Tapered Leaders?

Weeman · Sep 4, 2005

Hi chaps,

Just bought myself some tackle to start fly fishing (Greys GRX 9'6" 6/7 and Scierra IC3)and have been advised to start with 6lb maxima clear for leaders. I have no reason to doubt this but was wondering when you would use a tapered leader and/or a tippet?

Any basic guidelines on leaders/tippets would be most welcome.

I should probably mention that I will be starting on small/medium stillwaters.

Ron 'The Hat' Clay · Sep 4, 2005

I would certainly use a tapered leader on a river with a short fluorocarbon tippet at the front making a leader of between 6 and 9 feet, depending on the size and width of the river you are fishing.

For stillwaters I don't bother with tapered leaders. I just use a piece of 4 to 8 lbs fluorocarbon loop-to-looped to the tip of my fly line. My leader for still waters can be as short as 12 inches for fishing deep bouyant flies on fast sinkers, to as long as 20 feet for fishing a team of nymphs and buzzers on a floating line.

Weeman · Sep 4, 2005

Thanks Ron. Sounds like my 6lb maxima is about right then. I was going to use it at around 9' - is that about right?

Just one other question. Why use a tapered leader with a fluro tippet on the river?

Ron 'The Hat' Clay · Sep 4, 2005

On a river, short but accurate casting casting becomes paramount. A tapered leader gives good presentation and transmits the energy of the cast to the fly well.

Fluorocarbon tippets sink quickly, especially if you degrease them using a washing up liguid and Fullers Earth mix. Fluorocarbon is much heavier than nylon. It gets your flies down quickly when fishing wet and gets your tippet below the water when fishing dry.

Weeman · Sep 4, 2005

Ok, that makes sense. Stupid question probably, but why should your tippet sink when fishing dry? I would have thought the line should float.

Weeman · Sep 4, 2005

Sorry for all these questions Ron. I really must look at the techneque pages and see if I can find some 'beginners fly fishing' type articles.

Ron 'The Hat' Clay · Sep 5, 2005

A floating leader from below the water looks like a swimming snake and spooks fish. The tippet, especially in still calm water must sink whilst the fly floats or you'll sit there all day and never have a take.

Believe me this is true.

A ripple on still water or a riffle on running water does tend to hide the tippet but be on the safe side, degrease it and even better use a bit of fluoro. I can assure you virtually all the top fly fishers do.

Ron 'The Hat' Clay · Sep 5, 2005

By the way don't ever feel sorry for asking questions. We all learned these things in the past. We are here to help.

Fishing Gimp · Sep 5, 2005

Weeman, for still water nymphing just use flouro carbon for your leader. Personally I have found if nymph fishing the longest leader you can get to turnover the better. Usually this needs to be over 12ft but some anglers recommend 20ft plus.

This length gives good presentation in clear conditions but if the wind is against you, as it invariably will be, you will need to compromise. Nowadays I generally start with a 15ft length and take it from there, shortening or lengthening the leader until I start to get fish.

With stillwater fishing it is presentation that really counts above all else, the fly sometimes is merely the tool to give you that presentation especially with nymph fishing. Also as Ron so rightly says degrease that leader to improve your presentation of the fly.

If you are lure fishing you can use a far shorter leader usually 6-9ft depending on the weight of lure and sunkline fishing with a booby you can get away with a leader of 2-4 ft. What type of stillwater fishing had you in mind, because most of us on this site will be happy to help if we can.

Weeman · Sep 5, 2005

Ah, it all makes sense when someone explains the reasons - thanks Ron.

As far as types of venues: I'm going to start at Rib Valley Lakes as its close to me. It's a 13 acre lake so I suppose its small/medium sized.

Weeman · Sep 5, 2005

Just a thought - does a straight flurocarbon leader work on stillwaters because its inherent stiffness turns it over easily? Presumably, because of flurocarbons' sinking properties a floating tapered mono leader with fluro tippet is a better bet on rivers?

Having said that, would you use a floating tapered mono leader with fluro tippet for stillwater dry fly work?

I promise once I have set a few basic leader ground rules I'll stop hounding you guys

PS. I have used Grand Max Riverge for my course fishing hooklinks for some time - would this do for fly leaders?

Fishing Gimp · Sep 5, 2005

The stiffness of flouro does help with the turn over, of that there is no doubt but what gives it the edge is the fact that in water it is less visible to the fish and it sinks slowly.

Floating tapered mono leader with a flouro tippet is probably the best way to present the dry fly and is the way I usually do so. The only exception being when I need a high floating line for fishing the Sedge and causing a wake as an attractant to Dusk feeding Trout.

Grand Max will be fine as long as you don't go much below 6lb to start with as some of the takes you get can be surprisingly violent; so don't let go of your rod or put it down with a fly on the water. Good luck Weeman and I hope you catch, but even if you don't have fun learning because fly fishing is great!

Weeman · Sep 5, 2005

Thanks for the tips chaps. Got a casting lesson on Wednesday - can't wait!

Can you recommend any suitable fluro's if you don't rate grand max? I think Ron mentioned Sightfree in a previous thread.

Also recommendations for tapered leaders for future reference?

Ron 'The Hat' Clay · Sep 19, 2005

I have used a variety of fluorocarbons in my life. Sightfree, Uncle Jacks, and Lureflash Fluorocarbon Gold are all OK.

The Fluorocarbon Gold is perhaps the best value for money - ?7 for 100 meters.

There are a few fluorocarbons which are downright awful, but here is not the place to list them.

John Norris and Fishtec supply knotless tapered leaders in 7 foot and 9 foot lengths.

Tapered Leaders?

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