Leaders for Rio Single Spey Lines

[ddb]

Not so long ago there was thread here about these lines being the "Swiss Army Knife' of fly lines -- versatile, handy to use , and proficient. Many fully endorsed this praise and this prompted me to resurrect several such lines I have lying around in disuse. I have one wf6f long belly and one wf4f short belly.

In setting up reels for them I find a dearth of info -- even in the original thread -- about the materials for leaders -- poly, mono, etc.. -- and leader tapers for dries, nymphs and streamers.

Thanks in advance for inputs which will jump start my experiments with these lines.

 

[trev]

First let me ask why that line would require a special leader? would not any of the leaders that suit any other lines used for those methods work well?

I have not used the line, but the very long front taper is somewhat like a Triangle Taper and I've used them since they came on the market years ago. With them I've used some commercial extruded leaders and most often those I tied as I went and modified as the day passed. My preference in all leaders is Chameleon nylon with Powerflex tippet, but others do well with all kinds of leaders made of differing materials so... What is best is what you like best and can procure.

As to information on leaders try a search "leaders site:theflyfishingforum.com" -just as I typed it with your favorite search engine. I got 9,600 returns on this site.

 

[ddb]

In spey casting, the leader often plays a key role in in tensioning the cast portion left on the water as you set the D Loop for the forward cast. Nylon and poly leaders can differ greatly in that surface 'stick' function and different taper designs depending on the size and weight of the fly and the finesse of the presentation desired also come into play.

I doubt scrumming through general info in 9,600 returns would help much, that's why I asked actual users of these lines for their experiences.

 

[trev]

I use a dynamic kind of roll cast so wouldn't know about the spey cast, that's why I asked, but the line was billed on here as a do it all line.
So would this line need a leader that is different than other spey cast lines?

 

[Ard]

Streamers I use level mono currently RIO 0X Power Flex. My SHS lines are both #8 one is the 3D the other floating. On the 3D I use plain mono on the floater I use the Voodoo leader system with a 0X tippet.

 

[flav]

I fish the SHS in a 3 and a 4 weight. It's my primary dry fly line, but it's also a fantastic nymphing line, and of course it's awesome for swinging soft hackles. I use a pretty standard leader on my setups; 7-10 feet long mono tapered down to 3-5X tippet. This works just fine for me for everything from tiny dries to heavy indicator nymphing setups. I've also fished everything from short and stout streamer leaders to extra long dry fly stuff, furled and braided leaders, and sinking poly leaders. The only leaders I had issues with were the sinking poly leaders, and I could cast them, it just meant my technique needed to be spot on. Experiment and see what you like. You may need to adjust your anchor a bit to cast different leader lengths and weights, but that's just part of the deal when you're Spey casting.

 

[Rabid Rider]

View attachment 29079
I fish the SHS in a 3 and a 4 weight. It's my primary dry fly line, but it's also a fantastic nymphing line, and of course it's awesome for swinging soft hackles. I use a pretty standard leader on my setups; 7-10 feet long mono tapered down to 3-5X tippet. This works just fine for me for everything from tiny dries to heavy indicator nymphing setups. I've also fished everything from short and stout streamer leaders to extra long dry fly stuff, furled and braided leaders, and sinking poly leaders. The only leaders I had issues with were the sinking poly leaders, and I could cast them, it just meant my technique needed to be spot on. Experiment and see what you like. You may need to adjust your anchor a bit to cast different leader lengths and weights, but that's just part of the deal when you're Spey casting.

What brand of line is this? This is what i am wanting to give a try. RIO ?

 

[flav]

Yes, that's a Rio line.