How short is too short for leader lenght?

[Chaz]

My preference has always tended toward long leaders, I prefer leaders long than 9 feet. Anything shorter would be a nymphing rig or for streamers.

 

[jdaddy]

Chaz wrote:
My preference has always tended toward long leaders, I prefer leaders long than 9 feet. Anything shorter would be a nymphing rig or for streamers.

That's interesting. I would not imagine that statement from a die hard brookie enthusiast. What would you say your average leader set up is for fishing the average freestone PA brookie stream?

 

[PaulG]

I use a 9.5 leader with a extra long tippet, with 5x tippet.

PaulG

 

[pwk5017]

WildTigerTrout wrote:

pwk5017 wrote:
Too short? I routinely bass fish with leaders of only 3-4'.

Yes but Bass are not leader shy and are stupid! Ha.

hahaha they are AGGRESSIVE, there is a difference

For trout I like a 8-9' leader and nothing longer. I have fished the 18' shanagins etc. and its not for me. I dont like casting those leaders and I feel like they can be used as a crutch sometimes, because your drift has much less drag, you dont have to worry about how your line lands on the water, and you have much better contact with your fly if you are nymphing. I fish the typical 9' leader or less because: 1, I like my leader to be about 6"-1' shorter than the length of my rod so I can hold my fly setup while moving from spot to spot and not have the loop-to-loop connection be within the rod's guides(the loop-to-loop sometimes sticks in my last guide cause of its size and it perturbs me). 2, I like the challenge of a shorter leader, because it doesnt do all the things I listed above. I enjoy reading the water and mending my line to accomplish an effective drift. No doubt, a longer leader can help an angler catch more fish and be more deceptive, but fly fishing has never been about the most fish for me.