer fishing I’ll lengthen it just a bit depending on the depth of the water.
I usually attach the tippet with a blood knot or surgeons knot.
Mike - I was taught that you can add up to 24" of tippet to a leader. Also that you should not drop more than 2 sizes. If you have a 0X leader, you can add 1X or 2X but not 3X without losing turn over. I like to add a foot of 1 size drop and then 18 to 24" of 2 size drops. You can add tippet easily with the Double Surgeon’s Knot http://www.killroys.com/knots/surgeon.htm
Hope this helps
I have started making my own knotted fluorocarbon leaders according to Harry Murray’s suggestions. Example - for a 9 foot 2X leader - 36" of .021" diameter + 18" of .019 + 8" of .017 + 8" of .015 + 8" of 0X + 8" of 1X + 24" of 2X.
Ok…So lets say I have what used to be a 7.5’ 4x leader. It is now only 5’ because of some casting errors and tangles. I figure add a foot of 3x and then 1.5’ of 4x…or should it go 6" 3x and 2’ of 4x…Just trying to get my leader back where it started.
First, when you tie on a NEW leader, add a couple of feet of tippet to it immediately. That’s what the tippet is for, to let you ‘use up’ when changing flies and protect the leader.
Now, for your situation, add a foot of 3X then enough 4X to bring it back to it’s original length, THEN put on your tippet. The tippet can be the same size as the end of the leader, or up to around 2 sizes smaller.
Keep in mind that a knotless leader is a knotted leader with-OUT knots. It sounds stupid but the bottom line is that the same proportions and section length formulas are used with the exception that the transition from thicker to thinner is accomplished without a knot.
That being said the first thing you should do is invest in a simple leader gauge to measure the diameter. [url=http://www.fishpondusa.com/firehole.cfm:b844a]Fish Pond[/url:b844a] makes a decent AND affordable one. With a gauge you can figure out what diameter the end of your leader is and subsequently know FOR SURE what the next size to be added should be. Keep in mind that these leader gauges don?t have to super accurate to do their job; they just have to let you know which section is thicker. You can also use it to measure further up the leader to guesstimate how far up the leader the next measurable diameter change is.
The next thing to do is to check out some regular leader formulas for knotted leaders so you can get an idea how long each transitioning section is. A good place to check out leader formulas is [url=http://globalflyfisher.com/fishbetter/leadercalc/download.php:b844a]Leader Calc.[/url:b844a] This calculator will give you formulas for just about any length leader. With this knowledge you should be able to easily rebuild your shortened knotless leaders to their original length. Don?t forget to keep in mind the knot advice given by others in the previous posts.
Another approach some of us use…[expanding on what Buddy said]…
is to start with a new leader of known specs…for example…I fish frequently with a 9 ft leader 3x tippet…so I buy 7 1/2 ft leaders with 2x tippet…then I add a 3x tippet…and can go finer than that if desired…
so when I get close to the original knot I know I’m close to the 2x…and retie appropriately.
“Keep in mind that a knotless leader is a knotted leader with-OUT knots. It sounds stupid but the bottom line is that the same proportions and section length formulas are used with the exception that the transition from thicker to thinner is accomplished without a knot.”
Well, not exactly. If you do some searching, you will find that the long-advised 60-20-20% taper breakdown for hand-tied leaders is seldom, if ever, matched with extruded commercial leaders. I’m not saying that the latter are bad, because they’re not… just different. If they are perfect for you, fantastic; if there are situations where you have to make excuses for them, or work extra hard to get a desired result, then perhaps a particular knotted leader might have been better. In my case, my usual (but not only) setup is a S.A. 7 1/2’ 4X leader, with about 2 1/2’ of 5X or 6X tippet attached to the end. Fine trout leader- for me!