I am planning to try my hand at making furled leaders to use fishing spring creeks for brookies. I usually use a 9ft knotted mono leader with 5x tippet.
I need to know what material or thread to use to make a fine 6-7 foot leader ending in size3x-5x. I am hoping to find mono thread. Any other suggestions are welcome. Would synthetic polyester or dacron thread be usable? If thread is preferred, what color is best? Tan? Grey?
Thanks for any comments.
Tom
Tom, I use Uni-Thread 6/0 for most of my leaders in the 6-7 ft length. I think you will find that the Uni-Thread offers the best overall results. Remember you’re going to tie on 3-5 feet of tippet so that’s where you’ll get to 5X. Color is strictly your choice. I like white, tan, light yellow but any color you can see will work.
If you want to use mono visit Wal-Mart and pick up some Invisible Thread in their sewing department. It’s straight mono.
Vary the thread wraps to adjust the leader’s stiffness. I’d suggest trying some with a 10-8-6 taper for smaller line wts and also 14-10-6 and 18-10-6 for 5 and 6 wts.
Al
[This message has been edited by dryflie (edited 28 June 2005).]
Al, the taper numbers you give are those the number of loops, or the number of strands from both halves of the loops? Thanks!!
I fished the Smoky Mountains a few days ago and used a furled leader. I was amazed!!! The presentation was incredible. That was my first time trying it and it was on a whim using a leader that was sent by a friend. I was not even sure how to rig it. As a matter of fact I’m still not sure. Both ends of the leader had a loop. The butt was not a problem as I attached it to my line. However, what I did with the tip was to attach it to a loop connection in a 4 inch strand of 6X tippet. The tippet was of course attached to my fly. Can someone please set me strait!!!
Tim, those are the number of strands in each section.
acorbin, loops on both ends help connect the leader to the fly line and also, at the small end, provide a means of connecting tippet. Furled leaders are designed to have 2-6 feet of tippet attached, they are incomplete without tippet. So your 6 inches was a good start but you really want to add a couple of feet especially if fishing dry.
Often I’ll add 2 feet of 4X and then another 2 feet of 5 or 6X tippet.
Al
[This message has been edited by dryflie (edited 28 June 2005).]
I’ve just ordered a Bluesky furled leader and in checking on their web site, they recommend connecting the mono tippet with a clinch knot to the loop on the leader.
[url=http://www.blueskyfly.com:3362b]www.bluesky.com[/url:3362b]
Regards
[This message has been edited by bluenose (edited 28 June 2005).]
Thank you!
I agree with the clinch knot. Loop-to-loop (or handshake) knots will lock up very tight on a thread leader. Snipping the coils on the clinch makes life easier.
‘Emerger’ taught me that trick many moons ago on Poly-Leaders.
I feel that the Uni-knot offers a better solution than the clinch knot in this application. The clinch knot has nothing solid to really bite down on when tied to a furled leader. The Uni-knot doesn’t need a solid surface.
Thanks for your replies.
I spent the evening setting up a jig to furl a leader. Tried using monofilament thread.
the first attempt caused the distal end of the leader to slip off the peg. What a coiled mess I weaved!
Second attempt went well. I’m surprised at the springiness of the finished leader. Hope to try it out tomorrow.
Do I need to apply flotant to a furled mono leader? How about a furled thread leader?
Tom
Tom, you definitely need to grease Furled leaders made from thread, they absorb water and will sink after fishing a while. Mono probably floats longer but given its bulk and weight I imagine it will eventually sink as well. I tend to use the mono leaders for streamer or saltwater fishing so their ability to float is unimportant to me.
Al
…not to be a pain but I’ve alos posted it here…double the exposure!..
…speaking of furled leaders…
I’ve been reading alot about them and a few months back decided to pick up a couple balanced for different weights…
I’m having some problems with them and I’m not ruling out pilot error. I don’t want to bash the particular brand name because like I said it could be me…or my casting deficiencies. Anyway, for the interest of the post they are made by Blue Sky and I guess are spun out of nylon.
I’ve only used one a couple of times because I ended up frustrated with the performance…again could be me.
The following are my observations…
Mine seem to always have memory…not terrible but annoying…I’ve tried every straightening method I know…
I get lots of spray when I pick the line off the water…more so than when I take it off and go back to a regular leader…
I’ve only used the 4wt leader twice on 2 different “wide open” streams in Wisconsin
meaning no hang ups on bushes, in trees ect but I’ve noticed some fraying enough so that I took the nippers and had to trim it up a bit…
last but not least…it sinks…alot…I’ve dried it, added floatant seemed to help a bit but within a half hour I’d notice a big belly floating under the surface…
…bottom line, I don’t recall if I’ve caught a fish with it on but I know I’ve caught’m after I’ve taken it off.
any thoughts?..is it me…is it them?
or should I have 2 people send me envelops as well?
Thanks
Brookid
Has anybody tried using kevlar? I’m just asking because it seems like it might be more abrasion resistant than nylon thread.
TomL:
I make them out of kevlar, fly tying thread and nylon. I prefer kevlar by far. The reason is exactly what you said: abrasion resistance.
I have to explain that I use furled leaders for all my fishing that requires a floating line. I do not use them with my sinking lines. I switch to kevlar when I was looking for a material that would last longer when nymphing. The rocks on the streams would nick the nylon leaders and make them subceptable to breakage. That does not happen to the the kevlar.
I do have to warn you about using kevlar tough. If the leader gets snag, you better get it unsnagged by hand, do not pull on your rod. A kevlar furled leader with 6 strands at the tip has a breaking over 20 lbs. Also, kevlar tying thread (which is the material I use) is bigger in diameter that the 6/0 tying thread usually used. But, cheer up, another advantage is that kevlar will last you a long time. Keep the leader away from sunlight when not is use.
Good luck.
jvs
“I never string up a trout rod without wild anticipation. Often, I’ve
been exhausted on trout streams, uncomfortable, wet, cold, briar-scarred,
sunburned, mosquito-bitten, but never, with a fly rod in my hand, have I been unhappy.” Charles Kuralt
Thanks Dryflie!!!
I make mine out of UNI 6/0 tying thread and they last well over a year. I don’t see the need for kevlar and the UNI thread comes in lots of colors.