Tying my own steelhead leader.

StarvinMarvin

StarvinMarvin

Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2012
Messages
542
I'm kind of tired of paying 15$ for flouro leaders for steelhead so I'm going to start tying my own. From tip to Butt, I would like the leader to be all flouro.

1) does anyone have a recipe they mind sharing that has worked well for them in the past?

2) what size line would you recommend to end on the tip, I normally use 4x or 5x flouro when steelhead fishing. so im guessing 6 lb flouro will do?

3) whats a good starting strength and diameter of for the starting taper?

I normally nymph but do swing from time to time. And I plan on just purchasing Pline Flouro, so brand isn't an issue, the line has never let me down.
 
Check John Naggy's book called Steelhead Guide, I think it has a leader recipie for steelhead fishing.
 
Here's what I use.

4 to 5 feet 15lb Maxima Chamelon
barrel swivel
4 to 5 feet 2X - 3X fluro tippet.

Leave a nice tag at the barrel swivel and attach your shot to the maxima chamelon.

You can taper your butt 20lb down to 15lb chamelon if you want.

This rig is for bouncing eggs or nymphs not swinging buggers.
 
If you're already decided, that's one thing. Personally, I'd recommend having some mono in there at some point in the leader. I do use fluoro tippets for steelhead, which makes sense for a number of reasons.

Main reason for the mono sections is stretch. Mono has FAR more stretch than flouro. Stretch is good when fighting big fish, just like having a soft rod tip is good. Acts as a shock absorber and protects tippet, as even with 2x/3x type tippets, you're using tippet strengths that are borderline for fish that are that big and powerful. I've even considered putting rubber bands into leaders!

I'd say use mono for the butt section. Make the switch to fluoro somewhere in the taper. MC's formula above would be a good one, it's similar to mine, cept I usually skip the swivel. Chameleon is a good, stretchy mono. You don't need much of a taper when nymphing. In fact, you don't WANT much of one below the indi when indi fishing, or in the water period when high sticking. Various diameters in the water = drag.
 
I watched jeff blood catch steelhead after steelhead while everyone else was just fishing. he absolutely is a master of flyfishing for steelhead...after observing his leader/rig the biggest thing I noticed was the length, he was using a very long leader with a float. how ever you can put your fly on a dead drift in their face you can hook up.

It really depends on the water you are fishing in. try this, take your spinning rod out with a bobber and start experimenting with where your float is on your main line for the different water you are fishing, then all you have to do is use a long leader with an adjustable float and you will be able to reproduce the same results you did with the spinning outfit but with the satisfaction of using the fly rod.

or you can just go for broke and just experiment with your fly rod...either way long leaders
 
I use 4-5 ft of 15 lb Maxima ultra green, then 4-5 of 12lb Maxima chameleon, swivel, 3-4 ft of tippet
 
I also bumped into Jeff Blood once. He was guiding about 3 clients and they were hooking up with fish after fish. At one point a fish ran them way downstream past me. After landing the fish he looked at my rig from like 20 feet away and said "you need more weight". He proceeded to grab my leader and put on 2 large splitshot (which he had stored in his mouth) and said give that a try. It looked to me like about 10x too much weight. I caught a fish on like the 3rd cast into that same run I had been fishing for the past hour without success.

I need a new leader formula for this year. I like the idea of only 1-2 different sections but then I feel Like I have to put my weight too far away from my fly.


 
I attach my main split on the heavier tag I mentioned above but if you need a little extra shot put one or two small shot about 8 to 12" above your fly to dial it in. I've done it this way in deep heavy water and it works well.
 
thanks guys, I got naggys formula and im waiting to test it out this weekend
 
I save the thick part of an older mono leader(most often maxama) I have used during the summer add about 4' of 0 x mono then @ 6' of 3 x floro. I check the length according to the knot distance and add/subtract as needled. if needed will go down to 5 x floro depending on conditions. as pcray1231 states the mono is the shock absorber also use a softer tip rod.
 
If you're not hanging up on the bottom and losing flies, you don't have enough weight on your line.

I've used the butt section, to barrel swivel to tippet rig for a few years now and it works well when the water level is average or high. When it's low, then build a longer tapered leader with 3-4 sections of line that's 8-10ft long. I don't really hold much worth in leaders for this type of fishing IMO. You're chucking 2 weighted flies with a few split shot on them. It's not going to be pretty and no "perfect leader" will make it be any different.

In order:
Change weight
Change depth of indicator (if you're using one)
change flies

 
i use the jayL recipe but i do like to add a swivel i use
3 -5 feet amnesia i use the 17 to 20 lb i blood knot it to usually around 3 to 5 feet of 1x which is normally close to 12 lb mono then i tie a palomar knot onto a small power swivel from that ill tie my tippet usually 2 feet or more if using 2 flies and that ranges from 3 to 5 x depending on water clarity
placing shot on a tag by the swivel
 
mcwillja wrote:
Here's what I use.

4 to 5 feet 15lb Maxima Chamelon
barrel swivel
4 to 5 feet 2X - 3X fluro tippet.

Leave a nice tag at the barrel swivel and attach your shot to the maxima chamelon.

You can taper your butt 20lb down to 15lb chamelon if you want.

This rig is for bouncing eggs or nymphs not swinging buggers.

Yeah, this.
 
3 ft of 25lb maxima with perfection loop to fly line
2 ft of 12-15lb maxima to 25lb with tippet ring or surgeons knot and whatever you want to run for tippet from another tippet ring to your fly. I run the same leader for indicator or tight line fishing.
 
Check out Pline fluorocarbon spinning/casting line. Get the basic 100% fluoro version. Works like a charm and for 15 bucks you get a ginourmous spool. Picked up on this line after spending a week in MT. This was all the guides were using. Bought a few different sizes as soon as I got back. It is as good as any of the specially packaged tippet materials and extremely economical.

Kev

P.s. to better answer your question, I've been running a 25lb 4ft mono but then loop to loop a long pline tip of 8lb test to my weight, then 6lb pline to the flies. Works great!
 
I recently picked up a spool of P-line fluoro on clearance. I used the 8lb for steel this past weekend and agree with PennKev - it works well and is very economical.

I just put about 50-60 yards on an old tippet spool to reduce the carry size.
 
Back
Top