Custom leaders

Walter & Group....

 

.....The big picture on a wide range of leader lengths and designs for different fish and venues :-

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

-----Original Message-----
From: robert shigley [mailto:flyfishcaneyfork@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 9:24 PM
To: Gordon Hill
Subject: Re: Trout leaders. Length and design.

Hi again Gordy;

 

Thanks for your response to my leader and tippet comments. By the way, some where along the path of fly fishing (I do not remember the source), I read that when choosing a leader that the length should be at least the length of the rod. Of course packaged leaders today most always include the tippet section, but I always add additional tippet with the length usually determined by the fly I use.

 

I will definitely acquire the books you recommended.

 

Robert

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Robert...

 

Length and design depend upon your quarry and the presentation desired.  For example, in King Salmon fishing using sinking lines in Alaskan rivers, I'd often use a leader no more than 3' in length.  I'll use really short leaders with no taper to quickly flip over a bass bug when fishing lilly-pad cover for black bass.  A 2 1/2' two step tapered leader when fishing full sink lines deep (20' or so) in the ocean off Montauk Point for big striped bass.

 

One reason for the really short leader when fishing for bottom feeding fish is to keep the fly in the low strike zone for a maximum time during retrieve.  A long leader may well keep the fly above that zone, even if your full sink line is on or near the bottom........the fish don't even see the fly !

 

Some trout fishermen will use a leader shorter than the rod for certain, "high-sticking" techniques when fishing pocket water in shallow streams with weighted nymph patterns.

 

A really accomplished fly fisherman customizes the design and length of the leader to suit the fish, its feeding zones, whether or not it is leader-shy, and the fishing circumstances as well as the type, size, and weight of the fly.   No hard and set rules !

 

Gordy