Leaders knotless tapered
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 that 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 don’t 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.
Just how we do it is
the
subject of many different opinions and ideas.
I will
give you 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 up to 15 ft. long that
are tapered by stretching. An example would be a 15 ft.leader
starting at 22lb and tapering down to 3 lb.
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 pound 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
that they offer.
Anglers who want something a bit customized for different conditions
and situations prefer to make up their own using anything from
three to eight different diameters of nylon in various lengths.
It is a good idea to have knotless tapered leaders in variouse
lengths. 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.
There is also a lot of debate as to the type of leader material
especially since the introduction of double strength nylon and
fluorocarbon filament material. Colour
also plays an important role as some waters are peaty and others
gin
clear. The proven difference in catch rate speaks for itself.
Buy
your material and construct your leader by diameter
and not pound breaking strain. 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
.
The water knot
The double blood knot. Click for more information
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