Fly-Fishing Kit, Part 3

Fly-Fishing Kit, Part 3

 by Kuba Chruszczewski

       With the reel securely mounted in the holder and the line threaded through the guides, it’s time for the leader. In fly fishing, just like with the other components of the rig, the leader is also a bit different. At the end, it can be very thin—in the fall, when fishing with small dry flies, it can sometimes be even thinner than 0.10 mm. The transition from a relatively thick fly line to such a small diameter must be gradual. The energy of the line must transfer smoothly to the leader and then to the fly so that the entire rig lies evenly on the water. Therefore, such a leader must be made from several sections of line with progressively smaller diameters. The entire leader is usually slightly shorter than the length of the rod. The thickest and thinnest sections should be about 0.5–0.6 m long; the intermediate sections can be shorter. The diameter of each section should differ by 0.05 mm, or at most 0.10 mm. But these are, of course, general, approximate guidelines; everything depends on a great many factors—fishing method, conditions at the fishing spot, fly size, line type, rod type and length... We have to figure out the ideal leader for ourselves. There’s no other way than to practically determine the appropriate length and taper through trial and error. Here are some example leaders I can suggest for basic fishing methods:

       A 2.60-meter rod, AFTM 4, dry fly fishing:

  50 cm. 0.40 – 40 cm. 0.30 – 40 cm. 0.20 – 40 cm. 0.16 – 60 cm. 0.12

       A 2.75-meter rod, AFTM 5, for wet-fly fishing:

 50 cm. 0.40 – 45 cm. 0.30 – 45 cm. 0.22 – 45 cm. 0.18 – 70 cm. 0.16

        A 2.90 m rod, AFTM 7, for streamer fishing:

 60 cm. 0.40 – 50 cm. 0.30 – 50 cm. 0.25 – 60 cm. 0.22

    A leader for the „short nymph” method is often made from just two sections of line, for example 016/0.14, with a relatively long side branch. When fishing for winter trout, or when fishing with streamers and you want to quickly bring the fly down to great depths, it’s a good idea to use a very short leader—with a total length of 0.50–1.00 m— made of monofilament lines such as 0.50/0.35 for trout or 0.30/0.25 for streamers.

   As a fly fisherman gains experience and learns about different fishing methods in various conditions, he or she will undoubtedly encounter many other leader variations. Due to the wariness of fish caught in still waters, leaders about 4.00 meters long are often used. French fly fishermen often use leaders ranging from 4.00 to 6.00 meters, even in rivers.

   As you can see, there are many different types of fly leaders; I’ve mentioned only a few of them here.Regardless of their intended use, they all share one common feature: they are tapered. Until recently, the rather tedious task of tying a leader from several different lines caused fly fishermen quite a bit of trouble. In addition, such a leader with several knots tended to get tangled during casts. Today, this problem has disappeared with the advent of factory-made tapered leaders. Made from a single line with a tapering diameter, they require only attachment to the main line and the tying on of a single, thin end section.

These leaders, available in various lengths and thicknesses, make it easy to adapt your rig to the current conditions in which you’ll be fishing.

   Another type of tapered leader that I highly recommend is a braided leader. Depending on the material they’re made of, these leaders can be either floating or sinking, with several different sink rates. They usually have loops at both ends. It’s a good idea to attach a special metal ring to the thin end, which makes it much easier to replace the final monofilament section.

   There are several methods for attaching a leader to a main line. A common method is to thread the fishing line through the end of the main line—a section about two centimeters long—using a needle, and then tie one of the knots used, for example, to attach a hook to a swivel. Some main lines come factory-tied with a loop. In this case, you can also tie a loop at the end of the leader—this makes it quick and easy to replace the leader.

  Below, I’ve listed a few knots that, after years of trial and error, I’ve found to be the most useful. They’re relatively easy to master and ensure maximum strength for the setup, which—as we all know—is only as strong as its weakest link.

  „The Only Correct One”—a fly-tying knot that’s practically forgotten today, namely the classic Turle Knot. The loop of the line wraps around the shank of the hook; the fly always runs along the leader. Of course, we use it to tie flies mounted on hooks with the eye bent downward or upward.

Fig. 1.a, 1.b, 1.c.

  It’s the same knot, but tied twice. It takes a little practice, but it’s incredibly strong. I use it when the fishing spot is full of snags. And, of course, when there’s a chance to catch the fish of a lifetime...

Fig. 2.a, 2.b, 2.c.

  A non-tightening loop. Very useful whenever you want the fly—which is weighted at the front—to move in a lively, natural way. Sea fishing, sea trout, streamers...

Fig. 3.a, 3.b, 3.c, 3.d.

  A triple-figure-eight loop. About twice as strong as a traditional loop. When tied to the proper length and cut at the desired point, it makes a good leader with a side branch for fishing with two nymphs.

Fig. 4.a, 4.b.

  Double Uni Knot, which we often call a "bumper knot." Probably the strongest knot for joining

two strings.

Fig. 5.a, 5.b, 5.c.

  I hope I’ve managed to explain the specifics of a fly-fishing kit in a reasonably clear way. A detailed treatment of the subject would fill a fairly substantial textbook. I believe, however, that the notes above—though very general—will prove useful to anglers wishing to familiarize themselves with the beautiful, yet quite distinct, method of fly fishing.

Article featured in Fishing News 2013