Could someone give me some advise regarding leader and tippit lengths.
I’m having trouble getting my fly to roll out to the end like it ought.
The cast seems to just die about half way through the mid section of the leader.
I have a 4 weight weight forward floating line to which I’ve tied a 10 lbs. leader butt about 4 ft. long then a 6 lbs. mid section about 2 ft. then a 4lbs, tippit about 2 ft.
For Dry Flies the general rule is hook size, divided by 3, equals the tippet.
Example:
Size 16 Dry Fly hook, divided by 3, equals a size 5X tippet (.006 inch diameter). You could even try a size 6X tippet (.005 inch diameter) if the fish are refusing the fly. But with a smaller diameter tippet, you may encounter the tippet and tapered leader, becoming twisted with the casting.
This is just a general rule, if there is wind resistance, you might want to try a 4X tippet (.007 inch diameter).
A simple formula we use in warmwater is 60% of the desired leader lenghth is the butt section ,20% of the total leader lenght is tippet and the remaing 20% is the middle piece that fits bettween the butt and the tippet. On a 4 or 5 wt rod we start out with a leader butt of 20 lb. For trout I generally buy a tapered leader, and add tippet or possible a middle piece and tippet as the season goes on.
Yep, lots of great info and people here.
Just curious Terry what size of fly might you be trying to cast? This is one variable that sometimes get over looked, your leader can be fine for a lot of your fishing but the fly might be to big for your setup the way it is.
An example of this is my 6’6" 2 wgt. rod with a furled leader and a 5 x tippet of 5 feet and a #16 elkhair caddis will punch out and land nice and soft at 25-30 feet.
Take the same outfit and put on a #12 humpy the fly lands short of the line and leader at about 20 feet surounded by tippet.
I started out with a #12 wooly bugger and was doing okay. I changed to a #12 wooly worm fishing on top and it started dying halfway through the leader.
BTW, I did manage to catch my first fish that day on a fly I tied myself, 14 inch rainbow! Caught it on the bugger I mentioned before.
Terry, … even on my “light” rod I use pretty stiff butt sections, … taper slowly and steeply to the tippet section …
My leaders taper. On a 5 wt XP 8.5ft long, I start with 30lb maxima about 3 ft long, 25lb x 2 ft, 20lb x 2 ft, 15lb 18", 12lb 18", 10lb 18", 8lb 1 ft then tippet of 6, 4 or 2 lb. (18").
That makes about 13ft of leader + tippet.
That’s about standard for me I like to string up with a minimum 1.5 - 2x the lenght of the rod (so my 10ft has 22ft of leader+tippet).
Stiff butt, yes, but I cast lots of big bushy flies.
Have fun testing leaders out if you like, … or find a cmbo you like for your style and conditions and just have fun!
Dave Ulmer (slicfoot) did the "Big Leader Formula, that I have been using for many years for knoted leaders, and for furled leaders. It is a fully balance progressive taper, that lays down like a fly carpet on the water.
hmmm…this sounds like a plausible explanation for why I was having so much trouble casting with a nymph dropper this weekend…too much fly, not a stiff enough leader/tippet.
You might try pinching the line with your non-casting hand when the loop reaches the leader. Very often that’s enough to make sure that enough energy travels down the line and all the way through the leader.
Am I correct in reading that you are connecting the sections of the leader using loops? If that is indeed the case then that could be the issue. Loops might not allow the energy to transfer fully from section to section and would possibly cause the “dying” cast that you describe.
Yes Robin I have been using loops to connect the leader sections. I’m going to break that down now and use blood knots instead. I’m also going to add a thicker piece as the leader butt to see if that does a better job transferring the energy.
I’m going down below Tenkiller tomorrow to give it a try and see how she does with the loops out.
Thanks again to everyone for your input and advice!
Nope. I grew up in Connecticut, went to college in Indiana, and have spent my working life here in Chicago. I have a colleague who grew up in NE OK - Cardin, right near Pitcher, right outside of Miami.
