I make my own furled leaders. They work great! I make a loop on the end and step down from 3x to the tippet. I can adjust the finished length to what I need for the stream. I never had any issue breaking off fish with them. They are a lot more supple than mono leaders, no curly Qs or leader staightening needed. They give me a better drift with less drag, IMO. Also, I am able to lay out a fly when need to, or execute a slack cast easier with my furled leader. Give them a try!
DGC wrote: "When I read about these it is usually some discussion of small flies for dry fly situations. The idea is that they turn over the small dry fly better. Probably true. However, since when was turning over a dry fly well a good idea? You want slack, not great turnover"
DGC, I just read your comment. I agree 100% that laying out a straight leader is usually not what you want to achieve a drag-free drift. A supple furled leader CAN turn over a fly well OR execute a slack cast if needed. I'm a fanatic about getting a drag-free drift. The furled leader works best for me by a large margin. I've made my own knotted mono leaders and fished them for years. The butt end of a mono leader is stiff like a spring, the butt end of a furled leader is as limp as Tim Murphy's lasagna noodles. The furled leader depends on mass and not stiffness to turn over a fly. Stiff mono in the current tends to drag a fly, while the limp furled leader goes with the flow. Also, it's very easy to dump slack all the way up to the butt with a furled leader. Try one and see if it's not true for you.
Good luck.