Leader making

[islander727 0]

These are the two "formulas" I use. I use the top for 9 ft leaders and the bottom for anything longer.

 

This little plano box is awesome for storage and for building.

 

 

I use Seaguar and Maxima for all my leaders.

[Poopdeck 0]

Nothing like leader making to complicate the otherwise simple. Being the minimalist that I try to be I've learned there's no real need to make this difficult. I simply use a five to seven foot furled leader with a three to six or seven foot tippet. The tippet is either a straight piece of tippet or a stepped down two or three piece tippet. I find It's very simple to make minor adjustments on the water when the leader is kept simple from the start. Since I'm all thumbs I tie this very simple blood knot rather then the traditional. I have had no issues with it and often wonder why anybody would want to tie a blood knot the traditional way.

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KOZum2373iw

[flytire 0]

[FlatsRoamer 0]

Islander when you have a chance it would be great if you PMed me a link to that. Thanks and that pretty genius

[zip 0]

These are the two "formulas" I use. I use the top for 9 ft leaders and the bottom for anything longer.

DL.jpg

 

This little plano box is awesome for storage and for building.

20170727_133141_HDR.jpg

 

 

I use Seaguar and Maxima for all my leaders.

 

I like this system!

[JSzymczyk 0]

Over the years I have put a lot of money into buying tapered leaders.That ends now.

 

that's funny- back when I thought I was a Really Smart fly fisherman, I put a lot of money into buying materials and tying leaders when I KNEW I could do better than off-the-shelf tapered leaders. I got really good at it and used them happily for several years. Then one day I realized that I wasn't saving any money, leaders last a LONG LONG time, and I rarely changed the TYPE of leader I was using on any given day. Obviously weird situations can occur on the water which cause an entire leader replacement, but in my fishing world, they are extremely rare. I realized a three-pack of good leaders and a couple spools of tippet cost me way less than the spools of materials I was buying to tie endless leaders. I'm not a fly fishing purist so I have lots of other light-tackle spinning gear, so I always have fresh 2, 4, and 6 lb mono around which I have found is all I need for tippet.

 

There are no perfect solutions... I started using tippet rings, which saves a lot of on stream headaches (and off stream pocket aches), but I'm concerned it may be affecting my presentation in calm water.

 

I use a micrometer to measure where the "tippet" section of my tapered leader ends, and tie a tippet ring just below there, and replace tippet as needed. Generally in my world I go through about two leaders per year on each of my outfits... alternately I tie a loop knot- and loop-to-loop new tippet sections on as needed.

 

Just throwing it out there.

 

Can Marines tie knots anyway? :D

[mikechell 0]

As long as they don't lose their picture cards, sure !!!

[Dave G. 0]

Micrometers ?

[tjm 0]

Level mono leaders just as posted by flytire work for all but dries, although I cut them shorter; 3' for nymphs and 5-7' for streamers often in 6# ultra green.

imo, if using a ring, all the leader above the ring is irrelevant and if using a bobber/strike indicator it is wasted and increases the difficulty of casting and line handling. as always, ymmv

[tjm 0]

.

[JSzymczyk 0]

Micrometers ?

 

doesn't everyone have at least one caliper and one vernier micrometer laying around the workbench?

[mikechell 0]

Most don't even know how to use them, JS. I've got a full set of micrometers, and one good vernier caliper ... no dials or batteries needed.

 

But, I will say I've never used them to measure fishing line.