Tying Tapered Leaders

[drews]

Ok Im sure this has been discussed before, but I am going to ask again as I cannot find what Im looking for.... so here goes.

I interested in trying my own tied leaders... I love maxima line and use it often for steelhead and streamer fishing (8/6/4lb test) I usually use a braided leader or poly leader and then straight tippet to the fly...

I am interested in trying a tapered leader for dry fly fishing this spring/summer... I used to used the same braided leader and tippet combo, but it is a pain to cast and obviously the braided sinks... I looked at leader formulas and yikes buying 10 different weights of line to tie up these things? I know I could buy a tapered leader ready to go, but honestly I fish small dense streams a lot so well say Im in the bushes often...

Is this as complicated as it seems? Do I need to have 10 different line weights for a tapered leader? Any all advise is greatly appreciated... thanks in advance.
Drews

 

[gfen]

Can I self-promote for a second?

http://lvlimestoner.blogspot.com/2011/04/knotted-tapered-leaders-excercise-in.html

Its not much work, really, but its easy to get over your head or obsessed with minuetae without paying attention.

Basically, that's the important part of said website, FWIW.

 

[drews]

Thanks gfen...so basically the answer is yes get a bunch and mess with it till you get something that you like... thanks again

 

[gfen]

Buy the pieces you need, follow one of the Harvey formulas and once you've got it worked out, modify as such.

I basically make one of the 7'6" brush leaders and add to the last two segments if desired.

 

[pcray1231]

Yeah, figure out what you want to use, then buy the sizes you need for those. If you buy them separately, you're probably talking $45 or so. Some shops, for instance, FFP, sell them altogether in a kit, I think that was closer to $30 or $35.

Honestly, I think it's the best thing I ever did for my fishing. It just gives you so much versatility. We all love rods and reels and fly patterns and such. But having the correct leader/tippet setup for the situation is more important than any of that, IMO. It's easily worth the price.

Plus, once you get the stuff, it'll last you a decade or so. It's really fairly cheap when you sit back and think about it.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

I have been tying my own leaders since I started flyfishing. Once you get past the initial expense it's great. You can tie your leaders however you like and to fit your own needs. I use mainly the "Harvey" formulas and modify them to suit.

 

[gochs]

I actually just got the FFP leader kit, along with a blood knot tool. I whipped some up. They use Maxima Chameleon for the butt and taper, then Climax for the tippet. It's $36. I think there's 10 or 12 spools all together, .020 down to .004-ish.

 

[pcray1231]

gochs,

I got the kit, and yeah, it's a cheaper way to go. I ended up moving to powerflex tippet though, the climax is too stiff for me.

 

[gochs]

I do mostly subsurface fishing, so it's not much of a problem for me. I'll be hitting the spinnerfall at the Little J tonight, so I'll see if it's any good on top!

 

[drews]

Guys thanks for the input! I have been looking for a place to order Maxima on line thats cheap... I think Ill give this a shot...

 

[pcray1231]

Seriously, give FFP a call, you'll get it cheaper there. Could even probably ask if they can swap the climax tippet that comes with for the tippet or your choice, or drop the tippet (and price) altogether, just the maxima kit.

You may end up buying 1 or 2 other sizes in the future, but to get a start-up collection, I highly recommend that.

http://www.flyfishersparadise.com/

 

[gfen]

i bought five spools of chameleon and a knot tool.
the knot tool sucks, i'd like to take it back because its useless.
the five spools are all i need, although for somereason i skipped 10#. i will need to alleviate that, but otherwise, for like $10 i've got it all covered. i already had tippet from 7x to 2x, so tha'ts that.

buy what you need, not what people tell you. look at the harvey leader formulaes and see whats missing.

 

[c_nesbella]

i would not reccomend the harvey formula it is good mainly for very delicate presentations. there are better leader formulas out there if you are tying them. i also would avoid the internet for a formula alot of those are just guys trying to make a name for themselves. ur best bet is find the best flyfisher u know that ties his own and use that. i have one that i recieved and it is amazing.

 

[drews]

pcray1231 wrote:
Seriously, give FFP a call, you'll get it cheaper there. Could even probably ask if they can swap the climax tippet that comes with for the tippet or your choice, or drop the tippet (and price) altogether, just the maxima kit.

You may end up buying 1 or 2 other sizes in the future, but to get a start-up collection, I highly recommend that.

http://www.flyfishersparadise.com/

P. I'll give that a look today. Thanks!

 

[stevehalupka]

screw that... if you want to fish a 9 ft. tapered leader just go buy some rio powerflex in 0x, 2x, 4x, 5x, and 6x. 2 feet of 0, 2, and 4, then three feet of 5 or 6x,

 

[gochs]

Be sure to double check your knots before you hook into a big fish. I was using a leader I tied last night and my loop failed. There's a big brown in the Little J with two flies, a thingamabobber, and a 10 ft leader hanging from his mouth. lol