Leader to hand fly fishing

[Nepptune]

There is much irony in this thread .....

"Like"

..........

[Korrie]

To add to Mario's reply.
If you can cast and present the fly without a fly line, why should you have one at all?
is it not a very exspensive piece of PVC/HDPE to fill the fly reel?
Every advance/change have been because of the technology available at the specific time.
Otherwise we will still be casting 4,5m greenheart rods with horse hair fly lines, where you had to to up to 30 false casts to dry a fly.

How many guys would still be fly fishing if that was they way they had to fish the rivers?

Technology can now produce products that can cast 40 feet of clear mono, maybe you should be trying it. Because, if your fly fishing forefathers did not try the bamboo rod or the glass fibre rod or the graphite rod or the silk line, or the sharkskin line you might still be walking with a 4,5 or 5 meter green heart rod and horse hair fly line up the Elandspad or down the VAAL

[smallstreams.co.za]

To add to Mario's reply.
If you can cast and present the fly without a fly line, why should you have one at all?
is it not a very exspensive piece of PVC/HDPE to fill the fly reel?
Every advance/change have been because of the technology available at the specific time.
Otherwise we will still be casting 4,5m greenheart rods with horse hair fly lines, where you had to to up to 30 false casts to dry a fly.

How many guys would still be fly fishing if that was they way they had to fish the rivers?

Technology can now produce products that can cast 40 feet of clear mono, maybe you should be trying it. Because, if your fly fishing forefathers did not try the bamboo rod or the glass fibre rod or the graphite rod or the silk line, or the sharkskin line you might still be walking with a 4,5 or 5 meter green heart rod and horse hair fly line up the Elandspad or down the VAAL

The "irony" comment comes from the evolution "back" to long rods and "back" to before they used a flyline etc ... it seemed ironic to me ... maybe only me though.

[Korrie]

Main Entry: irony  [ahy-ruh-nee, ahy-er-] Show IPA/ˈaɪrəni, ˈaɪər-/ Show Spelled
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: sarcasm
Synonyms: banter, burlesque, contempt, contrariness, criticism, derision, humor, incongruity, jibe, mockery, mordancy, paradox, quip, raillery, repartee, reproach, ridicule, sardonicism, satire, taunt, twist, wit


I am not sure which of the synonyms applies to this thread or maybe all?

[smallstreams.co.za]

Main Entry: irony  [ahy-ruh-nee, ahy-er-] Show IPA/ˈaɪrəni, ˈaɪər-/ Show Spelled
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: sarcasm
Synonyms: banter, burlesque, contempt, contrariness, criticism, derision, humor, incongruity, jibe, mockery, mordancy, paradox, quip, raillery, repartee, reproach, ridicule, sardonicism, satire, taunt, twist, wit


I am not sure which of the synonyms applies to this thread or maybe all?

Not sure how you factor sarcasm in here. I meant irony, primarily because I know how it is used.

ev·o·lu·tion/ˌevəˈlo͞oSHən/

Noun:

• The process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the...
• The gradual development of something, esp. from a simple to a more complex form.

[Korrie]

Not sure how you factor sarcasm in here. I meant irony, primarily because I know how it is used.

ev·o·lu·tion/ˌevəˈlo͞oSHən/

Noun:

• The process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the...
• The gradual development of something, esp. from a simple to a more complex form.

I am not sure this applies to us on Flytalk.
It might be the reverse.

[GGY]

Someone like Tim Rolston, have always maintained that a 20" leader, makes a big difference in catching fish on the Cape Streams.More and more, people who fish with the ultra long leaders are convinced that it makes a huge difference.

It is one of those things, if you dont try it, and master it properly, you will never know how good it is.

AB, this is proper casting. No lobbing of lead
To watch a fly fisher casting these long leaders, is beautiful.
Very similar to fly lines, shooting lines etc.

With the right leader setup, you can cast a single dry fly, with accuracy & awesome presentation far better than you would imagine (and actually better than a knotletyss 12-15 foot leader+ tippet.). Also, you can present a dry+dropper or nymph rig (with or without a coil).

I am happy with a 15ft leader thanks

Until you have cast an appropriate 30+foot leader as well/better than a 15 foot leader.

Nowadays, you can buy some of the leaders premade.
I have seen some at Upstream, even bought a couple to compare the factory to the home made ones.

I have a couple of Hends Camou 9m (30 foot) leaders, ending in 0.21mm (so that you can add 0.20mm coils etc) + thinner tippet. These work quite well, but do not cast as well as specific hand-tied leaders.

[nicholas]

With the right leader setup, you can cast a single dry fly, with accuracy & awesome presentation far better than you would imagine (and actually better than a knotletyss 12-15 foot leader+ tippet.). Also, you can present a dry+dropper or nymph rig (with or without a coil).


Until you have cast an appropriate 30+foot leader as well/better than a 15 foot leader.


I have a couple of Hends Camou 9m (30 foot) leaders, ending in 0.21mm (so that you can add 0.20mm coils etc) + thinner tippet. These work quite well, but do not cast as well as specific hand-tied leaders.

I am still struggling with the application of this, i have fished all the beats on the SB, with the exception of one or two pools i still not sure when i would be able to apply this technique.

[Andre]

For the people who haven't used these long specialised leaders, i would say, don't knock it until you have tried it. Sure you don't need to cast 50 feet with it, but the beauty is, you can roll the leader onto the reel, and cast 10 feet, 15, 20 feet or more, all with the same leader. Works just like a fly line, exept that the line is in the air, and not lying on the water. you take off as much as you need. For me, the best application, is when fishing laminer flows, where you can hold the entire length or the useable leader off the water surface to avoid drag and not having to mend. in other words, nothing touches the water between rod tip, and terminal section. no drag. Also the ability to steer the flies underneath overhanging structure, which would otherwise be impossible if there was fly line on the water. Remember that the rod tip can only control the line that is not on the water. Also reffered to in some circles, as "in touch nymphing", but just as effective with a dry fly.
Anyway, most of the guys commenting on this thread have already made up their minds, so to try and convince them is going to be a frustrating, and fruitless exercise.
Yes it does load the rod.

[Andre]

I am still struggling with the application of this, i have fished all the beats on the SB, with the exception of one or two pools i still not sure when i would be able to apply this technique.

Nick, there are some sections of the Smallblaar, and the holsloot, that are ideally suited to this type of fishing. The most appropriate, is not to neccessarily look at the structure of the river, but the general spookyness of the fish. When the fish are being very shy and spooky, it is an ideal time to use this technique. The structure of the river plays a part as well, of course, but doesn't have to be the deciding factor.