r reese
Well-known member
What really will roll out and turn over the best? Furled leader or good tapered mono leader? Will a furled leader hinge more where attached than a mono leader. Opinions please.
Leaders and lines
- Thread starter r reese
- Start date
jayr
Well-known member
Having used both, I much prefer a furled leader. For me it’s a better presentation and also more cost effective.
scotty macfly
Well-known member
I definitely second furled leaders. They can handle different sizes in tippet, and like said in previous post, very cost effective because they will last for a few years if taken care of. And much better presentation.
Furled leaders turn over very well, and no hinging at all, at least from what I have seen on my own set up.
Plus, fish don't seem to be bothered by furled leaders like they do with mono/nylon.
Furled leaders turn over very well, and no hinging at all, at least from what I have seen on my own set up.
Plus, fish don't seem to be bothered by furled leaders like they do with mono/nylon.
azflyrodder
Active member
I've never tried a furled leader, every angler i know that has hates them. Mono leaders work just fine, turn over flies well if built correctly, and untangle fairly easily if you mess up a cast or get stuck in a tree. Plus they're cheap and easy to make if you are so inclined (I'd stick to knotless leaders in weedy water though).
el jefe
Well-known member
That's interesting. Aside from the criticism of the spray when picking up furled leaders from the water, I think that's the first negative I've seen about furled leaders. I still want to give them a try, though, and see for myself.
azflyrodder
Active member
Definitely give them a shot. You have nothing to lose, and potentially a lot to gain. I mainly fish small streams, and if I'm not getting caught in a tree or bush every once in a while, I'm not catching fish. I've seen the mess that ensues after such an encounter with furled leaders and vegetation, and use mono because of that. That's just my reasoning, and if you mainly fish dry flies in open water, I've heard they're the best thing since sliced bread.
el jefe
Well-known member
Much of my fishing sounds similar to yours. One thing I started doing last summer was to cut off the tippet portion of a new tapered leader, and tie on a tippet ring. Then, when I get tangles, I just cut it off at the tippet ring and re-tie. It's quick, works like a charm, and is similar to one of the advantages of a furled leader. Thanks for the input.
r reese
Well-known member
Thanks good stuff
jayr
Well-known member
From what I can tell, the spray is a result of not keeping them waxed enough or not using the payette paste enough. I like them also because they float better as well when properly waxed.
silver creek
Well-known member
I think furled leaders and braided leaders cast great.
But the furled leader construction is limiting in that the furled leader is a set length and cannot be changed. To this leader is added the tippet section. For example, let us imagine you want a 5X 9 ft leader for 9 ft rod. With a standard leader, you buy or construct the 9ft 5X leader which includes the tippet as part of the leader. With a furled leader, you buy the furled leader and then add the tippet. When buy a furled leader you are really buying the furled section and adding the tippet material on your own.
To compensate for this, most furled leader manufacturers offer multiple options for the base leader because the furling process allows the manufacture to do so. So furled leaders are more specialized AND more confusing to the newbie. There are dry fly furled leaders, nymphing furled leaders, and big fly furled leaders; all of which are matched to the line wt and and all of which come in various lengths. This results in dozens of possible choices and the manufacturer do help in guiding the customers.
If you want a furled leader you can't do much better than Cutthroat Furled Leaders.
Products Archive | Cutthroat Furled Leaders | Braided Leaders | Fly Fishing
Since furled leaders are more specialized they should perform better for their designed purpose. I believe in part, this is the reason they do get high marks from users.
I happen to prefer the simplicity of the standard leader. Standard leaders in my opinion do have some advantages of their own.
Furled leaders stretch and that hinders strike detection when straight line nymphing AND it delays the strike. You can't feel what the fly is doing with a furled leader as you can with a mono leader. Furled leaders also delay the reaction time a bit when strike indicator nymphing.
Also with a mono leader, I can put the sighters in any position in the leader. Not so with a furled leader. Any colored section is built into the leader when furled and cannot be changed.
That is why competitive fly fishers do not use furled leaders.
With a mono leader I can switch from nymphing to dries and use the same leader. I can modify a standard leader by adding more butt section and this effectively lengthens the leader. If I want to make a 9 ft leader with a 3 ft tippet into a 16 foot leader with a 5 ft tippet, I add 5 ft of butt and swap the 3 ft tippet for a 5 ft tippet. I can do that without having a 16 leader with me.
You can't remove 3 ft of tippet from a 6 ft furled leader and add 10 feet of tippet and expect it to cast the entire 10 ft tippet section. You need to have brought a longer base furled leader matched to the line wt. of the rod.
Furthermore a standard leader is the same leader whether you are using a 3 wt rod or a 5 wt rod or a 7 wt rod. Not so with furled leaders. You will likely need to buy separate leaders for the 3, 5, and 7 wt rods; furled in different lengths; and separate leaders optimized for dries, nymphs, and streamers. If you fish multiple line wts, and multiple leader lengths, and use different flies and techniques ---> you will need a lot of furled leaders and you will need a system to organize them. My personal decision was that it was not worth it for me.
I can use floatant on a mono leader and I can easily remove the floatant if I need to which is not easy to do with a multi-stranded furled leader.
If leaders we were perfect and leaders never got tangled, mono and furled leaders would be equal in this regard. Mono stretches and a mono furled leader can tangle on a bounce back from a snag or broken tippet. Thread furled leaders should not bounce back. Untangling a furled leader is a nightmare.
Furled leader catch and holds onto algae and grit more than mono when fishing in discolored streams. I don't even like knotted mono leaders in these waters because the knots hold onto stuff.
Furled leaders do have an advantage in shock absorption to protect weaker tippets.
I know that furled leaders last an entire season, but truthfully, I have used a mono leader for several seasons as well. All you need is the ability to either rebuild a leader or use a tippet ring. So if you can't or do not want to rebuild a leader, a base furled leader will last longer than a standard leader. But if you use a tippet ring on the end of the base section of a standard leader, regular leaders will also last an entire season since you are tying the new tippet onto the ring instead of repeatedly shortening the base leader as you tie on new tippets.
I think standard vs furled is one of those decisions in which the individual must decide whether the castability and tippet protection over rides the other issues. I have asked Gary Borger about whether he has tried furled leaders and he told me that he can do anything a furled leader can do and more with a regular leader. But few can cast on Gary's level. So try it and see if it is for you.
I personally don't use furled leaders but that is my preference. If they work for you, that is great, but they are not the panacea for all types of fly fishing.
If you want a simple formula for making your own leaders, here is a Hatch Magazine article about the Borger Uni-body leader.
Tip: Stop Wasting Money on Leaders | Hatch Magazine - Fly Fishing, etc.
But the furled leader construction is limiting in that the furled leader is a set length and cannot be changed. To this leader is added the tippet section. For example, let us imagine you want a 5X 9 ft leader for 9 ft rod. With a standard leader, you buy or construct the 9ft 5X leader which includes the tippet as part of the leader. With a furled leader, you buy the furled leader and then add the tippet. When buy a furled leader you are really buying the furled section and adding the tippet material on your own.
To compensate for this, most furled leader manufacturers offer multiple options for the base leader because the furling process allows the manufacture to do so. So furled leaders are more specialized AND more confusing to the newbie. There are dry fly furled leaders, nymphing furled leaders, and big fly furled leaders; all of which are matched to the line wt and and all of which come in various lengths. This results in dozens of possible choices and the manufacturer do help in guiding the customers.
If you want a furled leader you can't do much better than Cutthroat Furled Leaders.
Products Archive | Cutthroat Furled Leaders | Braided Leaders | Fly Fishing
Since furled leaders are more specialized they should perform better for their designed purpose. I believe in part, this is the reason they do get high marks from users.
I happen to prefer the simplicity of the standard leader. Standard leaders in my opinion do have some advantages of their own.
Furled leaders stretch and that hinders strike detection when straight line nymphing AND it delays the strike. You can't feel what the fly is doing with a furled leader as you can with a mono leader. Furled leaders also delay the reaction time a bit when strike indicator nymphing.
Also with a mono leader, I can put the sighters in any position in the leader. Not so with a furled leader. Any colored section is built into the leader when furled and cannot be changed.
That is why competitive fly fishers do not use furled leaders.
With a mono leader I can switch from nymphing to dries and use the same leader. I can modify a standard leader by adding more butt section and this effectively lengthens the leader. If I want to make a 9 ft leader with a 3 ft tippet into a 16 foot leader with a 5 ft tippet, I add 5 ft of butt and swap the 3 ft tippet for a 5 ft tippet. I can do that without having a 16 leader with me.
You can't remove 3 ft of tippet from a 6 ft furled leader and add 10 feet of tippet and expect it to cast the entire 10 ft tippet section. You need to have brought a longer base furled leader matched to the line wt. of the rod.
Furthermore a standard leader is the same leader whether you are using a 3 wt rod or a 5 wt rod or a 7 wt rod. Not so with furled leaders. You will likely need to buy separate leaders for the 3, 5, and 7 wt rods; furled in different lengths; and separate leaders optimized for dries, nymphs, and streamers. If you fish multiple line wts, and multiple leader lengths, and use different flies and techniques ---> you will need a lot of furled leaders and you will need a system to organize them. My personal decision was that it was not worth it for me.
I can use floatant on a mono leader and I can easily remove the floatant if I need to which is not easy to do with a multi-stranded furled leader.
If leaders we were perfect and leaders never got tangled, mono and furled leaders would be equal in this regard. Mono stretches and a mono furled leader can tangle on a bounce back from a snag or broken tippet. Thread furled leaders should not bounce back. Untangling a furled leader is a nightmare.
Furled leader catch and holds onto algae and grit more than mono when fishing in discolored streams. I don't even like knotted mono leaders in these waters because the knots hold onto stuff.
Furled leaders do have an advantage in shock absorption to protect weaker tippets.
I know that furled leaders last an entire season, but truthfully, I have used a mono leader for several seasons as well. All you need is the ability to either rebuild a leader or use a tippet ring. So if you can't or do not want to rebuild a leader, a base furled leader will last longer than a standard leader. But if you use a tippet ring on the end of the base section of a standard leader, regular leaders will also last an entire season since you are tying the new tippet onto the ring instead of repeatedly shortening the base leader as you tie on new tippets.
I think standard vs furled is one of those decisions in which the individual must decide whether the castability and tippet protection over rides the other issues. I have asked Gary Borger about whether he has tried furled leaders and he told me that he can do anything a furled leader can do and more with a regular leader. But few can cast on Gary's level. So try it and see if it is for you.
I personally don't use furled leaders but that is my preference. If they work for you, that is great, but they are not the panacea for all types of fly fishing.
If you want a simple formula for making your own leaders, here is a Hatch Magazine article about the Borger Uni-body leader.
Tip: Stop Wasting Money on Leaders | Hatch Magazine - Fly Fishing, etc.
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I made my own leaders for many years. They worked as well as I could have ask for something to work. I used them on Penn's Creek - Spring Creek - Fishing Creek - Letort Spring Creek and Slate & Ceder Runs to name a few places. Those streams are 4 Limestone Creeks and 2 very demanding Freestone creeks in Pennsylvania.
Now I cast those weighted leaders that I make for my Spey rods and I get them to turn over perfectly as well. I honestly believe that turn over as well as the ability to cast many different size flies using the same rod albeit with different leaders is a matter of technique. If you use the rod often then you can make things work. I believe that if you try a new outfit and apply everything you have learned about casting while trying the new outfit and it doesn't work right you should stick with what has always worked rather than try to fix something which isn't broken.
Now I cast those weighted leaders that I make for my Spey rods and I get them to turn over perfectly as well. I honestly believe that turn over as well as the ability to cast many different size flies using the same rod albeit with different leaders is a matter of technique. If you use the rod often then you can make things work. I believe that if you try a new outfit and apply everything you have learned about casting while trying the new outfit and it doesn't work right you should stick with what has always worked rather than try to fix something which isn't broken.
philly
Well-known member
The first few years I fly fished, I made my own mono leaders, using the Leader Calculator spreadsheet from the Global Fly Fisher web site. I was introduced to furled leaders in the late 1990's and managed to get a few from folks who furled their own from tying thread, by swapping flies or materials with them. Once I used one I never tied another mono/fluorocarbon tapered leader. They're very durable, I still have some the original ones I haven't even used yet. I've used some for several years. Clean and dry them at the end of the season and store them in a dark place and they're ready to go the next season. Just have to renew the water proofing. They're all 5 to 6 feet in length and I use 5 to 6 foot tippet. Never had an issue with a fly turning over with that length tippet. I hand furled a couple of fluorocarbon ones that I use with my intermediate line. It's a matter of what works for you or what you feel comfortable with. I like them.
ghostrider408
Swing one for a mean one
For the past three years I've been building my own tapered leaders out of Berkley Big Game mono (green color). I have spools of 30 lb., 20 lb., 15 lb., and 10 lb (from there I just taper down with tippet to whatever application I need, all the way down to 6x if need be). I also have spools of Sunline 12 lb. fluoro (for my bass fishing with sinking lines). I just build them up for each application of my fly fishing from trout on dry rig, nymph rigs, floating bass rigs, etc. They turn over great and I can customize them for different tactics and waters. I have no problem turning over up to size 1/0 streamers. I use a double uni knot to make the connections and then a triple surgeons on the final piece of tippet. I have found that they are fun to make and I can customize them as needed. For my sink tips and sinking lines I just use 3-4 feet of either 10 lb. or 12 lb. Sunline fluoro. I do keep a few factory tapered leaders in my pack if I am fishing where there is floating debris or moss.
I used mono, switched to braided leaders for several years, tried furled leaders for a while, even used poly leaders a fair amount, and happily went back to mono. I still keep a couple old braided and furled leaders for possible use in highly technical dry fly water, but I honestly haven't felt the need to use one in several years and I'm primarily a dry fly guy.
All these leader types will give you great turnover if you have the right leader with the right fly and tippet, and all will fail miserably if you have the wrong one. They all have their place, and saying one type will or won't turn over better than another is difficult to say. You really have to try them out and give them a fair shake.
All these leader types will give you great turnover if you have the right leader with the right fly and tippet, and all will fail miserably if you have the wrong one. They all have their place, and saying one type will or won't turn over better than another is difficult to say. You really have to try them out and give them a fair shake.