Fly line to leader to loop or not

[Ben Lamb]

There isn’t much better humor in life than to watch a fly fishing purist get twitterpated when you call his plastic “strike indicator” a bobber.

I just ordered my wife's present to me for my birthday, it's a handmade, bespoke 8 foot 5 weight bamboo rod with two tips: so I can fish bobbers on one, and dries on the other.

 

[LuketheDog]

Keep the last foot or so of the old leader and tie a loop in that, rather than cutting your fly line to put a new nail knot on.

In 20 years of doing it this way, I've never noticed a difference in casting distances between a looped leader and a nail knotted one. Gives you a good spot to put your bobber as well for when you want to dredge for whitey.

This, loops really don't hinge unless you're doing something nutty with your casting.

 

[JLS]

 

[JLS]

When I was learning from a good friend, he taught me to make my own leaders by using progressively smaller line, all nail knotted. Can't remember the lengths and size, but ended with the tippet usually being the only part that was in need of replacement. Made for a very reactive leader.

I used to build my own as well. They are a bitch if you get a wind knot.

 

[Beignet]

When I was learning from a good friend, he taught me to make my own leaders by using progressively smaller line, all nail knotted. Can't remember the lengths and size, but ended with the tippet usually being the only part that was in need of replacement. Made for a very reactive leader.

There’s an Excel “leader calculator” out there somewhere for those who want to build their own and tailor-make them to certain situations.

I personally like the loop connection so I can easily switch from say, a 14’ fine leader for fishing small dries on technical pool to a 7’ heavy leader for fishing big brushy dries in a riffle.

 

[LuketheDog]

There isn’t much better humor in life than to watch a fly fishing purist get twitterpated when you call his plastic “strike indicator” a bobber.

I used to screw with my uptight clients all the time, just cracked myself right up


Him: blah blah blah...my strike indicator...
Me: Your what?
Him: Strike Indicator
Me: The floaty-thing?
Him: Yeah, it's a STRIKE INDICATOR, don't you know that?
Me: Huh, who makes that thing?
Him: This one is made by Thingamabobber
You: Thingama-WHAT did you say???? Spell that out for me...

 

[cedahm]

I just ordered my wife's present to me for my birthday, it's a handmade, bespoke 8 foot 5 weight bamboo rod with two tips: so I can fish bobbers on one, and dries on the other.

Bobbers on bamboo? Is this what the East has done to you, Ben?

When I make a nail knot I dip the end of the fly line in Aquasure to seal it, and a tiny amount of the knot, makes a nice smooth connection.

Hugely helpful. I keep a tube of aguaseal in the same little grab bag next to the driver's seat in the boat that also contains lead putty and a giant Albolene container (floatant - but ~$10 for a 12oz jar that will last years)

 

[westbranch]

I am still a newb with all of these fly fishing knots and have been sticking to loops. A lot to figure out when I am mainly doing DIY, I think I still only know two knots.


Last weekend we were practicing some casting by the lake and I had a drunk guy say "ok Randall Kaufman" after I wouldn't let him use my spare fly rod. The reference was over my head but my experienced fly fishing friend thought it was funny.

 

[Beignet]

Can we also start referring to rafts/drift boats as aquatic golf carts?

 

[Ben Lamb]

Bobbers on bamboo? Is this what the East has done to you, Ben?

I am here to catch fish, not care about my spats & cummerbund, sir.

I also was told that I cannot cast properly when I moved from central Wyoming to Helena. Apparently, muscle memory of the N. Platte Wind sideways cast doesn't fit in well with the Missouri dry fly crowd, but how else are you gonna boom out 50 feet of line with a double nymph rig and 3 split shot to get down fast when there's a constant 30 MPH headwind?

 

[Bob-WY]

So another stupid newbie question: Why would I change leaders?

for this go-round, I made a super newbie and started tieing flies right on the end of the tapered leader, so every lost fly, or changed fly (so every trip as I broke the rod down each time) the tapered leader got shorter. I then caught on to this fancy stuff called tippet!!!

I have a package of leaders, all the same, I trout fish in streams/rivers raging from 6inches deep and 15 feet wide to multiple feet deep and 60+ yards across, and on mountain lakes. Would I want different leaders for differnt things?

For knots, I can tie nail knot, double surgeons knots, and now know how to tie a loop for loop to loop. So not worried there (you tube is your friend!)

 

[Ben Lamb]

So another stupid newbie question: Why would I change leaders?

for this go-round, I made a super newbie and started tieing flies right on the end of the tapered leader, so every lost fly, or changed fly (so every trip as I broke the rod down each time) the tapered leader got shorter. I then caught on to this fancy stuff called tippet!!!

I have a package of leaders, all the same, I trout fish in streams/rivers raging from 6inches deep and 15 feet wide to multiple feet deep and 60+ yards across, and on mountain lakes. Would I want different leaders for differnt things?

For knots, I can tie nail knot, double surgeons knots, and now know how to tie a loop for loop to loop. So not worried there (you tube is your friend!)

I am cheap when it comes to leaders, so will fish mine until I can't justify the mending anymore. I tend to add lengths of various size tippet until I am at 9 foot, and about down to a 3 or 4x tippet. You want to ensure that your leader still helps turn that fly over and present it correctly, rather than if you are nymphing or fishing streamers where plopping it down and stripping/swininging/etc are in play.

I try to not go through but a few leaders a year, but yes, conditions change my leader setup. If I know I'm fishing dries or light nymphing, I tend to go with a 9 foot tapered leader down to 4 or 5 x. If nymphing is on the menu, then about the same, but I'll switch up to a 3x depending on river conditions, etc.

Streamers, a short length of 1 or 2x is great, 3-5 feet if you have a sink tip, longer if you have a floating line & want it to get down as deep as you can before stripping.

You can spend way too much on leaders. Fish yours until you don't have any faith in it anymore. Then fish it a little while longer.

 

[Beignet]

My preferred fly shop used to have this explainer as a print out, but they have it online now.

Fly Fishing Leaders and Tippet - The Missoulian Angler Fly Shop

Learn how to use fly fishing leaders and tippet. From building your own leader and understanding taper design to correct tippet size.

www.missoulianangler.com

For dry fly fishing, I personally buy 3x leaders in 7’ (for small streams), 9’ (for regular duty), and 12’ (for technical work) every season and build my tippet size up or down from there.

Monofilament degrades & weakens with time so I do an annual leader/tippet replenishment around this time of year.

 

[devon deer]

When you're fishing downstream and retrieving, then the trout start nipping at your leader knot it's time to change leaders

All this interest in fly fishing, time for @Ben Lamb to organise a fly swap I think, think he might have done this a few years ago?

Cheers

Richard

 

[cedahm]

I am here to catch fish, not care about my spats & cummerbund, sir.

Halford's tweed-y disciples over in @devon deer's neck of the woods & moors can have the fancy outfits - but using that finely handcrafted tool of yours to do the same thing a broomstick can do makes me cry a little inside (take with a grain bin of salt - this is coming from a guy that puts very nice reels on rods that are predominately used for catching 8" cutthroats, which could also be accomplished with a stick and some string)

I am cheap when it comes to leaders, so will fish mine until I can't justify the mending anymore...

I try to not go through but a few leaders a year, but yes, conditions change my leader setup.

For dry fly fishing, I personally buy 3x leaders in 7’ (for small streams), 9’ (for regular duty), and 12’ (for technical work) every season and build my tippet size up or down from there.

Concur with both. I buy a handful of cheap mono tapered leaders a year and just add tippet. I usually buy a couple 3-packs of 7.5' - 3X or 4X - and then add tippet to length & diameter based on the situation. Most of the time for trout, I end up somewhere between 8 and 11 feet. For both streamers and bobber rigs, I've moved to level leaders since the taper doesn't help much and makes the whole rig sink slower and less evenly through the water column.

One "leader" (really the upper 6' or so) per reel will generally last me a year or more unless the butt section gets nicked up or the coil memory gets too bad. And for the majority of dry fly fishing, I use mono instead of fluoro tippet since fluoro sinks (I violate all those rules on my home water on the Platte and the rare occasions I fish other technical tailwaters. In those cases - long tapered 7X leaders for both dries and nymphs. Using a bobber on the Platte is an easy way to see some trout as they scatter when it hits the water or shortly thereafter when it floats over their head).

 

[Beignet]

I’ll throw a little more of my own preferences/suggestions into the mix.

If OP does decide to go loop to loop, take your leaders off at the end of the day and wrap them loosely around your hand and put them back in the original or a labeled packet. Those things are pricey and can last a whole season if you take care of them.

As for bobber fishing, I like to follow Gary Borger’s attached leader recipe. But, I use a tippet ring (*gasp*) at the terminus of the 1x section before tying on some fluoro tippet (it’s more abrasion resistant for dragging along rocks, but doesn’t tie well / cuts into to mono material).

I usually just make these with the heavy butt end of last year’s leaders instead of the Maxima suggested below.

Then again, I’ve also have grown to dislike bobber fishing and try to only demean myself to nymphing before the skwala hatch gets going in the spring. Swung soft hackles (on a fluoro leader) are so much more fun.

 

[devon deer]

Halford's tweed-y disciples over in @devon deer's neck of the woods & moors can have the fancy outfits - but using that finely handcrafted tool of yours to do the same thing a broomstick can do makes me cry a little inside (take with a grain bin of salt - this is coming from a guy that puts very nice reels on rods that are predominately used for catching 8" cutthroats, which could also be accomplished with a stick and some string)

Um, things have moved on a bit over here in the apparel fashions and our techniques
Cheers
Richard

 

[cedahm]

Um, things have moved on a bit over here in the apparel fashions and our techniques
Cheers
Richard

Just a poor attempt @ Flyfishing History-based humor. I mean - Halford has been dead for more than a century now.


P.S. Next time I am over your way I will PM you - those pictures are fantastic!

 

[devon deer]

I think we’re seeing a trend here. They also call cookies “biscuits” to make themselves feel better about what they eat. Just own the fact that you fish with a bobber, Richard.

Never seen a 'bobber' in one of your posh purist fly boxes Mike

 

[Bob-WY]

Thanks for all the advice and options. I went with tieing a loop on the old leader about a foot from the fly line. Then loop to loop to new leader and double surgeons knot to about 4 feet of tippet.

Mostly went this way because I had to learn 3 knots