Leader Kits

[pmelle]

I'm taking the next step to building my own leaders and am looking at a number of different kits from maxima to orvis. Any recommendations and guidance would be helpful. I don't want to spend a boat load but I want to pay for quality. Thanks!

 

[fly_flinger]

I've had this one for years. The tool it comes with makes tying so easy you can bang out a leader in about 10 minutes while watching TV. Its a little costly but I've tied ton of leaders and still have a few years worth of material left.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Frog-Hair-Leader-Tying-Kit-Fly-Fishing-Brand-New-Free-Shipping-/262093482674

 

[moon1284]

I use maxima chameleon and maxima ultragreen to tie leaders. I bought 27yd spools from 25# down to 2#, then one shot spools in 4# and 2# to use for tippet, then eventually one shot spools from 12# to 2#. This is enough line to tie a lot of leaders.

For you, I'd suggest maxima chameleon 25#, 20#, 15#, then maxima ultragreen 12#, 10#, 8#, 6#, 4#, 2#. I'd get one shot sized spools of 4# and 2# for tippet. Some people do not like maxima for tippet material, it is what I prefer though. I also do not use Flouro, but many people do.

You'll probably be at 40 bucks for this setup (excluding the one shot spools). FishUSA has pretty good prices on Maxima. I'd say you can tie 45+ leaders with them. I use all blood knots when I tie leaders, others use different knots. I have always hated extruded tapered leaders and I have been making my own leaders for a long time using the materials listed above. There are lots of good leader formulas available online.

This is about 10 bucks cheaper than the maxima leader kit that Cabelas sells. Make sure you keep the spools in a cool dark place so that it doesn't get degraded before you use it.

 

[mcwillja]

I would recommend maxima chameleon for butt sections, maxima ultra green for mid sections then a softer tippet like Rio suppleflex or frog hair for tippet. Just my suggestion on what works best for my leader setups.

 

[pcray1231]

I use maxima chameleon for butts and mids. Usually around 1x I'll have a section of Orvis Superstrong as a tweener and by 3x I'm onto the softer Rio tippets like powerflex or suppleflex.

 

[SteveG]

Ditto to pcray. Buying a Chameleon leader kit didn't make sense to me because I only use it for 30lb down to around 15-12lb, then Orvis SS for 0x and 2x, then Trouthunter for the rest.

 

[billfrech]

I bought the Frogs Hair kit to get started and I still use it to tie leaders. However, I have expanded and use Maxima and other manufacturers for various parts of the leader depending on purpose

 

[BountyHunter]

mcwillja wrote:
I would recommend maxima chameleon for butt sections, maxima ultra green for mid sections then a softer tippet like Rio suppleflex or frog hair for tippet. Just my suggestion on what works best for my leader setups.

What he said. I use Chameleon for the first 2 sections, Ultragreen for the 3 and Rio PF fopr the rest. I will tie a 'Sighter" into the 2x section. That is the leader I use for 100% of my trout fishing, just adjust the tippet as needed (length and size)

 

[Tack-L-Tyer]

You might want to take a look at Mason Tackles leader kits if you fish with a dropper/droppers regularly. The stiffness helps the upper flies to "standoff" better resulting in fewer tangles (kind of like a sabiki or crappie rig). I have used their products in salt + fresh water, bait casting + spinning as well as the ice fishing line and never got burned. One version of the Dacron braid is an excellent option price wise for reel backing compared to the high priced competitors if bought in the bulk spools. I believe all products are USA made. Good Luck in your search.