leaders - buy or diy
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leaders - buy or diy
Was just curious how many guys buy vs. make their leaders.
Re: leaders - buy or diy
I tied my own for the first seven or eight years of fly fishing. But afterwords I did cave-in to the ease of buying already tapered readers. If I want a really short leader for a nymphimg I will tie my own still. I still have tons of formulas online somewhere.
Re: leaders - buy or diy
Personally I'm a big fan of the fine braided tapered leaders. For me they just simply turn over much more nicely.
Re: leaders - buy or diy
Four or seven foot tapered furled leader with tippet ring, two to four foot tippet, situation dependent.
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Anatole France
Anatole France
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Re: leaders - buy or diy
I just buy tapered leaders. It's cheaper in the end run unless you're someone tangling them often and needing to tie on new ones often. Buying spools of various line diameters to make your own means those spools often sit around for years as you use them, and mono breaks down over time. Just what I do, but I know lots of others that tie their own. Plus every blood knot is one more place for algae to cling to on your drifts. A tapered leader only has one knot where you tie in your tippet material, not several knots up the line.
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Re: leaders - buy or diy
For nymphing I make my own as it's just a few different diameter monos and some tippet rings for each replacement. For dry flies I use a tapered leader that I buy. So I'm 50/50.
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Re: leaders - buy or diy
Buy tapered knot less for trout, use straight shot of 8-14 lb test for LM bass, build simple 3 piece leaders for salt.
Re: leaders - buy or diy
I mostly use furled leaders and add 24"-36" of tippet depending on the situation. Otherwise I go knotless and add tippet as needed.
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Purveyor of the dark art of the long rod
slingin' cane