[Michael Nicholas]

Dear All,
 Join fly line to braided leader. 4 ft/5ft onto a WF 4 line (floating) Then add on the same length? level? tapered? tippet for size 14/16 flies (especially terrestrials) The rod is 9ft.

[Irvine Ross]

Michael

I am not a fan of braided leaders, they are murder to untangle from the brambles if your back cast drops a bit lower than planned. I use a 4ft tapered mono leader with two sections of straight leader material, 3' and 2', stepping down to the final tippet sized required for the day. My leaders are usually 9'-12' for a 9' rod depending on how windy it is and if I am casting with or against the wind. Anything much less than 9' for the total leader length with a floating line will probably bring the fly too close to the fly line and spook the trout in clear conditions. In calm conditions and where the fishing pressure is high and the trout are easily spooked, the longest leader you can handle would be best.

tight lines

Irvine

[Michael Nicholas]

Dear Hare´s Lug,
 Tapered mono leader. Is that a conventional shop bought leader that is then cut back? Then two lengths what diametre? I would then add on a level stretch, some 3 feet for a 14/16 beetle imitation. I fish small streams northwest of Madrid. The streams are narrow surrounded by hilly terrain and there are a lot of cattle. I also fish up in the very north of Spain on the border with France. Very high up, no trees, cattle, horses, Alpine meadows. I tend to put on grasshopper/ladybird/beetle  imitation 14. Your leader combination seems very sound - that is why I am asking for more detail! Thanks

[Irvine Ross]

Michael 

Hola. Yes it is a standard tapered leader from the shop. I use Rio Powerflex but everyone has their own favourite brand. I find the taper is quite steep over the first 4' and then it is almost level to the tip. I tend to use it straight out of the packet for the first trip and then I cut it back to about 4' and add 3' of 3X, 0.203mm, and then 2' of 5X,0.152mm which gives me a 9' leader. The fly is tied onto the end of the 5X. If I want to stretch it to 12' I use the same 4' tapered butt then 4' of 8X and 4' of 5X. I find this works well for flies of size 12-14.

That works for me but we are all slightly different and have different casting styles and methods. Experiment until you find what suits you best.

Fishing high up in the Pyrenees sounds wonderful. I spent a holiday once at La Seu d'Urgell, is it anywhere near there you go to fish?

Tight Lines

Irvine

[Michael Nicholas]

Dear Ivine,
4ft of 8x and then 4ft of 5x?  Is that correct? Tapered mono cut back to 4ft. What size tapered mono? As regards fly fishing in the Pyrenees, get in touch with SALVELINUS. They are a fantastic fishing guide company. Young, English  - speaking. very, but very good. They can take you to "Alta montaña" waters, for brookies, brown trout etc. They are really exceptional. They must be on the web. Check them first before fishing anywhere in Aragon . Thanks for the info!!

[Irvine Ross]

Michael

For a 9' leader - 4' of tapered mono, 3' of 8X, 2' of 5X

For a 12' leader - 4' of tapered mono, 4' of 8X, 4' of 5X

I use a Rio Powerflex 9' 5X tapered leader cut back to 4'. This is because I find they taper quickly over the first 4' then have about 5' of level 5X. By inserting a section of 8X in the middle I get better turn over of the fly. The next time I buy a batch of tapered leaders I plan to experiment with a 12' tapered leader to see if the taper on these suits me better.

Thanks for the information about fly fishing in Aragon.

Tight lines

Irvine

[Michael Nicholas]

Dear Irvine,
 My Sassenach brain can't quite follow the logic of a three section leader which has an 8X middle part linked to a 5X end section. Where is the taper?  (the gradual narrowing). Surely the middle section would be subjected to excessive stress. I believe there is a device that measures the diameter of a leader that might help compare different tapers.

[Irvine Ross]

Nicholas

Sorry, temporary dyslexia caused by reading 0.08" off the reel and registering it in my brain as 8X. 

My previous post should read:

9' leader - 4' tapered butt, 3' of 3X, 2' of 5X   i.e. 0.08" in the middle stepping down to 0.05" at the tippet.

12' leader - 4' tapered butt, 4'of 3X, 4' of 5X

Hope that clears it up.

Irvine