sweetandsalt
Well-known member
Though I suspect Cutthroat Leader’s thread furls with tippet rings are their most popular, I have been experimenting with Mike’s Nylon Furls with shorb loops at both ends. My first one is called Big Bug and is olive colored Nylon and the Furl is 50”. By looping monofilament to the terminal loop and flexing it in the Parabolic Loop test, I determined .013 - 015” diameter monofilament was the optimal transferor of casting energy. I then built down with Blood Knots to a 5’ long tippet section. This leader, in its third season of use is mounted on a 6-weight RIO IT Gold line.
This season I have added a clear Nylon Furl which is mounted on a Cortland Omni-Verse #4. I fished both of these line/leader combinations beside other #4 and 5-weight lines featuring both looped on and spliced Orvis Braided Butt Leaders.
With the now ubiquitous welded loops standard on most floating fly lines, looping leaders on is just so easy and affords the flexibility of switching from one type to another. Are they as smooth as a splice in which the angle cut tip of the fly line is inserted into the hollow core of the Braid about a ½ inch and permanently locked in place with a sparse coating of slow setting, gap penetrating Zap-A-Gap? No, not hardly but as long as one does not reel the tip to leader juncture into the tip-top, this is not a big issue.
As a life-long inveterate experimenter, recognizing the crucial importance of leader design I have eagerly tried everything available to enhance presentation techniques. Switching from hand knotted to Braided Butts in 1983 was a revelation assuring a far more positive and memory free extension of the fly line taper-like leader experience. Sure well designed hand knotted leaders can and do work well and I continue to build them for my heavier line weight outfits which are not usually employed for dry fly use.
My first foray into Furls did not work well for me. They were constructed of thread and did not perform seamless transfer of energy from line to leader due to poor mass matching; only worsening when they were wet and limper still. Cutthroats Mike Morin proposed I try his Nylon Big Bug and subsequently his newest Nylon Furls. And here is my report on how they compare to my now long standard Braided system.
First and foremost, these Nylon Furls are mass match-able to #’s 4 – 6 floating fly lines. For any leader of any design or material this is my first concern as it is essential for seamless transfer of energy from line to leader to tippet. This is easily tested via the Parabolic Test.
Secondly, like Braids, these Furls are essentially free of coiling memory, so common in the thicker diameter sections of Nylon monofilament leaders whether hand built or commercially extruded. Memory robs the leader of smooth accurate turnover.
With a little experimentation, the optimal diameter monofilament to extend from the terminus of the leader butt, be it braded or furled, is readily determined, again employing the Parabolic Test. With the Orvis produced Braids it is typically either 0X or 1X and with the Cutthroat Nylon Furls it seems .013” is about right. I like the transfer section to be about 14” to allow for cutting back a few times when necessary during rebuilding as these types of leaders can potentially last the life of the fly line. Then I build down in short sections to the tippet which can be longer than with ordinary leaders as both Braids and Furls turn over more positively and efficiently. For dry fly presentation purposes I usually favor a tippet of about 5’.
Besides these notable and important similarities there are fundamental differences between Braids and Furls. Braids are hollow and Furls are solid. Therefore there is a bit more mass in Nylon Furls. Also, being hollow, Braids loops can be spliced while Furls utilize “shorb” loops which are a little bulkier. Both are strong however. Both leader designs share a minor disadvantage in that, having more surface area; they retain more water which sprays off during false casting. All leaders do this but Furls and Braids more so. This characteristic has had me develop the habit of false casting away from the rising trout so as to not to potentially disturb them with water droplets; a good habit with any leader actually.
I am aware that some users of both of these leader systems take a shortcut and simply affix the desired diameter and length of tippet directly to the terminal end of the Braided or Furled section. At least for adroit control of dry fly techniques, I discourage this practice. Attaching your dry fly tippet directly to the end loop or, in some cases, a tippet ring, disrupts the seamless transfer of energy that these leaders excel at, creating a hinging effect. I personally go to whatever lengths necessary to preclude any hinging in my line and leader assembly to assure maximum loop stability and line/leader control.
So, having fished these leader systems in the same habitats and employing the same techniques, how do I compare them? Importantly, they both perform compound dry fly presentation involving reach casting, controlled aerial amplitude dialing and on water mending of the drift better than any other type of leader. Where they differ most substantially is in feel during turnover. Being solid and constructed of heavier denier monofilament, the Nylon Furl is more aggressive, almost generating a kick as it straightens in air. The Braid has a lighter touch. Also the Furl transitions to Nylon monofilament at a diameter of .013 to .015” whereas the Braid goes to monofilament of 1X, .010. Usually I affix this first section with a multi-turn, 12 – 15 wrap Nail Knot to the Braid, thinly dressed with a coating of UV resin and a loop-to-loop for the Furl. I employed a Surgeon’s Loop rather than a Perfection Loop as it is stronger. I do use the Perfection Loop in heavier diameter monofilament and it would undoubtedly work fine in this application too but I used the Surgeon’s anyway. Having observed these distinctions, I never-the-less fished one of the two Nylon Furls on a 4-weight mostly with size #16 – 18 PMD patterns extremely effectively and precisely. And the intentionally aggressive “Big Bug” I fished on the powerful 6-weight, I also fished pleasurably with mostly small dry flies.
I will continue to fish both leader types on all size dry fly outfits but I envision a bias toward Braids for maximum delicacy with #’s 4 and 5-weights and Nylon Furls when greater distances, wind and perhaps larger, more wind resistant flies are being fished on #’s 5 and 6-weights. Further water time will undoubtedly refine my comparative experiences with both of these excellent leader systems.
This season I have added a clear Nylon Furl which is mounted on a Cortland Omni-Verse #4. I fished both of these line/leader combinations beside other #4 and 5-weight lines featuring both looped on and spliced Orvis Braided Butt Leaders.
With the now ubiquitous welded loops standard on most floating fly lines, looping leaders on is just so easy and affords the flexibility of switching from one type to another. Are they as smooth as a splice in which the angle cut tip of the fly line is inserted into the hollow core of the Braid about a ½ inch and permanently locked in place with a sparse coating of slow setting, gap penetrating Zap-A-Gap? No, not hardly but as long as one does not reel the tip to leader juncture into the tip-top, this is not a big issue.
Fly Line Permanently Spliced into Orvis’s Braided Butt; size Medium is Mass Matched to #’s 4, 5 and 6-Weight lines
As a life-long inveterate experimenter, recognizing the crucial importance of leader design I have eagerly tried everything available to enhance presentation techniques. Switching from hand knotted to Braided Butts in 1983 was a revelation assuring a far more positive and memory free extension of the fly line taper-like leader experience. Sure well designed hand knotted leaders can and do work well and I continue to build them for my heavier line weight outfits which are not usually employed for dry fly use.
My first foray into Furls did not work well for me. They were constructed of thread and did not perform seamless transfer of energy from line to leader due to poor mass matching; only worsening when they were wet and limper still. Cutthroats Mike Morin proposed I try his Nylon Big Bug and subsequently his newest Nylon Furls. And here is my report on how they compare to my now long standard Braided system.
First and foremost, these Nylon Furls are mass match-able to #’s 4 – 6 floating fly lines. For any leader of any design or material this is my first concern as it is essential for seamless transfer of energy from line to leader to tippet. This is easily tested via the Parabolic Test.
Parabolic Test of Furl’s Shorb Loop to Nail Knot Reinforced Welded Loop of Gold
Secondly, like Braids, these Furls are essentially free of coiling memory, so common in the thicker diameter sections of Nylon monofilament leaders whether hand built or commercially extruded. Memory robs the leader of smooth accurate turnover.
With a little experimentation, the optimal diameter monofilament to extend from the terminus of the leader butt, be it braded or furled, is readily determined, again employing the Parabolic Test. With the Orvis produced Braids it is typically either 0X or 1X and with the Cutthroat Nylon Furls it seems .013” is about right. I like the transfer section to be about 14” to allow for cutting back a few times when necessary during rebuilding as these types of leaders can potentially last the life of the fly line. Then I build down in short sections to the tippet which can be longer than with ordinary leaders as both Braids and Furls turn over more positively and efficiently. For dry fly presentation purposes I usually favor a tippet of about 5’.
.013” Nylon monofilament Surgeons Looped to the Furls Shorb Loop
Besides these notable and important similarities there are fundamental differences between Braids and Furls. Braids are hollow and Furls are solid. Therefore there is a bit more mass in Nylon Furls. Also, being hollow, Braids loops can be spliced while Furls utilize “shorb” loops which are a little bulkier. Both are strong however. Both leader designs share a minor disadvantage in that, having more surface area; they retain more water which sprays off during false casting. All leaders do this but Furls and Braids more so. This characteristic has had me develop the habit of false casting away from the rising trout so as to not to potentially disturb them with water droplets; a good habit with any leader actually.
I am aware that some users of both of these leader systems take a shortcut and simply affix the desired diameter and length of tippet directly to the terminal end of the Braided or Furled section. At least for adroit control of dry fly techniques, I discourage this practice. Attaching your dry fly tippet directly to the end loop or, in some cases, a tippet ring, disrupts the seamless transfer of energy that these leaders excel at, creating a hinging effect. I personally go to whatever lengths necessary to preclude any hinging in my line and leader assembly to assure maximum loop stability and line/leader control.
So, having fished these leader systems in the same habitats and employing the same techniques, how do I compare them? Importantly, they both perform compound dry fly presentation involving reach casting, controlled aerial amplitude dialing and on water mending of the drift better than any other type of leader. Where they differ most substantially is in feel during turnover. Being solid and constructed of heavier denier monofilament, the Nylon Furl is more aggressive, almost generating a kick as it straightens in air. The Braid has a lighter touch. Also the Furl transitions to Nylon monofilament at a diameter of .013 to .015” whereas the Braid goes to monofilament of 1X, .010. Usually I affix this first section with a multi-turn, 12 – 15 wrap Nail Knot to the Braid, thinly dressed with a coating of UV resin and a loop-to-loop for the Furl. I employed a Surgeon’s Loop rather than a Perfection Loop as it is stronger. I do use the Perfection Loop in heavier diameter monofilament and it would undoubtedly work fine in this application too but I used the Surgeon’s anyway. Having observed these distinctions, I never-the-less fished one of the two Nylon Furls on a 4-weight mostly with size #16 – 18 PMD patterns extremely effectively and precisely. And the intentionally aggressive “Big Bug” I fished on the powerful 6-weight, I also fished pleasurably with mostly small dry flies.
I will continue to fish both leader types on all size dry fly outfits but I envision a bias toward Braids for maximum delicacy with #’s 4 and 5-weights and Nylon Furls when greater distances, wind and perhaps larger, more wind resistant flies are being fished on #’s 5 and 6-weights. Further water time will undoubtedly refine my comparative experiences with both of these excellent leader systems.
