fishing a wooly bugger

[kfly]

I just read an article that said when fishing a streamer you use a short leader. In many cases, 2 to 3 feet of monofilament leader is all you need from the end of a sinking-tip line

Does this mean that you take off the leader and tippet and just put on a couple of feet of monofilament?

 

[gfen]

That works. Or, just use a very short leader of smaller diameters, too, so you can have a little turn over power.

 

[jayL]

I think sink tips are rarely needed for PA trout fishing in most situations. For most of my streamer fishing, I use a straight mono leader.

 

[gfen]

I think the heavy poly leaders are far more useful than sink tips, or at least that's the way I feel about my sink tip line.

 

[jayL]

gfen wrote:
I think the heavy poly leaders are far more useful than sink tips, or at least that's the way I feel about my sink tip line.

I just tie my buggers heavy. If I need a sink tip proper, I use one. 90% of the time, it's not needed. With those galloup floating bugs, it's necessary. Since most of the streams I fish don't call for sink tips most of the year, I don't fish many galloup streamers.

 

[pcray1231]

Unless you're fishing a huge river or deep lake, no need for the sink tip line. Regular old floating line works just fine for 99% of PA fishing.

But yeah, short, stiff leader. I usually just use my brook trout leader, take the 2-3' tippet off and replace it with a thicker one under a foot. So I'm lookin at a 4-5' tapered leader with less than 1 foot of heavy tippet.

 

[TUNA]

I sometimes prefer a fast sinking line to fish buggers/streamers. It helps to cut through the different currents and it gives you more of a "straight-line" retrieve. I will say that while it is probably not necessary, I do like the sinking line with buggers.

 

[kfly]

What size mono would you tie to your leader?

 

[jayL]

15lb for big trout streamers.

For the tiny ones, 2-3x works fine.

 

[pcray1231]

Well, fly fishermen usually standardize based on diameter, not breaking strength, as we care more about casting and drag issues than breaking strength. I typically use 2x or 3x tippet for streamers, which equates to diameters of .009 and .008", respectively.

How that equates to breaking strength is highly variable, and depends on the brand of line. For instance, my tippet is Rio Powerflex, and 2x is 10 lb test and 3x is 8.2 lb test. If using traditional Berkley Trilene, 2x would be 6 lb test and 3x would be 4 lb test.

So the answer to your question depends on your brand of line. But for the cheapest, Walmart brands you're probably looking at 4 or 6 lb test, and for a better line it'll be more like 8 or 10 lb.

For streamers, nothing wrong with going thicker, though. Anywhere from 6 lb to, say, 15 lb would be fine, I'd think.

 

[bam]

While probably not necessary, I will use a sinking line if I intend to use streamers... even on smaller streams. I believe it achieves better contact with the fly both on strips and detecting strikes. Now, if I start out nymphing but switch, I usually just shorten my leader and continue my day.

Often times, streamer fishing requires dedication and I'll go in with the mindset to stick with it unless I run into a hatch. That's when I tie on a #2 or 4 weighted long shank with a short leader, 6wt rod and 10lb test

 

[pete41]

The reason for using short leaders is to keep lightly weighted streamers from rising up in the water when using sink tip or sinking lines.
Using short leaders with a floating line is working at cross purposes.
Gonna use a floating line a six or seven foot leader[out of the package,knotless] fine.Carry different weighted streamers for different situations.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

pete41 wrote:
The reason for using short leaders is to keep lightly weighted streamers from rising up in the water when using sink tip or sinking lines.
Using short leaders with a floating line is working at cross purposes.
Gonna use a floating line a six or seven foot leader[out of the package,knotless] fine.Carry different weighted streamers for different situations.

I agree.Various bead heads and weighted with wire.I really like a sink tip and sinking leader .weights seem to screw things up for me.

 

[wsender]

jayL wrote:
I think sink tips are rarely needed for PA trout fishing in most situations. For most of my streamer fishing, I use a straight mono leader.

I'm assuming the only time you would need it is on the Upper Delaware?

 

[jayL]

wsender wrote:

jayL wrote:
I think sink tips are rarely needed for PA trout fishing in most situations. For most of my streamer fishing, I use a straight mono leader.

I'm assuming the only time you would need it is on the Upper Delaware?

Nope. It depends on lots of factors, including the fly I am using as well as flows and water temp.

But I'd probably be most likely to use one on the D.

 

[pete41]

This post brings back fond memories-
After I moved west I use to daydream about how much fun it would be to go back to the Allenberry section on the YB and oh so innocently start casting away using the 9' 8wt. with hi-speed hi-d shooting heads and no.2 streamers I used out west-fun to see the locals chagrin as I tangled up every one on the river-

 

[jandmcustomlures]

I have a question with buggers or similar egg sucking leech fly. Is My issue is my fly line because floating is dragging my bugger. Id my bugger to weighted and dragging bottom allowing the line to get in front of it ? I kept rod tip high and much line as possible off water and it still seemed to drag .

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Sinking Line on large rivers (Del., Lack, Susquehanna , Schuylkill etc...) will make your life easier when nymphing and using streamers.

Spare Spools just for this makes life easier and is worth the extra money if you frequent a river like this locally.

That said, I use a long leader while using streamers unlike most people. Most streams I fish require a long leader and when I do this, my streamers are smaller to medium. Rarely do I throw a large streamer into a stream like the Letort.

Then again....rarely do I use streamers on the Letort ;-)

 

[wsender]

jandmcustomlures wrote:
I have a question with buggers or similar egg sucking leech fly. Is My issue is my fly line because floating is dragging my bugger. Id my bugger to weighted and dragging bottom allowing the line to get in front of it ? I kept rod tip high and much line as possible off water and it still seemed to drag .

I'm not quite sure what you're asking but I sense it's about wooly buggers and drag.

Dead drifting is one way to fish buggers, but I think the most popular way to fish them is to swing them. More or less you just cast them out and retrieve them allowing them swing across the current.

Each approach isn't any more right than the other, but I like to fish my wooly buggers with a little action and not a dead drift.

 

[jandmcustomlures]

I was fishing the Lacki so would say it was more of a large river.
I was also referring to dead drifting the bugger yes, but with that really not working well a unnatural drift , I more or less was swinging them as it seemed to be a better fit and tight line. If I was to dead drift the bugger what was my issue more than likley to much weight ? I could not for the life of me keep the bugger in front of the line in most cases. I am assuming it was to heavy and draging bottom. So in instances like that is using an indicator better ? or is that where the shorter / stiffer leader comes in handy?