Clear water leader and tippet recommendations.

[Baron]

Tomorrow I’ll be flying to Utah. Will spend 3-4 days In the Green at section A and B. I have never flyfished crystal clear water before and am wondering what you might recommend for leader and tippet size and lengths. Will mostly be tossing terrestrials and streamers. Shore fishing.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

Check with a fly shop when you get there. GG

 

[gulfgreyhound]

Check with a fly shop when you get there. GG

 

[Baron]

Twice?;-D. Yes there is a shop right there in Dutch John.

 

[lestrout]

Yo Baro

Fear not. The Green does indeed have beautiful and clear water, but so do many Northeastern and PA streams. Western trouts are easier to take than those in our crowded waters - they only have a few months a year to eat and get fattened, and even on most of the tailwaters are less fussy. 6X-4X will do you fine, and leader length should be what you like - but at least 7 ft or so. It tends to be windier, so I use shorter leaders there than my usual 12 footers here.

 

[Baron]

I have 3x and 4x for primary tipper and for micro offering such as #18 ants and gnats I'll use an extender with 6x.

So you think my normal 7.5' 3x leader is fine then?

 

[lestrout]

Yo Baro - yup - but it's always good to have a 9 footer in reserve.

 

[dryflyguy]

On big water - like the Green River - I always use longer leaders, 10 - 12 foot long.
Makes it easier to get a drag free float.

A 9 footer would probably work OK too.
But I don't think I'd use a 7 footer there.
Just making things a little harder IMO.

As for tippet size, I generally don't go lighter than 5X.
Especially on a river with big fish, like the Green has
If you've having trouble drawing hits, try a downstream presentation.
Then the fly goes over the fish before tippet

 

[Baron]

Hey thanks a bunch. I’ll try that. My thoughts were to keep the 7.5’ leader but to make the tippet 30-40” to make up the difference. Course if it’s windy that may not work so well.
I’ll access it when I’ve spoken to the fly shop there. And I’ll post if I succeed.

 

[troutbert]

You could tie a tippet ring on the end of the 7 1/2 ft, 3x leader.

And use that as the base of your leader, which you just leave on there.

Then add tippet to the tippet ring, adjusting to the water conditions and flies you are using.

 

[Fly-Swatter]

Troutbert: I like this approach. It's simple, practical and effective.

 

[Baron]

TB, that is very likely what I’ll do. Only a couple guys I met in the Weber today said to use 1x leader and ring and step it down from there to 3 or 4x. My dsughterinlaw caught a 24” brown today on worm. Humiliating.