Leader setup for czech and upstream nymphing

[dlampert]

I would be interested to hear what leader setups people use for both upstream and czech nymphing for sm yellows. Please describe the make of nylon or fluoro, the breaking strain, the lengths and the knots you use.

Thanks,
Darryl

[Mayfly]

Hi Darryl,

I have two papers/articles from Sean Freeman and Gary Glen-Young, which describes the setup (length, strenght, type etc) but they're too big to add as attachments. If you want I can mail them to you??

I've used both recommendations. I use a four turn water knot to join the tippet to leader and then tie a perfection loop on a separate piece of mono for the dropper fly (described in SF article) and then just "loop" it on the leader just above the slip shot. This allows the dropper fly to swivel around the line and reduce tangling. This Hope it helps.

[dlampert]

Hi Darryl,

I have two papers/articles from Sean Freeman and Gary Glen-Young, which describes the setup (length, strenght, type etc) but they're too big to add as attachments. If you want I can mail them to you??

I've used both recommendations. I use a four turn water knot to join the tippet to leader and then tie a perfection loop on a separate piece of mono for the dropper fly (described in SF article) and then just "loop" it on the leader just above the slip shot. This allows the dropper fly to swivel around the line and reduce tangling. This Hope it helps.

Hi Mayfly,

Thanks I would appreciate that. My email address is .....

Regards,
Darryl

[jock0]

My czech leader is 4.5kg Stren nylon mono or 1X (roughly 5kg) floro Froghair 4-5 foot long depending on the depth and current. I prefer using the Stren as it does not sink like floro so if i decide to throw a dry fly and dropper later i dont have to worry too much about the dry being pulled under by the leader.

I then tie on 3-4 ft of 3.8kg berkley vanish transition or 2x froghair as a tippet. Both are floro so the added density helps. I tie the tippet to the leader using three "overhand knots" and cut the tag end of the leader off and use the tag end of the tippet as my dropper line. I then tie my point fly and dropper using an improved clinch knot which I seat in such a way that a small loop is left between the line and the fly.

[Ysbeer]

Mayfly

Please be so kind to forward me the articles referred to (chris@changecapacity.co.za)

[saml]

Mayfly

Please be so kind to forward me the articles referred to (chris@changecapacity.co.za)

Over the last few years, of all the people i've fished with on the vaal and spoken to about fishing on the vaal, I reckon it is roughly 50/50 in terms of people I've come across that fish with two flies and people that fish with 3 (talking czech nymphing).

I'm sure a lot of us started one way or the other and have just become used to it, but there are definitley people that prefer 2 or prefer 3 for one or a number of reasons - I'd like to hear some reasons for peoples preferences....?

[MCC]

Good morning

I don't get to fish the Vaal often enough but my preference is definitely to always fish three flies.

The reasoning is simple. With the control fly on the middle dropper position I am able to ensure that the smaller point fly and the control fly stay close to the bottom at all times. The top dropper is almost always reserved for an emerger pattern - sparkle pupa or similar - which will "swim" at a different level in the water column because of the positioning of the anchor fly.

Sometimes it can be worth placing the control fly in the top position but then it will generally be for situations where the fish are holding in really shallow water and the flies fished across the current.

Cheers
MC

[GGY]

Good morning

I don't get to fish the Vaal often enough but my preference is definitely to always fish three flies.

The reasoning is simple. With the control fly on the middle dropper position I am able to ensure that the smaller point fly and the control fly stay close to the bottom at all times. The top dropper is almost always reserved for an emerger pattern - sparkle pupa or similar - which will "swim" at a different level in the water column because of the positioning of the anchor fly.

Sometimes it can be worth placing the control fly in the top position but then it will generally be for situations where the fish are holding in really shallow water and the flies fished across the current.

Cheers
MC

I don't get to fish the Vaal often enough...wait...
...
...
Jut copy & paste what MC said as being my words. 100%.
:-)

[dizzy]

I would be interested to hear what leader setups people use for both upstream and czech nymphing for sm yellows. Please describe the make of nylon or fluoro, the breaking strain, the lengths and the knots you use.

Thanks,
Darryl

I dont find it necessary to construct complicated leaders for czech nymphing since there is no real need to turn the flies over as you would with dry flies.
The others can correct me if I'm wrong. I find that a single piece of Maxima works just fine and is not as time consuming to set up.

It sinks relatively quickly, and is strong as building gut.

But I suppose it comes down to personal preference.

[MCC]

Hi there Darryl

The total leader length from fly line to point fly is approximately eight feet. In Europe they use a leader length of one and a half time the water depth, but I find that the water on the Vaal varies too much and therefore I have settled on a set length.

For the main leader and the control fly dropper I use Sightfree XL fluoro in 8lbs and for the top dropper and point fly I use 6lbs.

The leader is based on a loop-to-loop system with the first section (from the fly line) being approximately 1.2 m long. To this I connect two further sections of 40cm, both sections are looped to the preceding section. The flies are pre rigged on pieces of fluoro and looped on the one end. These droppers are kept fairly short, say ten centimetres.

It is now a simple matter of looping a point fly on and the other two flies are simply looped around the double sections of line on the main leader.

The control fly goes in the middle and this pattern should constantly be changed to suit the varying depth and flow of water.

That's it.
MC