Equipment - Leaders
On the many fly fishing courses that I have run, it is always amazing to find out how many anglers neglect the leader.
Most anglers spend a lot of time, thought and money choosing an outfit only to put a nine to twelve foot length of 6lb monofilament on the end of it all. The result is the fly usually never lands in front of the leader but tucks back leaving a proportion of nylon in front of it. Some anglers have worked out that by pulling back on the fly line just before it lands helps to solve this problem although it costs them the distance they have been striving for.
A leader is the most controversial and written about piece of the angler's equipment and I dont wish to enter the debate. One of the only things that I have found total agreement about is that it must be tapered and we should think in terms of diameter and not lbs.
The Fly line is tapered to transfer energy so it makes sense to continue that taper down to the fly.
Here are some simple tips:
A good selection of leaders will enable you to present different flies in most situations and make the difference in how well the fly is presented.
The thicker end of the leader is called the Butt Section and the fly end is called the Tippet.
The Butt should be at least 75% of the diameter of the end of the fly line that it is being attached to.
The Tippet section should match the fly being fished.
A nine foot leader should cover most fishing situations for the beginner.
Factory made tapered leaders are lengths of nylon upto 15ft long that are tapered by stretching. An example would be a 15ft leader starting at 22lb and tapering down to 3lb.
A home tied leader would consist of at least three lengths of nylon tied together, let's say a first section of 15lb for 60% of the intended length, a 20% middle section of 10lb and a final 20% section of 6lb that we tie the fly on. (I have used lb breaking strain to make the comparison easier for you)
Devotees of the shop bought leaders are very happy with the various selections of leaders and sizes available, plus the convenience they offer.
I would also advise you to learn to tie your own leaders as it is not only more economical but offers you the chance to experiment to find out what is best for you.
Always use tried and tested knots such as the water knot and double blood knot and experiment to find out what is best for your style of fishing.
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