jdecoudres 0 Report post Posted July 3, 2012 Im thinking of trying to make my own leaders when I read some things about the knots bing in the line was a pain and then stubbled across these furled leaders I know nothing about so just seeing what you guy like Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crackaig 0 Report post Posted July 3, 2012 For the last 15 years I've been making and using them. Making them takes an investment in time and trouble, though it isn't all that expensive to get going. Here's a how to piece I did on them a few years back. By making your own you can get what you want in turns of taper stiffness and length. There is a lot of technical talk goes on around leader furling that isn't necessary. You don't need micrometers and to count the exact number of turns to get a leader that works better than your casting needs. Unless you cast is identical every time, then 10 or 20 more or less turns of thread isn't going to make a difference. You can make a furled leader from any material you can twist, most of mine these days are made of tying thread or Kevlar. Tying thread makes a great leader. Thread leaders have the taper and stiffness to turn a fly over well. Once they hit the water they are totally limp so give a better drift to a dry fly. Kevlar leaders are extreamly strong, stiffer than thread leaders (better for big flies), and, unless treated, sink like a brick. Mostly I use these for salmon fishing. The one disadvantage that they have is that they hold water. This can come out as a spray at the end of a false cast. It is advisable then, to make your first false cast away from the fish you are covering. That about sums up my approach. If you want to have a go at making them, I'll help when you have questions. Recently I taught a friend how to do it over Skype, so I'm sure that I can get you going. Cheers, C. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phg 0 Report post Posted July 3, 2012 I've been using furled leaders almost exclusively for the past 8 years, or so. I make most of mine out of 8/0 Uni-Thread, but sometimes, for larger fish, I'll switch to 6/0 Uni-Thread or even .004" mono. I agree with most of what was said above. They are not hard to make, require a minimum of tools and perform well beyond most other leader options. With thread based leaders, I always treat them with hard bee's wax before fishing them. In addition to making them water resistant, the bee's wax seems to improve their durability as well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites