Tapered Leaders

[THE GAME]

Now for a different subject. I use tapered leaders, saltwater, in the 10 to 16 lb. sizes.I have been going through them like charmin. I hear of ppl who use the same leader all year. How is this posable with out leavig it in the closet. It seems every fishing trip I manage to mess at least 1 leader up.I either get knots in it ( which I am learning how not to do ) get nicks ( bad places in it ) or use up the small end of it by clipping it off when changing flies.I use a minimum of line when retying or changing flies. At $3.00 a pop this is starting to add up.I have already bought at least $30.00 worth this summer.I have found a place to get them a little cheaper, $2.50 ea. ( Acadamy ) but someone else know about it to.They are out most of the time.Does anyone know of an alturnitive or a place to get leaders in bulk cheap. Can I tie a new tippet on the end of these an expect it to hold up under high stress.

[Quicksilver]

I suggest you go to Walmart and pick up a spool of #20 flourocarbon. I think a spool of 150 yards will set you back $12 $16, depending on the brand you buy. Tapered leaders are so freshwater!

[THE GAME]

Does using untapered flourocarbon line change the way your fly turns over and its action?

[Quicksilver]

Honestly for 87.9%- 96.73% of my saltwater flyfishing how the leader turns over does not matter.

[Quicksilver]

Sorry, I just noticed you do not fly fish up here. I think a lot of the presentation can be achieved with a proper cast, or casting technique. If you need the fly to turn over then you might want to try a 3' or 4' butt section of #30 or #40 mono, with a 2' or 3' tippet or #12 - #17 flourocarbon. You may want to go with hard mason for the butt section. We don't see the stuff much up here, but I think you will be able to find it in your neck of the woods.

[sandflyx]

I just buy Ande lines from 60 down to 20lbs a spool of clear costs from 5 to 10 bucks at walmart or sports authority. I use 5 ft of butt then 2 ft. for the mid and 2 ft of Orvis flourocarbon for the tip. turns over just fine. If I'm throwing poppers I shorten my leader to about 6 ft. and only use a butt section and tippit. For a sinking line just a 2 to 4 ft. of one size is plenty.

[Ray]

I tie all my own leaders. I buy spools of FC in 40#, 25#, 15# and 12#. Depending on the situation and game I tie various combinations. I fish about 70 - 90 days per year and use about 20 leaders. Many are bluefish mangled too.

Ray

[Pauper Piscator]

Tie your own. Sooo simple.

For saltwater bass, I usually go with a 3' #40-#30 butt, 3' of 20-15# middle, 2' of tippet. (I sping for 12# flouro.) Total of @ 8' if you were counting.

I personnally use surgeons knots cuz they are easy. Blood knots might be a "bit" stronger but are harder for my stumpy fingers to tie.

"They" make a good blood knot tool that I hear tell makes it ez.

Lastly, the reason you are burning through leaders is you are not using a tippet section. Tie on 2-3' to the leader tip.

[PeteV]

I recommend that you start tying your own leaders...its easy & does save a lot of money...and you'll never have a problem running out of leaders.

For the most part my leaders are roughly 3 equal sections...mine happen to be a little shorter than 9 ft.
I usualy hook my fly to the reel and I like the leader long enough so it doesn't get bent going through my tip-top guide
(so its a little shorter than my rod).

If I'm Surf fishing,
I cut a 3 ft piece of 40 lb for the butt, a 3 ft piece of 30lb for the middle, and a 3 ft piece of 20 for the tippet.
by the time I tie my blood knots the leader length is around 8 1/2 ft.

If I'm flats fishing and I want a nice turnover in skinny water I use 4 sections and a longer leader.
3 ft of 40lb, 3ft of 30 lb, 3 ft of 20lb and 3 ft 12lb
by the time I tie the knots the leader is about 11 ft or less.

good luck and I think its worth learning how to do up your own leaders

[Quicksilver]

What we need now is for a flyfisherperson to reveal the formula for leader construction. I think there is a formula in the book of knots by Lefty Kreh and the other guy. I know the recommended construction is not three equal lengths, more like 60%, 30%, 10%. The next step will be what knots to use to join the pieces of leader together. I like nail knots butted together. Blood knots a distant second place, for the smaller tippets, say #8-#12, surgeons knots.:D

[Quicksilver]

Only took 24 hours to remember the other guy is Mark Sosin.

[kayaker]

Yow! Are we making this leader business far too complicated? For sinking-line use, a two-section leader -- 10 inches of butt, 12 to 24 inches of monofilament tippet -- works just fine.

[PeteV]

I agree Kayaker...its suppose to be simple. The way I estimmate 3 ft is simply grabbing the spool stretching my arm out & cutting the line. Its suppose to be easy.

[ikan besar]

skip the fancy leaders, the fish don't care! I started out fishing all those five piece Lefty formula leaders and the little knots at every joint do wonders for creating even more knots while fishing. Finally, a guide in Belize cut the whole leader off and tied on the following:

4' of 40# followed by 4' of 15-20# and a fly tied on after that. That's it, go fishing.

It has worked great ever since in every possible region of the world. I can't imagine buying pre-made leaders. As several other posters said, go to Walmart and buy a few spools of different sizes of Ande clear mono in addition to one spool of good flourocarbon. That, and a pair of hemostats is all you will need.

[Pucho]

I use 6'(two arm length) of 40# with a PERFECTION KNOT on each end, then a make a small bimini on a #15, #12 or #10 fluorocarbon(3' or a arm length) and on the other end the fly, if toothy fish i add a 12" shock tipet on 6" of wire, whole thing would be from 9-10', this i use for 9 and 10 wt
Pucho

[mcurtiss]

rather than start a new thread....


so when using an intermediate line (with or without a sink tip looped on section), it seems like a straight piece of fluoro or mono 5-7 feet in length would do the trick. especially casting into rips or deep sections. am i wrong?