Furled Leaders

Hi chaps,

Do any of you use furled leaders? If so what are the advantages?

I've seen someone fishing my local water with what looked like a furled leader (braid), he called it a braided butt and said he used it with a long (9') level mono tippet. He said that he gets better turn over with one of these, rather than a straight level leader.

Looked quite interesting to me so I searched the net and found Jim Williams, a manufacturer of furled leaders, it all seemed very interesting and apparently you can use them for all sorts of situations from stream to reservoir.

I think I might give them a try so any comments and suggestions would be helpful.

Yes I use braided leaders sometimes when dry fly fishing in rivers. They straighten out better on the forward cast, because they've less memory than monfil. The one I use is about 7 to 8 ft long and on the end I put a 2ft tippet of about 3lb.

I occasionally use medium sinking braided leaders when fishing teams of wet flies in rivers in spring. They get the flies nearer the botto. The drawback is that the spoil the unfurling of the fly line on the forward cast, so casting tends to be a bit splashy.

I use a variation on them from twisted leader material. If you mail me I'll reply with a guide on how to make them, they are very easy and help enormously with turnover.

Reason being is that you have, at the top of the leader where is joins the fly line, 4 strands of line, then two strands of line then the one strand that you attach and tie your fly onto.

I find them incredibly useful when I'm fishing into the wind and need all the help I can get to achieve turnover.