Warmwater Leader Formula

[tctrout 0]

I have been fishing warmwater for years, but typically buy the leaders already built. I would prefer making my own, and am interested in hearing if anyone has a leader formula they like, or can point me in the right direction.

I primarily fish a 7 or 8 wt. for bass and stripers, with the occasional pike getting caught. Depending on the species, I will adjust up to a 9 weight, mainly to throw the larger patterns. The tippet normally goes down to 6lb.

Thanks for any replies,

Tim

[Fisherboy0301 0]

Well for fishing largemouths, we made our own tapered leaders; fly line to 2ft of 20 lb test, then 2ft of 14lb test, then 2ft of 10 lb test, and 2 1/2 feet of 6lb test, but when fishing around heavy cover with subsurface flies, omit the six and use 10 instead, and when fishing poppers or hair bugs we went straight 20lb test for 4 feet, and then 14lb test for 4ft, and then the fly.

[SkinnyPole 0]

This might help.

 

http://globalflyfisher.com/fishbetter/leadercalc

 

Skinny

[phg 0]

On an 8wt for stripers? Try six feet of 12 pound Amnesia.

 

Stripers are not leader shy. Neither are large mouth bass. There's no need to complicate things.

[tctrout 0]

I appreciate the replies. The Leader Calculator through GFF is a very unique tool, for sure.

Tim

[islander727 0]

These two work well. The top is from Dan's Custom Flies. The bottom from a guide in Louisiana. Can't remember his name...

[JSzymczyk 0]

warm water generally equals weeds, algae, and gunk in the water... Knots collect all that stuff. The fewer knots in the system the better.

 

I used to be all about tying my own leaders. Then I realized how overcomplicated I was making things. Store-bought tapered leaders work better and are easier.

[mikechell 0]

So far, for the last 40+ years, a single piece of mono, 6 to 12 feet long has worked just fine for me.

[Fisherboy0301 0]

On an 8wt for stripers? Try six feet of 12 pound Amnesia.

 

Stripers are not leader shy. Neither are large mouth bass. There's no need to complicate things.

I can't speak for stripers, or for largemouths in other places, but when I fished Lake George, especially canals and mouths of springs, the fish are heavily pressured, and the water is very clear, granted we caught plenty of little dinks on a straight piece of 14lb mono, the leader formula above was the trick to tempting some good sized fish.

[flytire 0]

increase mono size accordingly

 

 

[mikechell 0]

LOL I love the top, side and bottom views ... that's great !!!

[mainbutter 0]

I don't bother with a taper on my 9wt most of the time. Let's face it, I'm flinging big waterlogged streamers that push water or creating a commotion with poppers. 20lb mono is my go-to. Fly line to mono to fly. I don't even really use a terribly long section of mono.

 

I'll use a small section of more bite proof material at the fly if I'm worried about esox, which I usually am.

 

WIth my 4wt, I use a store bought tapered leader, and tie on 4lb test tippet. THAT is when I usually try to be sneaky and have a delicate presentation

[artimus001 0]

straight mono for me as well. quick, simple cheap and to the point. K.I.S.

[bad fish rising 0]

I use 4ft of 30lb chameleon maxima, 3ft of 20lb ultragreen maxima, 2ft of 10lb maxima fluorocarbon.

if you wanted a tippet of 6lb I would change the 10lb fluorocarbon to ultragreen add a micro swivel then knot on 18 inches of 6lb ultragreen.

[tidewaterfly 0]

Tim, My primary fishing is for LM bass & Striped Bass also. I've not found that exact leader formula's are critical. IMO, leader formula's are not an exact science anyway, because we use a range of fly sizes with them. The wider the range, the more of a compromise our leaders need to be as it's not practical to change leaders every time we change fly sizes.

 

I make my leaders with Yozuri Hybrid, which I also use on other tackle. My "formula" is generally what Bad Fish Rising has indicated, except I start with 40 lb at the butt, go down to 30, then 20. I go this stout because it allows me to throw some really big or heavy flies, even with a lighter rod. I use the same design for all my rods from 8 wt to 10 wt. which is now what I use most often for either species. The only change I make is a 15 lb tippet added to the 20 lb for smaller size flies. If I see a need to go lighter, I'll go lighter with the whole setup, and use my 6 wt. I would rather have a heavier leader than I need than one that is too light. If you're dry fly fishing, that may not work, but for LM & Stripers I feel it does.

 

I also go by the philosophy that the heavier the fly, the shorter the leader, particularly with subsurface flies & sink tip lines. The idea here is that a fast sinking line will get down faster than the fly, so a long leader defeats the purpose of using the sinking line. I want the line to sink & the fly to be close to the same level. My leaders otherwise are rarely longer than 10 ft, and sinking line leaders may be as short as 2 ft, but are typically in the 3' to 5' length range and are often a single section of 20 lb.

 

Based on fishing I've done with baitcasting & spinning rods, and heavier lines to deal with weeds & snags for chasing LM's & very large & often heavy lures when chasing Stripers, I made a change in my fly fishing philosophy. That change was to go a lot heavier, not based on the fish, but on the conditions, the larger or heavier flies I'll use & too many lost fish on lighter leaders & tippets. May not be the most "sporting" or the better fight as a result, but I now land more of the bigger fish & in less time, which IMO stresses those fish less. Although most of the bass I catch are smaller, I would rather drag a 1 lb bass & 3 or 4 lbs of weeds than lose that 1 lb fish because of those weeds.

 

I enjoy it just as much too!