Things to know about Fly Fishing

[chris kowaleski]

So i'm still real new to fly fishing, and i'm to cast a little bit and sometimes catch some small ones, but I feel like there is some more technical things that i do not know but should know. 

-differences between tapered and non tapered leaders/ making your own leaders/tippetts

-the correct size flies for correct size leaders/tippetts

There is more stuff i've been wondering about but can't remember off the top of my head, but any other helpful tips and hints would be greatly appreciated!

[Stan Wright]

Tapered leaders allow the diameter of the line to slowly reduce in size from the thickness of your fly line down to what ever pound test leader you choose.  This allows for a smoother cast or the leader to "turn over" the fly.   A non tapered leader is just a straight piece of leader line that is the same thickness over the whole length of the leader.  (say a 6 foot piece of 8 point mono line )

Google "tying a tapered leader" to get formulas for tying your own tapered leaders...

Example:  2 feet or 20# test... tied to 2 feet 15#... tied to 2 feet of 10# test... tied to 2 feet of 6# test.

I like the "store bought" (knotless) leaders because the knots in the ones I tried to tye myself kept snagging bits of grass and moss.

The size or breaking strength of the leader will determine the size of the fly you can use..

For trout where we were using very tiny nymphs,  we used 4# test.  

For bluegill I might use 4#, 6# or even 8# test leader depending on the thickness of the grass and cover I'm fishing.

Some fish are more spookie or "leader shy" so you might have to use smaller, lighter leader to get them to bite.

Largemouth and peacock bass are not really leader shy... and also hang out in thick cover,  so I might use 12# to 20# pound test leader. Fly size is usually much larger too.

When salmon fishing in Alaska, many of the rivers are wide open with nothing to tangle your line on so the leader test depends on how big the fish are and how heavy tackle you have to use.

In Christmas Island where there miles of open sand flats, I use 12# test for bonefish.  In Hawaii where there is lots of coral to cut lines, I use a 20# test leader

Some saltwater fish have sharp teeth and you need a thicker "shock" tippet to keep the fishes teeth from wearing through the leader.  With barracuda you need to use wire.

[Johnny]

Since this subject has come up...what should the length of the leader & tippet  be ??

And, is there a rule of thumb that determines the length of leader/tippet combo that one should use in different fishing situations ??

 

I've read articles on fly fishing & some seem to have about 8 or 10 feet of leader & tippet attatched,  that sounds to me like a lot of line to have to work with, but then again I dont know fly fish'n either.

 

Just curious.

[Leo Nguyen]

Depending on the size of the fish and the water clarity, tippet size is greatly depending on those primary factors. The clearer the water, with hardly any fishing pressure this the area at all, you'll have plenty of easily spooked fish. As Greg would use practically needle threat like tippet to fish huge game, because he has such awesome talent. However, general rule to start out is a tippet 4x, just in case you have the bass decides to hammer your fly and put up an epic battle.

Now, as for the depth, well, it's all depending upon the time of day, and the feeding condition of the water, including the total depth of the water body you're at. During early and feeding hours, larger predation fish, like the bass, like to hang near the surface to prey on water insects and fry that like to hang near the surface. During late morning, they go as deep as the depth of the water body itself near structures for protection. You need sinking fly line for this. I normally use Weight Forward floating fly line, add a total of 6 feet of leader, and roll cast the line from the bank where I normally fished at. My wet flies have plenty of time to present a slow sink to the bottom for that enticing presentation near shore (24 to 40 ft out), while my dry flies encourage the aggressive surface blowout by the fish from below.

Fly fishing is a like an evolving formula that you constantly have to calculate and recalculate. Once you get the formula down, you'll see an extreme clarity to the secret of fly fishing. I'm still learning..big time.

[Stan Wright]

Most of the warm water species like bass and bluegill, the standard 7 1/2 foot tapered leader are just fine.  Like Leo said, for trout in clear water, or bonefish you may have to go to a 9 foot or longer leader.  

NOTE:  Every time you change flys, you'll use several inches of the leader to make your knot.  Store bought tapered leaders can get expensive if you change flys a lot. I get a piece of fluorocarbon about 18 to 20 inches long (what ever pound test you prefer) and tie it to the end of my tapered leader.   That way I can change flys many times before it becomes too short and I have to add another "tippet" to my tapered leader. To connect the "tippet" to the leader I use a Double Sergeants Knot. (double overhand knot)

[Greg McWilliams]

LOL!!!!!!

[chris kowaleski]

Did I miss an experienced fly fishermans joke or something? haha

[Greg McWilliams]

Chris, No JOKE, LEO CRACKS ME UP!!!! Especially when he talks about that Greg fellow!!! All the info is spot on, there is no set leader/ tippet set up!!!! You will just have to try the info you have received and see what works for you!!!! 

    When I use floating line my leader depends on what fly I am fishing and wind conditions!!!! If I am fishing poppers, which tend to be more bulky and catch wind, I go to a shorter leader!!!!!! When I fish smaller flies I like the longer leader especially in clear water conditions!!!! My tippet I use is a camo crappie line 4 lb. test!!!!!!! I have quite a few rods and they all have the same reel I have a extra spool with sinking line!!!!!!

    Don't get caught up in which is right and wrong try them and see what works for you!!!!!!

[chris kowaleski]

haha well alright. Well the reason i started this thread because i've heard that the the wrong size leader/tippett with the wrong size fly or popper will hinder it's performance, and i guess i just wanted to ask some expierenced fly fishers their thoughts.  And i figure i should start making my own leaders/tippets, since i do change out flies kind of a lot.

[Allen Morgan]

I had a good experience last week realizing that my tippet was the wrong size/length.

I had tied on a "hopper/dropper" combination.  I had a short length of 8 lbs test flouro running from the leader to the grasshopper pattern, with a 2' length of 4 lbs test mono running from the hopper to a nymph pattern I wanted to try (the "dropper").  This worked, but, I had one swipe at the hopper and that was it.

I decided to go to my "go to" pattern for that pond, a bead chain wooly bugger in olive.  I didn't have enough length on the 8 lbs test for tippet, so I remove it completely, snipped the 4 lbs test mono from both flies, and used that for tippet.

BIG MISTAKE!  Way to thin and long for the weight of that fly (I have a lot of lead wraps on them to sink them).  The leader would turn over, but the tippet would just pile up.  I should have used a new section of 8 lbs test.

I snipped off the wooly bugger, and tied on the nymph that I had been using earlier.  Much lighter, and smaller.  By this time, the section of 4 lbs test is now about 20" long.  It worked great.  Both the leader and tippet were turning over the fly.

This is something that you just have to do for a bit to get a feel for it.  You have to take into account the size, weight, and wind resistance of the fly that you're throwing.  If your tippet is getting to short, and it's not turning over the fly well, remove it and make a longer one.  If your tippet is really long, and it's "piling" up in the water when you present, you need to trim it down.

The thicker the line that you're using for tippet, the longer it can be and still be effective.

[Leo Nguyen]

Excellent deduction on fly weight vs tippet size. There's a formula once must experience in order to realize it. There's not enough book smart to satisfy one personal experience in the field. We can only use reference material given by others as partial knowledge, but the true knowledge and wisdom is experience it yourself, and make the deduction on what to do next. That's why I'm forever learning from this mastery site. Greg, Jen, Tooty, Tony, Bruce, Walt, Jefferey, etc., including you Allen, all offer so much insight that it makes my head joyful, and painful at the same time. Thank goodness I use the computer to log all the info shared with us down, or else I'll be compiling a nice room full of shelves just to store all my written notes.

[DAVID L EITUTIS]

HEY GREG , LEO, AND ALL WHO RESPONDED to Chris's fly questions.You are all right to some degree and my only advice is simple is better Chris. PICK SOMETHING  and just go fishing. At an early age in fly fishing it tends to be complicated and the more advice you try and digest all at once the more complicated it gets! I ONLY BUY 9' tapered leaders , ONLY BECAUSE I'M FRUGAL!! I try and adapt my system to what ever I'm throwing for a bug. The longer leaders are harder with big bugs, so I limit my self to smaller offerings. I am blessed to have many rods and reels here to use and have one set up with different size leaders for each rod, that I use.

  Greg , Leo , and some of the other more advanced casters here have all been through the learning process and LLLLLLLLLLOTS OF INFO CAN BE GAINED from these folks.
 " WIND KNOT MASTER"

          TOOTY

[chris kowaleski]

Yeah definately, thank you all for the info!  I feel like at this rate, i almost should make my own leaders/tippetts though, since i change fly's kind of often. I still have several 9ft tapered leaders for now, so i'll see what i can do while i still have some of those.