Dry Fly Leaders

[JustFish]

Does anyone use these? If so, what are the pros and cons?

 

[tomgamber]

These what?

 

[Bruno]

I use the George Harvey dry fly leader. I tie my own . They just let you get a better drift. The leader does not totaly straighten out when you cast. It lands in many little S curves. It the time it take the leader to straighten you get a little longer drag free drift. The butt section is not has heavy as most leaders so turning over big flies may be a problem.

http://www.flyfisherman.com/skills/50formulas.pdf

 

[AugustWest]

Try a furled leader, not a braided leader, and I believe you will never go back to anything else.

 

[JustFish]

Thanks Bruno!

AugustWest, why a furled?

 

[AugustWest]

1. Turns over like a dream, long or short.

2. @ 5'9" then add any size and length tippet you want.

3. Easy to flip flies under rhodies etc.

4. Does well in wind

5. Pick up very stealthy

6. Last forever.

7. Not one size fits all - Different weaves for different line weights and types of fishing

8. Floats great

9. Easy to nymph with also

I tried one on a whim about 5 years ago and was so impressed that I have one on every line spool I have from 3 weight to 8. I fish a 3, a 4, a 5, a 6 and an 8 weight at various times and have one on each. My sinking lines do not, but that is another story.

Everyone I have turned on to them has done the same. Nuff said on my end.

 

[Bruno]

August:

I used to be in your camp. I started tying my own. I like it better.

 

[timmyt]

forgive my ignorance please but what is a furled leader?

 

[dryflyguy]

I used George Harvey leaders for years.
A few years ago, a guy posted a leader formula for dry flies on the FFP website, and I tried it. I like it better. It uses a 3 foot section of .019 Orvis Hy- flote for the butt section, and then smaller sections of Stren low vis monofilament for the rest of the leader.
A fishing buddy of mine also likes this leader - we've both been using it for a few years now with great results

 

[jerseygeorge]

Re Furled Leaders- I purchased two furled leaders a few years ago. I have one from blue sky, and one from feathercrafters. I have yet to use them yet!

Reason 1. I fish the Upper Delaware 2-3 times a year with a guide. We catch large fish on every trip on 6-7x. He claims there is not enough stretch (furled vs mono) and the break off rate on larger fish with smaller tippets is higher. Comments? I am talking 22-24" fish, large river, and a trip into your backing.

Reason 2. Nymphing. My nymph leader is a normal tapered leader cut in half (ie 4.5'). Then a long length of 3x, and maybe some 4x (5-6x in thinner crystal clear water as appropriate). The point of this leader, half of it is very supple 3-4x (Diarich Velvet). I like a long thin section because it sinks quickly, and is more natural in the drift. I have been afraid the furled leader would not perform as well, or sink as quickly for nymphing.

Overall everything I have heard is positive, and I guess I should just throw in the towel and rig one up and try it.

JG

 

[afishinado]

Timmyt – A furled leader is made of either thread or mono strands twisted together and tapered. Most furled leaders range from about 4’ – 7’ with a 3-5’ mono or flouro tippet tied on the end to a loop or tippet ring. They work well to turn over flies.

Dryflyguy – I think I‘ve tried every kind of leader and leader formula known to man. If I fished only dry flies, the Harvey leader would be my choice for making a slack line cast and getting a good drift. I tried the Orvis Hy-float leaders and have used the butt with softer mono tapering to the tippet – it works well too.

Jerseygeorge - Right now I am experimenting with making my own furled leaders. What’s working well is a 41/2’ - 6’ furled butt. The length depends on the rod length and stream I am fishing. I make them with a steep taper and connect it to several sections of thinner soft mono like the Harvey leaders to get the S curves for dries. In addition, when nymphing, the thin soft mono creates slack on the cast, sinks the flies quickly, and reduces drag on the drift. I grease up the butt with floatant. The furled butt holds the floatant and floats quite well which keeps the heavier butt out water, allowing for easy mending and preventing the butt from dragging the flies on the drift. I nail knot some bright colored thread or hi-vis mono on each segment of the furled butt for visibility when nymphing.

My goal is to make a leader that works well for both dries and nymphs. It’s working well for me right now, but my quest continues.

Jersey - how was your trip to Central PA? catch any? Jersey - I don't seem to break off more fish with furled leaders, and I would never consider using 7 or even 6X for the beasts of the "D"!

 

[troutbert]

I use the same leader for nymphing and dry fly fishing and streamer fishing. I just make adjustments at the tippet end for different situations.

But most of the leader, from the butt section down through the middle section, to where the tippet material starts, stays on there all season long.

That's the simple, lazy way of doing it. You avoid having to carry a leader wallet, with bunches of snarled up leaders, and trying to remember, or label, which is which. Forget all that. Just carry tippet spools, and make adjustments at the business end as you go.

 

[brookieaddict]

I have a question , is furled is just another name for braided when using mono instead of dacron,spectra.dyneema or some other non plastic material and why doesn't it spray like braided leaders do? B.A.

 

[afishinado]

Braided leaders and furled leaders are two different things. Braided leader are braided - like the lanyard you made a summer camp that sits in your drawer. It's hollow in the middle and tends to pick up and spray water on the cast. Furled leaders use thread or mono strands that are twisted together and is not hollow. I doesn't pick up or spray water.

 

[brookieaddict]

Thanks afisinado, now i know the differance.

 

[BigHUMPY9]

Wow, OK i just learned a butt load....which inevitably leads me to more questions.
-how again do you attach tippet to a furled leader? I think someone mentioned a rig? what type of rig? is it a knot? what kind? some sort of device like them little footballs some people use to attach fly line to leaders? does that affect the drag while drifting?
-how do you keep a furled leader when you arent fishing? does it just sit on your reel? Does it pick up kinks like cheeper store bought leaders? can you use a leader straightener on them? Do you leave it out?

please excuse my lack of knowledge but unlike the chinese proverb I would rather open my mouth and have people know im and idiot and attain what I want to know.

 

[AugustWest]

The furled leader will have a small loop at the tippet end. Tie in what some call an extender. I find to loop-to-loop it works the best. If you tie a clinch knot for example, over time the extender may cut the loop of the furled leader because of the pressure.

For the extender I use @ 2, 3 or 4x depending on what your tippet size will be. Make the extender 6 - 9" long. Then you can tie in your tippet size and length of choice on the extender. I use double surgeon's. That way when you lengthen or replace the tippet you tie into the extender or the tippet you have left, not the furled loop, which is pretty tiny and can be tough to see on the stream.

Blue Sky furled leaders have a loop. Feathercraft furled leaders have a tiny metal ring for a loop. I use Blue Sky just because I started with them, have never tried a Feathercraft.

Furled leader stay on the reel just like any other leader. No kinks. No need to straighten. Supple and soft, never stiff. No rig of any kind.

Hope that helps. The action of a furled leader is just a bit different from the tradition leader in casting. IMO softer and excellent turnover. You will be amazed what small spaces you can put the fly in with a flip of the wrist. Great s-curves when you need them, curve casts, etc.

 

[JackM]

I have used furled leaders. I can't find it now, but I have a simple set of instructions for making your own. The only material you need is a piece of planking about 6 ft. long, 6 long finishing nails, a j-hook and drill or dremel tool.

Anyhow, I really liked furled leaders for all the reasons stated, but one of the negatives that has not been pointed out yet is when you get snagged, whether in-stream or in a tree. If you yank the snag loose and the leader gets stretched and then breaks free, the recoil of tension will make a temporary mess out of the furled leader and you will need to untwist it. Perhaps a minor inconvenience, but when you are in the trees as much as me, it makes you think twice about using them as a standard, all-purpose leader.

 

[BigHUMPY9]

Ok so i bought a furled leader. I forget the exact type but its an extra fine dry fly taper. It said to use and extender so i just rigged up a piece of five X to tie my smaller leader onto. Its probably not right but its been working.
One thing I have noticed is this. I often like to use a small piece of strike indicator at the bottom of the leader if im fishing smaller dries ( helps with the visibility). I have noticed that the furled leader is a HUGE mess when you remove the strike indicator and its a pain to get off.
that being said....I have cought a good twenty or thirty fish on it so far and I like the way it presents the fly. I guess Im a fan.

 

[JustFish]

How does it throw those Royal Humpies!!!??? I'll never forget the day at The Little Lehigh during a Trico hatch nonetheless you tie on that ridiculous royal humpy and you slaughtered them!!!!!!!!! You love the Humpy!!!