Furled leaders?

[JBplusThuy]

Anybody using, or tried, furled leaders?

Those who are selling them talk them up so much you'd think they're the greatest thing since the invention of the fly rod - or maybe even the evolution of the bluegill :-)  Not unnatural - they've got to make a living, after all - but if you've tried or are using them, how good are they in comparison to a standard tapered leader?  If you like them, do they also work well on small rods like 2-weights, or is a 2WF line not heavy enough to turn over a furled leader well?

Thinking of getting some, but wanted to get opinions from my number one source of fishing info first :-)

Thanks,

Jonathan

[[e-mail]]

Well Ray, I just ordered two furled florocarbon leaders and two mono carbon leaders.  The web sight (Bream Bugs.com) did not indicate for what size these leaders were.  I guess they are for 4s to 6s as the sight is directed toward pan fishermen.

I love Breambugs.com and Uncle Don will help me if I call.  Great guy.

Anyway looking for your response.

[Ray Ditzenberger]

I have been  making my own furled leaders. They are 5' long. I have make several out of different stuff. I tried 1 thread leader and did not care for it. ( could have been my poor casting ). The ones that I have liked are made out of 4# mono. (some old Stren Blue that I had been saving for my UL spinning). I made a couple out of 8# Stren and tried them on my heavier outfits and I did not see any advantage over the mono leaders that I make with a 40# butt and then add a tippet that is needed. (8 to 20#). I like the fact that the furled leaders do not take a curl set while sitting on the reel for any length of time. I also do get fewer wind knots and the ones I do get are easier to remove if they are in the furled section. Tippets are easy to change because of loop to loop connection. I seldom fish deep so Fluro has not been needed. I almost always use a 6# tippet on my light outfits. If I need to go to real small flies I will go to 4# tippet to get the mono thru the fly eye. But this is rare. I use 6# so if I get the light wire hooks hung I can usually pull hard enough to straighten the hook. I just re-bend the hook and keep on fishing. It takes a lot less time than re-rigging.

How long are the furled leaders you use?

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Ray, do you graduate your leaders, or go straight form the 40# to the 4#?

[Ray Ditzenberger]

I normally use 40# butts on my 7wts and up and then go to 12 to 20# as a tippet. On 6wt and down I normally use 30# then either 20 or 15# and then the tippet of usually 6#. I use a loop to loop connection all the way. But to clearify. I normally use furled leader on my light rods and a 6# tippet. My home made furled leaders are about 5' long and then I add whatever length tippet I need. Usually about 2.5 to 3'.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

I've seen segmented leaders strung together with graduated line weights,
but using blood knots to connect the sections. That way seems preferable, but never having done it, I cannot say. I believe I will try it, however.

I'm also interested in how you make furled leaders. Have you posted
a tutorial our some instructions pooh how its done.

Coming from spinning, I have a ton of mono. Everything from 60 lb test down to 1lb. is in my line rack. Making lessees r from this readily available resource seems only prudent.

[Ray Ditzenberger]

I guess for trout fishing long leaders stepped down with blood knots is common but I do not find it to be needed for warm water or salt. I try to keep everything as simple as possible. If it needs to be fixed on the water I would rather be fishing than fiddleing with tackle. I use loop to loop at all connections. EZ and fast to fix. I will look for the directions I use to make the furled leaders I use and post it

http://opff.org/furled-leader/furled_leader.html

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Yeah the classic blood knot is a pain to tie!
Thanks a heap, Ray.

[klrbaer]

The great thing about making your own leaders is you can always expieriment with new "recipes" for leaders.  Making them stiffer or limper by increaseing or decreaseing the number of strands, changing the tread type, or manufacturer or even changing from thread to nylon, mono, or Flouro.

As I see it, a stiffer leader will help to eliminate Wind knots.  Does this seem tobe the case with others?????

 

[Tinknocker1]

i use them all the time  ..... with just trilene mono for a tippit or trilene floro for sub surface 100 yrd spool of each now as summer comes and water gets warmer i want to fish deeper i use a furled floro leader

[Ray Ditzenberger]

Hey Stoney.....I use my homemade furled leaders on my light outfits too. They cast fine and they don't get the coil memory that regular mono does. I don't care for the leaders made with thread but I do like the ones made from mono. I use 4# and 6# mono. I prefer the 6# made on my 3 step leaders. I use 6, 3, 2 loop leaders. I have been using mono from Walmart that is cheap and it seems to work just as well as the "good" mono. I just finished making up several to finish adding furled leaders to lines that still had the old leaders I make up plus some extras. I also made a couple with 8# mono and I also made a couple with 15# with 3, 2,1, loop leaders for my heavier outfits to try. I tried the lighter leaders and did not like them. I will see how the heavier leaders work out. They seemed to cast OK in the back yard.

[Mark Sleeper]

Hi I use both leaders , I do like furled ones made out of uni thread they work great