Basic leader setup

**dizzy** · 14-09-07

Originally Posted by GGY

Get 12ft or 9ft tapered leaders to 3X, boil them for 4-5 minutes.
Add 4X to 6X tippet and fish them (for dry fly/nymph fishing on regular rivers - NOT THE VAAL)

Are all brands suitable for boiling, are there specific brands of tapered leaders more suited to this?
Besides the obvious, what other benefits do you get from boiling a leader?

**Michael** · 14-09-07

Originally Posted by Nymph+O-

Tanks you for clearing this one up for us Gary

The easiest set-up for me is as follows:

FOR DRY FLIES ON THE VAAL OR STERKFONTEIN, AS WELL AS TROUT:
- 1m x 10KG Maxima Ultra Green
- 50cm x 7KG Maxima Ultra Green
- 50cm x 5.5KG Maxima Ultra Green
- 50cm x 1X Tippet
- 50cm x 3X Tippet
- 40cm x required tippet for dries (4X, 5X, Rarely 6X)

For smaller rivers (and lighter wt rods) I just start off with 7KG (instead of 10Kg) and add a 4KG section in before the 1X tippet. I'll shorten the leader if it's small streams.

FOR NZ STYLE FISHING, Upstream Nymphing or High Sticking, short casts:
- Straight 3m x 5.5KG Maxima Ultra Green
- 40cm x 3X tippet (it's no more complicated than that)

Czech Nymph leaders is another story.

I use Maxima UltraGreen because it is thicker and stiffer than most, which makes for good turn-over of the leader, and good presentation subsequently of the fly.

**spig** · 15-09-07

Originally Posted by Nymph+O-

Different types of leader material?

* Braided Super Lines â€“ A synthetic line made by weaving thin diameter man-made materials to form a no-stretch, low diameter and very strong line. Super lines are usually to limp for leaders, but make good tippet material on short leaders. Use short pieces of braided line with full sinking fly lines and where it's not necessary to have long leaders. Be very cautious when working with braided line because of small diameter, no stretch and strength.

So, could a person use Fireline for tippet material? It's a bit costly (R159 for 100m), but I've been thinking of trying it.

Any advice/experience?

Andrew

**Gael** · 15-09-07

Originally Posted by dizzy

Are all brands suitable for boiling, are there specific brands of tapered leaders more suited to this?
Besides the obvious, what other benefits do you get from boiling a leader?

Boiling a leader is usually done with a true mono such as maxima, not sure how it would work with a co-polymer leader, if itâ€™s possible at all.

Not sure of the obvious, but this is done to induce stretch into the leader. I think it was the French that started this practice, their waters are under allot of pressure and since the French arenâ€™t great on CAR, the fish there are extremely tippet shy and hence them requiring the extra protection of stretchy leader on the light tippets.

Here is SA it would be useful of small streams such as in the Western Cape.

Spig, if Iâ€™m not mistaken, Fireline is a type of Gelspun/Spectra/Dyneema (all the same thing). IF this is so, its not designed to be used as tippet material, makes gooed backing though. The guys like using it for drop shot fishing but usually attach a length of mono â€œleaderâ€ to the end of the Fireline.

**Gael** · 16-09-07

Originally Posted by dizzy

Are all brands suitable for boiling, are there specific brands of tapered leaders more suited to this?
Besides the obvious, what other benefits do you get from boiling a leader?

Boiling a leader is usually done with a true mono such as maxima, not sure how it would work with a co-polymer leader, if itâ€™s possible at all.

Not sure of the obvious, but this is done to induce stretch into the leader. I think it was the French that started this practice, their waters are under allot of pressure and since the French arenâ€™t great on CAR, the fish there are extremely tippet shy and hence them requiring the extra protection of stretchy leader on the light tippets.

Here is SA it would be useful of small streams such as in the Western Cape.

Spig, if Iâ€™m not mistaken, Fireline is a type of Gelspun/Spectra/Dyneema (all the same thing). IF this is so, its not designed to be used as tippet material, makes gooed backing though. The guys like using it for drop shot fishing but usually attach a length of mono â€œleaderâ€ to the end of the Fireline. It's also popular with other types of angling such as rock and surf etc.

**dlampert** · 16-09-07

Originally Posted by Gael

I think it was the French that started this practice, their waters are under allot of pressure and since the French arenâ€™t great on CAR, the fish there are extremely tippet shy and hence them requiring the extra protection of stretchy leader on the light tippets.

Hi Gael,

Out of interest, if the French do not practice CAR then how do the fish become extremely tippet shy ? Surely if they are all being caught and eaten, then they don't have a chance to learn about tippets ?

Thanks,
Darryl

**Gael** · 16-09-07

Well, it’s not that they don’t practice CAR, they do but allot of their fish does end up on the table. So in some area’s what you end up with are a small group of fish that have been caught a few times (tippet shy) and the all stupid fish get eaten.

I remember as a child when visiting my family in France I asked my cousin why there were so few birds in the gardens, “they make very good eating” was his reply.

**Morne** · 06-11-07

MMM, geez what you guys are talking about here are still way over my head

. Quick question though.

Using leadercalc2007. If I input the following information how do I interprit the resulting formalas?

2.7m leader lenth; 4x tippet; 6 weight line.

It gives out all the cells in yellow with some with numbers in. How do I use that information to determine the different line sizes to use to make up the leaders.

Thanks