Super braids as leader material for musky

[YPSIFLY 0]

I'm trying like hell to get my first on the fly musky. With all the rain we've been getting in MI, water clarity has been a problem. Hopefully that will change.

 

I've used 30lb Spider Wire for leaders on my spinning rigs with great success, and have been fooling around with it on my 8wt.

 

I'm tying 6lb Yozuri co-polymer to my fly line, about 4' of it joined with a surgeon's knot to 20" or so of the Spider which is tied to my fly. Passes the "hand pull test" and in theory should hold up to a decent toothy critter.

 

Anyone here ever try something like this?

 

 

[mcfly 0]

Let us know how it works out, I've been thinking about musky on a fly myself.

[Pujic 0]

Hey guys,

 

I've never used a super braid as a leader. I'm sure it would work out to be nonest. When casting muskie flies you can't rely on any leader to "turn over" such a huge fly anyways, so I would think it would be ok.

 

However - you may want to check out a relatively new product called "Tyger" leader material. It's the softest, most supple steel braid I've ever seen. Very fine and super strong. Almost like tying thrad. Perfect for this application. You can find it at most fly shops or at:

 

htt://www.tygerleader.com

 

Also consider using a shock tippet of come sort. Maybe between the fly line and the leader (whatever kind you choose). I do some fly fishing for these toothy bad asses around here and the shock tippet has been a huge help. Especially when the fish decide to put on an arial display

[Dble Haul 0]

I've settled on 50lb fluoro for my pike/muskie tippets. It's clear in the water, fairly abrasion resistant, and holds knots much better than Tyger Wire (which I have a lot of experience with).

[Pujic 0]

Hey Mark,

 

I know what you mean about knots with Tyger. After a lot of testing a surgeon's loop seems to be the best solution. You only have to tie it once and can change flies in seconds without retying...and most importantly the damn thing doesn't slip.

[Dble Haul 0]

That's the knot I typically use too, but when other fish (bass) are in the same waters, I use the fluoro because some other species can be leader shy. For example, I'm very certain that my friend and I wouldn't have taken so many incidental smallies during our Ontario trip if we'd been using wire with our flies.

[dabalone 0]

Flyfishing for Muskie sounds awesome. Maybe some advice from our Saltwater specialists can help here, they regularly deal with toothy leviathins.

[Dble Haul 0]

QUOTE (dabalone @ Jun 8 2004, 09:23 PM)

Maybe some advice from our Saltwater specialists can help here, they regularly deal with toothy leviathins.

I fall into that category, and use the same system for bluefish. Stripers can be leader shy, so the fluoro keeps them hitting but still stands up to a few bluefish before retying is necessary.

[sandflyx 0]

I agree with doublehaul....I use about 5 ft. of 30 or 40 lb. fluoro for my main leader then add 6 to 10 inches of either 50 or 60 for a bite tippit. this will work for muskys os blues...

[Guest]

Thanks for all the info guys! There have been times when it's late and getting dark and I can't tie tippets on anymore, and I've fished with the thick butt of a tapered leader and still got hits from panfish and bass. I've thought about the superline leader, but maybe I'll leave that on my 7' Ugly Stik spinning rod!

[Guest]

I use power pro on my conventional rods for salt and gorilla braid on spinning rods in fresh water. I have experimented with jigs/lures tied directly to the line and leader systems of flouro carbon(20# seaguar) and fishing side by side in the same school of blues noticed that flouro leaders out caught blue fish 4 to 1. and smallmouth fishing on a river got out fished 8 to 1 with straight gorilla braid. so for a leader tied directly to a fly I would never use any braid lines for a leader. I have used Tyger but still like 20 pound flouro leader with a short piece of 30# for a biteguard. I loose more flys that way but this is a fly TYING form and I enjoy the hook up or bite off just as much as touching the fish to land it

[YPSIFLY 0]

Thanks for the tips guys.

 

I'm using flies tied on 3/0 hooks and this setup turns them over pretty good. I'll look for the Tyger stuff next time I'm at Cabela's, and have considered using heavy florocarb, but so far I'm happy with how the Spiderwire works.

 

We've had more rain in Michigan, so it might be a while before I really get to see how this setup pans out.

[YPSIFLY 0]

Came close to getting one this afternoon, but it rolled up on the line and broke me off above the leader.

 

I'm gonna switch to a heavier leader, 20# P-line Flouroclear, and keep the 30# Spiderwire tippet for now.

 

The reason I'll be switching to the Flouroclear is because that's what I use on my baitcasters, and I have some leftover after spooling up.

[Brewfish 0]

25 lb Mason hard mono works fine. No breakoffs yet and have landed 15 fish so far. My buddy was using the Orvis 30 lb heavy game a couple weeks ago and learned the hard way with a 40"+ fish. I use a lot of crankbait flies so I put a swivel in line to prevent twisting. Also the swivel prevents you from having to tie a whole new leader. Just replace the last 2 feet. I like the idea of flourocarbon especially fishing the clear winter waters. I have to give it a shot. Anybody have any comparisons with flouro and hard mono?

[Dble Haul 0]

Flourocarbon is more invisible in the water than hard mono, and if the materials are of the same diameter, the fluoro will be much tougher (i.e., 40lb flouro may have the diameter of only 30lb hard mono).