Making your own leaders

Troutbum82

Troutbum82

Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2011
Messages
84
Lately i have been experimenting with leaders. I tie them knotted in a butt taper tippet design. Not only have i saved money but it also gives me a chance to be creative and take fly fishing to an even more complex level. I am trying to come up with the best leaders for my cast. I was wondering if anyone else does the same and if maybe they have some tips.
 
Don't get hung up on following what someone else tells you to do.

Pick a well known, "established" formula and stick with it. Modify it as you see fit over time, and don't get hung up on the details. If what you're using doesn't feel right, change it, don't keep with it because a book said it was the proper way.

 
I do the same.

I generally carry 3 leaders with me. Brookie/streamer, dry fly, and nymph, generally following Humphrey's formulas from "Trout Tactics".

I used to carry more for more specific jobs, but in trying to simplify things that's what I came up with. I do change the length of the tippet considerably multiple times every day to meet conditions, hence the "about" in the lenghts, but try to avoid messing with too much above the tippet level, though maybe I should.

Materials is the biggest thing I've played with some. I've found I like stiff to limp, that sharp gradient. I use Maxima chameleon as the main leader material, very stiff and long lasting. Usually Rio Powerflex or Suppleflex for the tippet, which I've found to be the limpest material I can find (can't always find suppleflex).

For my dry fly leader, I do add an in between to soften up the leader a bit. Orvis material for the taper part, which is softer than chameleon but stiffer than the rio. Butt is still Maxima and tippet still Rio.

Agree with gfen, do what works for you. The above is merely where I'm at today, but I'm constantly tweaking.
 
I think tying your own leaders is well worth it in the long run.
And - as others have pointed out - don't be afraid to be creative, and try different things. You don't have to strictly adhere to other leader formulas.

I carry 3 different dry fly leaders - 6, 9, and 12 foot lengths, that all finish with a section of 5X. The 6 footer is used for only the tiniest, brushiest streams.

And - even though I don't get up to erie very often - I do carry a steelhead leader. It's 6 foot long, and finishes up with a section of 3X tippet
 
Okay someone explain this to me.

When I first started fly fishing, I was shown two ways of doing a leader. You either buy one and tie on the tippet as needed (for example, I usually use a 9ft leader that ends in 4x, and tie on as needed), or you use tippet and tie up your own. This is how I've done it for years. I usually went 2x, 3x, 4x, and then 5x,6x,7x, etc. as needed. I'm pretty ignorant on leaders all together. I never really had a problem w/ casts and presentation, but every time a subject on tying leader comes up I try to read it 'cause I'm really quite ignorant on all the different approaches.
 
The_Sasquatch wrote:
Okay someone explain this to me.

When I first started fly fishing, I was shown two ways of doing a leader. You either buy one and tie on the tippet as needed (for example, I usually use a 9ft leader that ends in 4x, and tie on as needed), or you use tippet and tie up your own. This is how I've done it for years. I usually went 2x, 3x, 4x, and then 5x,6x,7x, etc. as needed. I'm pretty ignorant on leaders all together. I never really had a problem w/ casts and presentation, but every time a subject on tying leader comes up I try to read it 'cause I'm really quite ignorant on all the different approaches.
Click to expand...

If you are stating you built a leader and the 2x,3,x,4x was the butt of the leader . . . . well, that has to suck (imo). The transfer of energy from the line to the leader is taking a real kick there. There are some VERY exhaustive discussions of leader tying in this forum, just search through it.
 
Yeah like I said, I don't know sh*t about this. I've never seemed to have a problem w/ my casting/presentation, but I started using pre-tied leaders again this year and I have noticed quite a difference.

Before that, I would tie 2x for the butt, 4x for the mid section, and then 5x or 6x for tippet.

No one ever showed me otherwise. The guy I fished w/ in the beginning seemed to do pretty well, so I just took what he said as gold.
 
And honestly, when I first came on the boards and said I've been doing this a long time and know next to nothing about it, this is the kind of #OOPS# I was talking about.
 
Okay I've been searching. A lot of stuff on Linda Thompson and Obama come up when I search for "leader".

Say I'm tying a leader for 5x. KEEPING IT AS BASIC AS IT CAN GET....

What weight mono (or thickness) do you use? Do you taper the butt section at all? Then for the mid section, is that where you start to use 2x, etc? I know what to do for tippet.

I'm glad I've been using pre-made leaders for the last while, 'cause apparently I've been doing it all completely wrong.
 
Sasquatch: Do yourself a favor and buy a copy of either George Harvey's book, "Memories, Patterns and Tactics" (or something to that effect) or Joe Humphrey's book, "Trout Tactics." I suspect you are like me - more interested in the poetry and escapism of fly fishing than the technical, gear-junkie aspects (not that there's anything wrong with that). If so, just follow Joe or George and do as they say and everything will be alright.
 
Hahaha alright thanks Tups.

My main focus areas when I was learning were: flies and presentation and respect for the resources.

I've fished more this year than I have any of the other 15 years I've doing this. I started to really feel like my presentation could and should be better, which is why I switched to the pre-made leaders. Like I said, I never felt like I had a problem casting or presenting, I just felt like I could do some thing better. It has made a difference, and now I guess I know why.

I'm sure the friend who showed me the "wrong way" did so out of ignorance too, as he was pretty new to the sport. I'm sure he learned the right way pretty darn quickly. Unfortunately, the topic of leaders isn't one that comes up often on the stream.

Man I feel like an ***.
 
I don't have anything in front of me, but it should look something like 3 ft .023, 2ft .018, 1.5 ft .012, 1ft .009, 1.5ft 5x tippet for a 9' leader.
 
Okay thanks. That makes sense to me now that I see that.
 
Sasquatch: The first guy I fly fished with used a 6 foot level leader (no taper at all) and he did occassionally catch fish. When I mentioned tapers, he just looked at me funny and I dropped it. But seriously, once you start tying and using your own leaders, following the plan of a serious fisherman like Harvey or Humphries, you will eventually see and appreciate the possibilties for customization. I typically fish a multiple-fly, wet fly leader rig based on the GH pattern, but tweaked to suit my low-tech, throw-back needs.




 
Here is a link to Harvey's basic formula.

http://www.riseformstudio.tv/leader_formula.html

I have been using variations of the dry fly formula, but I also like the Rio powerflex for the tippet sections. In my under-experienced opinion, the nymphing leader formula is too complex. I don't like a taper on my tippet for nymphing. I prefer a 4' piece of the premade tapered leaders for the butt section, with about a 4' or 5" piece of 4x. The transfer of energy is certainly not as good, but I find it to be less important when nymphing anyway.
 
I agree with everything that has been posted so far. I just want to add that you should not be afraid to modify your leader on the stream. You can quickly modify a 5x leader down to 6x or smaller just by breaking it back and adding tippet. If you are not getting a satisfying turnover, cut back on the lighter tippet, if you are not getting enough slack, add on. I use the basic Harvey formulas down to 2x, but beyond that everything depends on the situation and the fly. Tippet is relatively cheap (I don't use fluro) and double or triple surgeon knots are fine for the last few sections.
 
The_Sasquatch wrote:
Say I'm tying a leader for 5x. KEEPING IT AS BASIC AS IT CAN GET....
Click to expand...
leaders-joe.gif

(from http://lvlimestoner.blogspot.com/2011/04/knotted-tapered-leaders-excercise-in.html_
 
This is not really a helpful post, butI have to mention it. I was once in fly shop ans some random dude was arguing w/ the shop owner over whether or not the leaders were actually tapered. The dude insisted that they were not, and the labeling was just a gimmick. One of the funniest things I've ever seen or heard in a fly shop.

Kev
 
PennKev wrote:
This is not really a helpful post, butI have to mention it. I was once in fly shop ans some random dude was arguing w/ the shop owner over whether or not the leaders were actually tapered. The dude insisted that they were not, and the labeling was just a gimmick. One of the funniest things I've ever seen or heard in a fly shop.

Kev
Click to expand...

guess no one happend to have a micrometer handy?
 
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