So if i want to fish a size 6 streamer but currently have a 5x leader on is this something i could do? With a double sturgeon knot im assuming. Just attach a little 4x tippet piece to the 5x leader. Then attach some 3x tippet to the 4x tippet.
Connecting 5x leader to 4x tippet to 3x tippet
- Thread starter jayw2942
- Start date
silver creek
Well-known member
Won't work. The modified leader will not turn over because you have tied thicker to thinner and this result in the opposite taper.
What you should do is to cut back the leader to the diameter you want so the leader can turn the streamer over. However, this will result in a short leader and this will cause the fly to ride higher in the water column unless you use a sinking fly line or a sink tip fly line. You could add a sinking versileader or polyleader to a floating fly line to get the fly to sink.
Gorge Fly Shop Blog: Sink Tips, Polyleaders, Versileaders - A Buyer's Guide
do-i-need-sink-tipt
mono-leaders-vs-polyleaders.
dumb-question-about-sink-tip-lines
cortland-mini-head-kit
http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/f...ons/360104-weight-line-ratios.html#post716132
Make your own braided loop connectors using the method below.
Getting Looped | Dan Blanton » Fly Fishing Resources
What you should do is to cut back the leader to the diameter you want so the leader can turn the streamer over. However, this will result in a short leader and this will cause the fly to ride higher in the water column unless you use a sinking fly line or a sink tip fly line. You could add a sinking versileader or polyleader to a floating fly line to get the fly to sink.
Gorge Fly Shop Blog: Sink Tips, Polyleaders, Versileaders - A Buyer's Guide
do-i-need-sink-tipt
mono-leaders-vs-polyleaders.
dumb-question-about-sink-tip-lines
cortland-mini-head-kit
http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/f...ons/360104-weight-line-ratios.html#post716132
Make your own braided loop connectors using the method below.
Getting Looped | Dan Blanton » Fly Fishing Resources
mcnerney
Administrator
Jay
I wouldn't recommend setting up your rig like that, in my mind that is backwards and won't cast very well. You want the weakest link to be at the bottom of your rig, next to where you attach the fly. In your example, if it was me and all I had was a leader of 5x tippet, I would cut off the end to where it approximates the size of 3x, then attach some 3x tippet, then attach the 4x next and then attach your fly. That is assuming where you are fishing that 4x will be sufficient. Normally, when I'm nymphing I will use 4x tippet, but when I'm throwing streamers, with a leader, I use either 2x or 3x tippet. My thought is that when I'm throwing streamers I'm targeting the larger trout in the stream and the larger trout will be more aggressive and the strikes can be pretty aggressive, which will cause more break offs with smaller tippet. My favorite method to fish a streamer is with a sink tip and no leader, just a piece of 12-15 lb mono about four ft in length and then attach the fly using a perfection loop or something similar to maximize the action of the fly.
I wouldn't recommend setting up your rig like that, in my mind that is backwards and won't cast very well. You want the weakest link to be at the bottom of your rig, next to where you attach the fly. In your example, if it was me and all I had was a leader of 5x tippet, I would cut off the end to where it approximates the size of 3x, then attach some 3x tippet, then attach the 4x next and then attach your fly. That is assuming where you are fishing that 4x will be sufficient. Normally, when I'm nymphing I will use 4x tippet, but when I'm throwing streamers, with a leader, I use either 2x or 3x tippet. My thought is that when I'm throwing streamers I'm targeting the larger trout in the stream and the larger trout will be more aggressive and the strikes can be pretty aggressive, which will cause more break offs with smaller tippet. My favorite method to fish a streamer is with a sink tip and no leader, just a piece of 12-15 lb mono about four ft in length and then attach the fly using a perfection loop or something similar to maximize the action of the fly.
sweetandsalt
Well-known member
You could carry differing size/length leaders for different fly types and loop them on and off...or, after cutting back to 3X to fish a big fly, simply blood knot on a foot to 18" of 4X then another 3 or 4 feet of 5X and you are back in business.
I've always found that for streamer fishing a length of 8 to 12 pound monofilament is sufficient. The few minutes taken to remove a dry fly leader - make a surgeons loop on level mono - then attach the level leader and tie on a fly don't amount to much at all. Not only will a level leader turn over the fly but if and when you make contact with a larger specimen than you ever expected it's a nice touch to have a sturdy leader between the fly line and fly.
if you read that and have a worry that the leader won't turn over because it's a constant 12 pound length and not tapered I've never found that to be a problem. The larger heavier fly will naturally carry itself to the end of the loop. If at first things seem to land in a pile, not to worry, this is streamer fishing not dry fly. My credo when casting streamers is that if it lands in the water then it's a good cast. After a few feet of downstream drift and swing that leader will straighten itself right out for you. You may also find that a slightly more abrupt stop on the forward cast will turn over about anything your line will carry.
That bit about if it lands in the water it's a good cast................... One of the most frequent errors (possible errors) I see people make when fishing streamer flies is that if and when a cast is made that somehow does not meet the anglers expectations, they immediately rip up that cast and try it again. Maybe it didn't seem far enough, maybe it didn't seem to turn over perfectly but at any extent I believe every cast should be left to play itself out in a downstream drift and swing.
Why's that? When we are streamer fishing we are often fishing blindly, maybe we are reading the visible currents but unless we are sight fishing we are probing for unseen fish. Hopefully we can agree on that premise, so if you don't know exactly where there may be a good size fish hanging out but insist on ripping up any cast that doesn't suit your idea of a good one you will inadvertently spook and warn some fish of your presence. Big fish, and that is what we generally are seeking when streamer fishing, don't get old and big by being careless. Wild fish in areas where they have either been the subjects of a catch and release in the past or have been spooked by a hundred anglers can become especially wary of anything unusual. With that in mind think of the commotion we cause when we snatch that 'bad cast' back up off the water. The spray, the splash and the slurp, if that isn't enough to give one pause to the idea of doing this then imagine any fish within eye sight of what's happening? Granted that a jumbled up mass of leader and some fly floating along can and will send an experienced trout running for cover but I would suggest that it causes way less alarm than the aforementioned thrashing around by the angler whilst they seek to perfect the presentation.
Of course this goes for you Spey rod guys too, if it landed in the water to your front then let it go. I've caught some really beautiful fish on less than beautiful casts
Ard
PS. You may begin to notice if you read my posts that I don't get too caught up in splitting hairs when it comes to fishing. It's more about making this easy and focusing more on technique than tackle.
if you read that and have a worry that the leader won't turn over because it's a constant 12 pound length and not tapered I've never found that to be a problem. The larger heavier fly will naturally carry itself to the end of the loop. If at first things seem to land in a pile, not to worry, this is streamer fishing not dry fly. My credo when casting streamers is that if it lands in the water then it's a good cast. After a few feet of downstream drift and swing that leader will straighten itself right out for you. You may also find that a slightly more abrupt stop on the forward cast will turn over about anything your line will carry.
That bit about if it lands in the water it's a good cast................... One of the most frequent errors (possible errors) I see people make when fishing streamer flies is that if and when a cast is made that somehow does not meet the anglers expectations, they immediately rip up that cast and try it again. Maybe it didn't seem far enough, maybe it didn't seem to turn over perfectly but at any extent I believe every cast should be left to play itself out in a downstream drift and swing.
Why's that? When we are streamer fishing we are often fishing blindly, maybe we are reading the visible currents but unless we are sight fishing we are probing for unseen fish. Hopefully we can agree on that premise, so if you don't know exactly where there may be a good size fish hanging out but insist on ripping up any cast that doesn't suit your idea of a good one you will inadvertently spook and warn some fish of your presence. Big fish, and that is what we generally are seeking when streamer fishing, don't get old and big by being careless. Wild fish in areas where they have either been the subjects of a catch and release in the past or have been spooked by a hundred anglers can become especially wary of anything unusual. With that in mind think of the commotion we cause when we snatch that 'bad cast' back up off the water. The spray, the splash and the slurp, if that isn't enough to give one pause to the idea of doing this then imagine any fish within eye sight of what's happening? Granted that a jumbled up mass of leader and some fly floating along can and will send an experienced trout running for cover but I would suggest that it causes way less alarm than the aforementioned thrashing around by the angler whilst they seek to perfect the presentation.
Of course this goes for you Spey rod guys too, if it landed in the water to your front then let it go. I've caught some really beautiful fish on less than beautiful casts
Ard
PS. You may begin to notice if you read my posts that I don't get too caught up in splitting hairs when it comes to fishing. It's more about making this easy and focusing more on technique than tackle.
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sparsegraystubble
Well-known member
Also, you made a comment about fishing a 4X leader on a 5 weight line. The weight of the line has little to do with the diameter of the tippet. With a 5 weight rod I have used tippet anywhere from 2X to 7X.
The line weight refers to the weight to be cast on a given rod. The butt of your leader should be close to the stiffness of the tip of your fly iine. But the tippet size should be determined by the size of the fish and the size and weight of the fly being cast.
Don
The line weight refers to the weight to be cast on a given rod. The butt of your leader should be close to the stiffness of the tip of your fly iine. But the tippet size should be determined by the size of the fish and the size and weight of the fly being cast.
Don
dean_mt
Well-known member
I think that your confusion lies in the correlation between fly line weight and leader size. There is no correlation between line size and leader size.
This is a very common point of confusion for beginning fly anglers! No matter the fly line weight you can -- and should -- change your leader size to best suit the fishing, i.e. fly you are using.
Another way to say it: the X size of a leader has absolutely nothing to do with the weight of your fly line. A 5X leader does not match a 5WT fly line. The X rating of a leader is telling you what size the tippet of the leader is. The tippet end is the business end. The tippet size is determined by the fly you are fishing.
You can search for proper size tippet recommendations for fly size, i.e. "what X size tippet for hook size?"
Very generally though, a 7.5 foot, 4X leader is your workhorse, beginner's leader. 4X is a good tippet size for flies in the #10-12-14 range. If you have to fish smaller flies, add a section (24") of 5X tippet to the end of your 4X leader. Then you have 9-9.5' 5X leader.
If you also carry a 7.5' 3X leader, you can cut 24" off from the tippet end and have a nice, short and stout streamer leader (5.5' 2X-ish). Or you can add 24" of 4X to the tippet and have a nice 9.5' 4X leader for basic dry fly and nymph fishing.
To start out, keep it simple and don't get too caught up in all the variables. But you definitely need a couple options, particularly for streamers vs. dry/nymphs.
Good Luck!