Waxing Leaders
 

Last year I started waxing the first 20 feet or so of the mono on the rods I
use for fishing topwaters. I got the idea because Hank Parker mentioned it
on his TV show as something that fly fishers use on fly leaders to help keep
from dragging down dry flies.

Anyway, do you guys do this? Wax your leaders when fishing poppers or
dries? Do you use any special kind of wax?

--
Bob La Londe

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Bob La Londe wrote:
Last year I started waxing the first 20 feet or so of the mono on the rods I
use for fishing topwaters. I got the idea because Hank Parker mentioned it
on his TV show as something that fly fishers use on fly leaders to help keep
from dragging down dry flies.

Anyway, do you guys do this? Wax your leaders when fishing poppers or
dries? Do you use any special kind of wax?

I treat the fly line but never the leader or tippet.

I suppose for big bass flies it wouldn't make much
difference one way or the other but for fishing dry
flies you *want* the tippet to sink into the film.

I use red Mucilin, mainly because that's what I use
on my silk lines and I don't see any need to buy two
different kinds.

--
Ken Fortenberry

"Bob La Londe" wrote

Anyway, do you guys do this? Wax your leaders when fishing poppers or
dries? Do you use any special kind of wax?



I occasionally grease a part of the tippet/ leader to use as an indicator,
it also "supports" the fly in the water column to an extent. ( I use use
paste style fly floatant .... I'm partial to Hydrophobe )

But, I AVOID grease near the fly ( within 4 or 6 inches or so ) in such
cases as I want the fly ( nearly always a midge pupa, sometimes a small
soft hackle ) to sink just under the film, and I'm sure the "track" of a
greased leader is very visible, probably worrisome, to fish.

I only use this technique on the flattest of flat, flat waters and over very
spooky fish, with tiny flies ( 18 is the big end of this scale ) ... the
greased leader can be seen on the surface to help in tracking the
presentation, but doesn't have the fish scaring splash of even a small
indicator.

DISCLAIMER: I seldom fish for warm water fish, except Stripers with
streamers, so I'm really clueless. /Disclaimer

I can't see how a "waxed leader" could help with big flies like bass
poppers, but I CAN see how it might hurt since it would make the leader more
easily noticed by Mr Piscator

...... for fishing dry flies you *want* the tippet to sink into the film.
--
Ken Fortenberry


I'm sure the "track" of a greased leader is very visible, probably worrisome, to fish.

Years ago, George Harvey stuck lengths of HEAVY leader into bugs and
dropped them into a stream. The trout took them readily. His
conclusion: It ain't the sight of the tippet that scares the fish,
it's the drag.

You can read about this in both of George's books. I believe
Marinaro also mentions it.

vince

Years ago, George Harvey stuck lengths of HEAVY leader into bugs and
dropped them into a stream. The trout took them readily. His
conclusion: It ain't the sight of the tippet that scares the fish,
it's the drag.

You can read about this in both of George's books. I believe
Marinaro also mentions it.


I still fish the Yellowstone river valley spring creeks a fair
amount. Two three times a year anyway, after many years of guiding there.

I use 5x when everybody else uses 7x--because I like
to be able to land the occasional big fish, and very few fishermen
there catch more than I do. So I don't think leader diameter
matters that much.

I do think drag matters (as Vincent said).
I also think a floating leader matters, as Ken said.
A floating leader of any diameter dimples the surface tension,
making an unnatural pattern even I can see.

Fish are ten times spookier about strange stuff from above
than they are about strange stuff from below. Makes sense
when you think about it. Eagles, Osprey, cormorants, Mergansers,
Pelicans and mayflies all attack from above.





--
/* Sandy Pittendrigh --oO0
** http://montana-riverboats.com
*/

sandy wrote:

I use 5x when everybody else uses 7x--because I like
to be able to land the occasional big fish, and very few fishermen
there catch more than I do. So I don't think leader diameter
matters that much.

5x??? You must be joking. No one on ROFF uses anything finer than 3x.
You see, it stresses the poor fish too much. :-)

As far as 7x, the less said the better.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.
x

rw wrote:
sandy wrote:

I use 5x when everybody else uses 7x--because I like
to be able to land the occasional big fish, and very few fishermen
there catch more than I do. So I don't think leader diameter
matters that much.


5x??? You must be joking. No one on ROFF uses anything finer than 3x.
You see, it stresses the poor fish too much. :-)

As far as 7x, the less said the better.


Well I *was* referencing the hoity toity spring creek culture,
not Roff, in anyway.

Not roff.....where, just the other day, someone actually suggested
using anchovie oil and beeswax for dubbing nymphs.
Who was that anyway? Was it Vincent?



--
/* Sandy Pittendrigh --oO0
** http://montana-riverboats.com
*/

"sandy" wrote in message
...

Not roff.....where, just the other day, someone actually suggested
using anchovie oil and beeswax for dubbing nymphs.
Who was that anyway? Was it Vincent?

That's funny. I always thought of fly fishers as self restricting elitists
when t comes to fishing. I always grew up fishing whatever method caught
fish, whether it was drifting a live monnow or casting an in-line spinner
under a bridge. I always figured the hard corp fly fihermen were purists
thinking you had to catch it on a hand tied fly or not at all. If you want
to use anhcovie oil, then why not MegaStrike or Smelly Jelly or Ultra Bite.

--
Bob La Londe

Win a Spinnerbait Tackle Kit

Spinnerbait Tips & Tricks Contest
Through the Month of September 2005

http://www.YumaBassMan.com

Bob La Londe typed:
"sandy" wrote in message
...

Not roff.....where, just the other day, someone actually suggested
using anchovie oil and beeswax for dubbing nymphs.
Who was that anyway? Was it Vincent?

That's funny. I always thought of fly fishers as self restricting
elitists when t comes to fishing.

We are. And we're better than you. ;-)

I always grew up fishing whatever
method caught fish, whether it was drifting a live monnow or casting
an in-line spinner under a bridge.

Unethical.

I always figured the hard corp
fly fihermen were purists thinking you had to catch it on a hand tied
fly or not at all. If you want to use anhcovie oil, then why not
MegaStrike or Smelly Jelly or Ultra Bite.

My God, man. STOP!
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj/

Bob La Londe wrote:

... I always figured the hard corp fly fihermen were purists
thinking you had to catch it on a hand tied fly or not at all.

Unless someone has invented a machine that can tie flies
they're *all* hand tied. ;-)

--
Ken Fortenberry

"sandy" wrote


Well I *was* referencing the hoity toity spring creek culture,
not Roff, in anyway.

Not roff.....where, just the other day, someone actually suggested
using anchovie oil and beeswax for dubbing nymphs.
Who was that anyway? Was it Vincent?



Years ago, I tried various ways to mask odors on flies that might repel
fish, including dipping them in Dr Juice and PowerBait !

I can't honestly say I noticed an improvement in catch rate as much as I
noticed a slight sense of guilt g.

I do make a special point to avoid pumping fuel for the truck/boat or other
things that might make my flies 'stink' especially whenever I intend to fish
streamers, where a fish will likely follow in the 'scent cone' before
taking.

Smell is nearly overlooked in fly fishing circles ( except maybe the bouquet
of pricey booze ) but for sub-surface fishing I think it is very important.
I first noticed this after buying a diesel pickup and seeing my catch rate
decline. I keep my gear in my truck 100% of the time and I'm convinced the
absorbed diesel fumes put fish off. I've since taken to storing some
flies bagged in bags designed to protect foodstuffs during
fumigation of homes.

Even more important, as a workaround to 'smelly' wet flies, I've taken up
hoity toity spring creek dry fly snobbiness, and I use 11X. Measuring
0.000 inches, it allows total drag free presentations, and greatly increases
takes.

"rw" wrote

5x??? You must be joking. No one on ROFF uses anything finer than 3x. You
see, it stresses the poor fish too much. :-)

As far as 7x, the less said the better.



Sadly, it was decided just last weekend that I should cancel a planned month
( I would have gotten to Hayspur today ) at Silver Creek/Big Wood.
Unexpected home repairs, fuel prices, and college costs ( huge ) ganged up
on my budget enough to make such a trip ill advised, if not really
'impossible.'

Run down to Silver and catch one for me on a Mahogany Dun, will ya? ( If
ya have to use 7X, that's OK, but the less you mention it, the better :-)



WARNING to any ROFFIAN youngsters still raising families .... college costs
are incredible, start saving NOW .... we thought we were fairly well
prepared AND the kid earned a lot of money in academic scholarships, but
it's still a very large hunk of change each year. ( I figured out I could
go in my months long, but cheapy camper, summer fishing trips for a DECADE
for the money we have to pay each YEAR to higher.edu. )

Bob
I'd try Musclin with Silicone. Through the years, it always worked for my
purpose.
Tight Lines Only,
Brad
"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
Last year I started waxing the first 20 feet or so of the mono on the rods
I use for fishing topwaters. I got the idea because Hank Parker mentioned
it on his TV show as something that fly fishers use on fly leaders to help
keep from dragging down dry flies.

Anyway, do you guys do this? Wax your leaders when fishing poppers or
dries? Do you use any special kind of wax?

--
Bob La Londe

Win a Spinnerbait Tackle Kit

Spinnerbait Tips & Tricks Contest
Through the Month of September 2005

http://www.YumaBassMan.com

Not roff.....where, just the other day, someone actually suggested
using anchovie oil and beeswax for dubbing nymphs.
Who was that anyway? Was it Vincent?

Couldn't have been me; I use Worcestershire Sauce.

vince

WARNING to any ROFFIAN youngsters still raising families .... college costs
are incredible, start saving NOW .... we thought we were fairly well
prepared AND the kid earned a lot of money in academic scholarships, but
it's still a very large hunk of change each year.

Change? Any number with three or more zeroes after it can hardly be
called "change."

I seem to recall that my first semester at U. of Illinois cost me $40
tuition. Not sure my memory is correct, though.

vince

"Larry L" wrote in message
...

"Bob La Londe" wrote

Anyway, do you guys do this? Wax your leaders when fishing poppers or
dries? Do you use any special kind of wax?



I occasionally grease a part of the tippet/ leader to use as an indicator,
it also "supports" the fly in the water column to an extent. ( I use
use
paste style fly floatant .... I'm partial to Hydrophobe )


When nymphing, greasing the back three-quarters of the leader is an
excellent aid to detecting bites. I use an old tin of Mucilin that must be
32 years old at least (belonged to my grandfather who died in 1973), and it
still does a good job.