Beast LM Yellowfish

[Andre]

Fair enough, but I'm trying to get my head around the need to know the diameter. Even though you cut off almost half the leader....I imagine that you would still attach a tippet section, which . Apologies... but am I missing something? especially when not all mono filaments of the same diameter, have the same breaking strain.

I don't use tippet that comes from a spool I use tapered leaders which I cut shorter. If I cut 6ft from a 15ft leader I have no clue about the diameter and hence the use of this tool.

[Gerrit Viljoen]

No I don't add tippet not sure what is so confusing I'm attaching a fly to the "new" 9ft leader? The diameter is a personal thing I'd like to know that I'm not under gunned when I'm fishing and by knowing the diameter you can compare it to other mono with the same diameter which will at least give you an indication of the tippet strength.

[Andre]

Ok... you don't add tippet, but it gives you an indication of the tippet strength. Im still confused, but, Im sure you have a good reason for doing it like this, so go for it. I just thought that I might get an opportunity to learn something.

[Gerrit Viljoen]

Every tapered leader has a tippet section get off the Vodka now.

[Jacques O Dell]

You need the tool if you pick up a section of line on the bottom of the river and you would like to tie it on to your leader.

Well if you pick up about 40 m plus in the region above Schoemansdrif then no need for the tool, its Airflo sightfree G3 fluor, 3x, 7lb...

Damn tippet spool holder thing! I thought I'd be cool and also get one of these tools where the spools dangle from my fly vest. For years I came right without the thing. Somehow the line must have slipped out of the clip and the river emptied the spool without me knowing...

Largie Whisperer, what length and diameter leader do you prefer for LM? 9ft?

[Andre]

Ha ha ..yeah... good for that.
For largemouth, I use a mono leader, untapered of about 8 or 9 feet, 12 to 15 pounds. The flies are always heavy enough to provide the turnover, and therefore a tapered leader isn't necessary in my opinion, neither is presentation, in fact the splash is good to attract the fish. I know that you didn't ask me, so forgive me for jumping in.

[dlampert]

Ha ha ..yeah... good for that.
For largemouth, I use a mono leader, untapered of about 8 or 9 feet, 12 to 15 pounds. The flies are always heavy enough to provide the turnover, and therefore a tapered leader isn't necessary in my opinion, neither is presentation, in fact the splash is good to attract the fish. I know that you didn't ask me, so forgive me for jumping in.

Out of interest, how many 10lb, 15lb or 20lb largemouth have you caught with your leader Andre? Perhaps if you kept quiet for just a couple of moments, you would actually learn something from someone who has demonstrated that he actually knows a thing or two about catching LM yellows?

[Gerrit Viljoen]

Largie Whisperer, what length and diameter leader do you prefer for LM? 9ft?

Jacques,

It depends on the type of fish I'm expecting to catch and or hoping to catch so I always fish with the mindset of "what if". It will def be a heavy leader but also, I believe in landing fish quick, say less than 2-3min if possible!

1) Depth, 2) current, 3) type of structure and 4) less so the fly but I've now settled on fishing a floating line 100% of the time and I always tie on a 15ft 12lb Vodka flavored TAPERED LEADER (0.68mm butt section, 0.33mm tippet section) then cut shorter to suit any of the four factors mentioned earlier. For this fish I had on a 15ft leader cut back to 9ft (0.43mm diameter, over 20lbs breaking strain) because I was fishing a very rocky area, a depth of 2m and I knew this spot held big fish so a 15ft leader 1) wasn't needed I could get down fine, 2) the current was slow so my thick leader wouldn't have hindered the fly's sink rate that much and 3) it wouldn't have lasted, that fish would've popped me either against or over or under the rocks during the fight....fact, it was a fierce battle I felt all the bumps & bruises plus she kept very low and shook like crazy!

Hope that helps.

Ps. There is a negative to fishing this heavy (where the hell do you draw the line? lol) I posted a pic in another thread of a 18lb fish I caught that made mince meat of my hook, luckily I had a leke hook-up in the scissors and just kept pressure but the hook could've pulled just as easily....I was lucky me thinks.

[Korrie]

Gerrit
How many fish do you loose, come off, break off etc, compared to the total that you hook?

[Gerrit Viljoen]

Korrie my season is done and dusted I probably won't go out again had a fantabulous year I landed 69 fish of which 28 were 10lbs and above and lost 7. That's a 90% success rate or for every 7 fish hooked, one will come off, give or take. One of those lost fish still gives me nightmares......it was one moer of a take!!!!