Long leaders

[NRD]

Yesterday, I worked up to a 12' leader consisting of a 76" furled leader+ ~2' 3X Fluoro + ~2' 4X Fluoro + ~2' 5X Fluoro.
After adding the last 2' of 5X I saw a noticeable improvement in turnover of size 14 dry flies. I soon caught 2 rainbows after spending an hour and a half to catch my first 2. These are stocked fish in heavily pressured delayed harvest trophy select water. The fourth bow was getting a torn up mouth, so I decided to give them a break and call it a day.

I'm really sold on the furled leader. It casts well, drifts well, and floats well enough to keep the tip of my 4wt Rio Gold line from sinking as it does with fluoro leaders. That line is only a year old and has been cleaned and conditioned, but that's another issue.

Anyway, can you kind folks share the specifics of your preferred long leaders for the Delaware?

 

[caddisflyer]

Do you treat the furled leader with a floatant? I seem to remember that?
I use almost any leader but I like the Favre hand tied 12 ft 4x to which I add my tippett of about 3 ft of 5x fluoro. Later in season i switch to a regular leader of similar configuration, usually an Orvis without knots because the moss or algae tends to get on knotted leaders. My leaders are never super consistent as I am trimming them etc. I personally do not use tippett rings but many like them. My actual leaders are never fluoro, just the tippett. I mainly fish dries.

 

[krayfish2]

I'll take a 9' 3x or 12' 3x tapered leader, blood knot in 24-36" of 3x mono about a foot from the end of the leader. Depending on the size of the fly, I'll then add 3' - 4' of 4x (ISO, MB, etc) or add 24" of 4x and 36" of 5x (sulphurs, Hendrickson, caddis).

Very general recipe and trimming is required if it's not turning over the way you'd like. Shorten / stiffen if you are into the wind all day.

One thing that I will point out as you'll see it all the time..... learn to have out enough line to cast past the fish, check it high and drop a slack leader cast 2-3' above the riser. You barely need to mend / feed line and can go tight on them quickly. I see 90% of guys throw it 10' - 20' above a feeding fish. There's a lot of mending and luck needed to get near the fish without drag when you start that far above him.

 

[tomgamber]

If your leader is longer than your rod, it's just unnecessary IMO

I know guys who swear by long leaders. Go for it. It's inconvenient. Unnecessary. Extra work. IMO. Try both. See what you think. Decide
That's he best way to find out.

 

[catchandrelease]

Everyday is a different day. Some days can be way tougher than most. One day last week I was fishing pressured fish in a slow pool with a light riffle above it. As I seen caddis coming off they were feeding bigtime. My leader was down to 8.5 feet and 5x at fly. In no time I had 7 and got them out of the pool quick, but they slowed up. About a hour later I had 15 and I was giving them brakes in between each catch. Water was super clear and pool was 3.5 ft riffle was only 10". Over the years seen same scenario a guy pounds it, catches 5 and is happy. Then maybe a guy with a 13ft leader would have grabbed 20 right?

 

[caddisflyer]

When I went to long leaders I also switched to a different line /leader connection because I did not like the way the loop to loop connection slid in and out of my tip guide. When playing and netting a powerful fish that connection might slide through the guides a number of times and on a light tippett anything that catches or impedes movement can cost a fish. I like a coated nail knot best.
I just checked my leader on my 4 wt yesterday and its right around 18 ft which is perfect for what I like to do.

 

[CLSports]

12' 5x leader is sufficient for the D for most dry flies size 14 and under. I have gone up to 14' occasionally on low wind days which is rare. A long leader will not land where you intend when there is even a slight breeze. Accurate casting and line management is way more important.

Edit: I always tie the George Harvey longline and slackline leaders for what it is worth. I need to check out Ed Engle's to see the differences.

 

[mcwillja]

I use Ed Engles 16 foot leader he recites in his book Fishing Small Flies - It has been the best long leader i have ever used. I keep my tippet length between 3 and 4 feet. It has a very stiff butt section of .022 maxima chameleon for turnover. I use this leader in every situation so i don't have to adjust casting when using a shorter leader. I have been using the same leader for over 5 years and just replace tippet at the tippet ring.

 

[mcwillja]

And i can cast this accurately in wind as well.

 

[mt_flyfisher]

All of this serious discussion involving leader length, tippet size, braided leaders, and so on, reminds me of an article Ed Zern wrote many years ago that suggested a solution for all of this. Namely, how to keep your entire leader from touching the water.

Ed’s suggestion was to have 2 guys stand on opposite sides of the river, tie their lines together in the middle, and leave a short section of leader with the fly attached so it would dangle down to just touch the surface of the water. By lifting their rods up and sweeping them downstream in unison as the fly floated downstream, they could solve all of the issues of leader length, casting, mending, dragging in the current, etc.

I never tried fishing this way, but I’m willing to give it a try. Anyone want to volunteer to fish that way with me?

By the way, I’ll be using my 12 wt rod with 70# mono running line in case there’s a debate over which one of us gets to land the fish.

 

[CLSports]

All of this serious discussion involving leader length, tippet size, braided leaders, and so on, reminds me of an article Ed Zern wrote many years ago that suggested a solution for all of this. Namely, how to keep your entire leader from touching the water.

Ed’s suggestion was to have 2 guys stand on opposite sides of the river, tie their lines together in the middle, and leave a short section of leader with the fly attached so it would dangle down to just touch the surface of the water. By lifting their rods up and sweeping them downstream in unison as the fly floated downstream, they could solve all of the issues of leader length, casting, mending, dragging in the current, etc.

I never tried fishing this way, but I’m willing to give it a try. Anyone want to volunteer to fish that way with me?

By the way, I’ll be using my 12 wt rod with 70# mono running line in case there’s a debate over which one of us gets to land the fish.

Maybe you can just attach your line to a drone to make it less complicated or perhaps use a helium filled balloon?

 

[tomgamber]

sounds like a drop line. Those are addressed in the regs.

 

[mt_flyfisher]

Maybe you can just attach your line to a drone to make it less complicated or perhaps use a helium filled balloon?

I saw this on on EBay and I’m willing to give it a try:

”Chasing F1 Pro Fishing Drone 1080P Starlight Level Rotatable and Liftable Camera”

If you buy it, at just $899.00, I’d be willing to use it…if it doesn’t come under the drop line definition in the regs.

 

[wildtrout2]

sounds like a drop line. Those are addressed in the regs.

Is that the same as a "trotline"?

 

[tomgamber]

I think so. Another, where ya from thing.

 

[caddisflyer]

When I went to long leaders I also switched to a different line /leader connection because I did not like the way the loop to loop connection slid in and out of my tip guide. When playing and netting a powerful fish that connection might slide through the guides a number of times and on a light tippett anything that catches or impedes movement can cost a fish. I like a coated nail knot best.
I just checked my leader on my 4 wt yesterday and its right around 18 ft which is perfect for what I like to do.

When you have high water and lot's of current and larger fish and larger flies I would suggest using 3x or 4x. If you get a hold of a big one they can easily take your entire fly line and backing. This can happen.