Leaders for Nymphing

[afishinado]

Explanation with illustrations:

 

[jayL]

Tapered leaders and nymphing: just say NO!

 

[wsender]

jayL wrote:
Tapered leaders and nymphing: just say NO!

Tapered leaders and all application: just say NO!

 

[jayL]

They are pretty necessary for dry fly fishing IMO.

 

[wsender]

I always had really nasty memory problems with them. I started furling my own and had better results.

 

[jayL]

Ah, ok. A furled leader is a type of tapered leader, so that covers that. I use hand tied tapered leaders, as well as furled leaders. It depends on what I'm doing.

Straight tippet and amnesia or a furled leader butt for nymphing.

 

[wsender]

Sorry, when I think of 'tapered leaders' I think of the single extruded piece of mono stuff that the over charge you for at the fly shop.

 

[ratgunner]

I tie my own leaders useing the formulas in Joe Humphrey's books. They work well. In his video on nymphing he is constantly changing position of split shot/adding or taking off split shot and changing length of leader and/or leader itself as he moves up the stream...very effective but I'm too lazy for most of that. Lots of good info here that I will try next time out,especially the part of keeping the indy away from the heavy butt section.

 

[troutslammer]

you can use a tapered leader just don't put it under water ...works wonderfull , attach sighter or indi then streight fluor tippet , benefits of turning over with NO drag ....

 

[delfam]

I don't get why tapered leaders are bad for nymphing, I mean I get drag will affect it, but if you highstick does it really matter?

 

[WildTigerTrout]

If the majority of your leader is subsurface then yes drag will affect it and trout will notice it.

 

[jayL]

delfam wrote:
I don't get why tapered leaders are bad for nymphing, I mean I get drag will affect it, but if you highstick does it really matter?

In that situation, the fattest part of the leader is in the heaviest current, which is at the surface. There will be drag.

 

[PennKev]

jayL wrote:

delfam wrote:
I don't get why tapered leaders are bad for nymphing, I mean I get drag will affect it, but if you highstick does it really matter?

In that situation, the fattest part of the leader is in the heaviest current, which is at the surface. There will be drag.

A thick butt can also be a hinderance if you are keeping a tight line. Any kink or coil will interfere with the contact between you and the fly/weight.

I go no heavier than 10lb test for any section of my high sticking leaders, and usually only for the short sighter section at the butt. 8lb and lighter for the rest. (I use Stren for the mid and butt sections and I don't know the diameter off-hand. Tippet section is usually 4x or smaller.)

Kev

 

[osprey]

Dale49........Bob Clouser gave me this formula when i used to live down east. 15" of .017 , 13" of .015 , 11" of .010 , 10" of .009 , 10" of .008 , and 20"-24" of .005 MAXIMA leader material. The rest of these folks think i'm nuts but in the summer when it gets skinny , you can add a strip of 8x and a strip of 10x for a mean brookie leader. Good Luck and HAVE FUN!!!

 

[Hopdemon]

Osprey i believe i read in one of your posts that you are an amputee ..are you an AK or a BK ..just curious as I am a high AK and have been for 30 years thanks to a drunk driver.

 

[Dale49]

Osprey,

Thanks for the formula. I haven't gotten into building my own leaders yet. I'm a pretty decent fly fisherman but a lousy knot tyer, I just don't practice. Used to use a blood knot tool to add tippet to leader and it took forever. I now use a double and triple surgeons knot and it's so much easier.

A question to all who make their own leaders - can you use a surgeon's knot to build a leader as opposed to a blood knot?

Any advise would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Dale

 

[jayL]

Yeah, you can use surgeon's knots.

Osprey,
8-10x for brookies?

I use 0-3x with no issues. They aren't line shy, imo.

 

[troutslammer]

wow i didn't know they made 8 & 10 x .....lol for a simple nymph leader if you aren't gonna be switching it up , is like 10 ' of 20-25 maxima cham - 12" amnesia -tippet ring - 4-6' of 4 lb fluoro

 

[osprey]

JayL.........YEP the ones in the ditch , the bigger ones , were very VERY leader shy. I use George Harveys tight brush formula for the natives out west here , they aren't shy of anything except shadows. The bigger ones in the ditch used to follow and bump sometimes for 20' it could drive ya nuts , add a strip of 8x or 10x for those now without even trying heavier , it's probably the pressure they get there , they've seen it all. Hopdemon......i'm an LBK , got about 10" stump , do good with prosthesis , do you wear one or hop? troutslammer.......8x is two pound test , 10x is one pound test in Maxima.

 

[jayL]

Understood. I thought you were talking about typical freestone brook trout fishing.