making your own leader

I would like to start making my own leader. How much will using a
double nail knot affect things? I would probably use flourocarbon (what
are the best? Is berkely vanish good? It is fairly cheap at $9 for 250
yards. So assuming that a double nail not is ok, what I am looking for
as an answer would be (for instance)
"to get a 6 pound test 8 foot leader, use 3 feet of 10 pound, 3 feet of
8 pound leader, and 2 feet of 6 pound leader.

"steve sullivan" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
I would like to start making my own leader. How much will using a
double nail knot affect things? I would probably use flourocarbon (what
are the best? Is berkely vanish good? It is fairly cheap at $9 for 250
yards. So assuming that a double nail not is ok, what I am looking for
as an answer would be (for instance)
"to get a 6 pound test 8 foot leader, use 3 feet of 10 pound, 3 feet of
8 pound leader, and 2 feet of 6 pound leader.

Go here;
http://globalflyfisher.com/fishbette...calc/index.php

TL
MC

"steve sullivan" wrote in message
...

I would like to start making my own leader. How much will using a
double nail knot affect things? . . .
"to get a 6 pound test 8 foot leader, use 3 feet of 10 pound, 3 feet of
8 pound leader, and 2 feet of 6 pound leader.

First consideration is that diameters are a better
measurement than breaking strain. From this
follow rules:
1. Butt diameter should be 2/3 (or more) the
diameter of the line tip.
2. Links knotted together should differ by
no more than two thousandths of an inch.
3. Tippet size is governed by fly size.

Consult
http://www.flyfisherman.com/skills/brleadercalc/

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs (Ottawa, Canada)

the article listed above is very complete for mono leaders. About the
only thing that it does not address is poly-leaders. These are reputed to
excel in turning over flies. However these would be nearly impossible for
the laymen to makes since they are primarily a mono line with a plastic
coating of different densites.


"steve sullivan" wrote in message
...
I would like to start making my own leader. How much will using a
double nail knot affect things? I would probably use flourocarbon (what
are the best? Is berkely vanish good? It is fairly cheap at $9 for 250
yards. So assuming that a double nail not is ok, what I am looking for
as an answer would be (for instance)
"to get a 6 pound test 8 foot leader, use 3 feet of 10 pound, 3 feet of
8 pound leader, and 2 feet of 6 pound leader.


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.551 / Virus Database: 343 - Release Date: 12/12/2003

Sierra fisher wrote:

the article listed above is very complete for mono leaders. About the
only thing that it does not address is poly-leaders. These are reputed to
excel in turning over flies. However these would be nearly impossible for
the laymen to makes since they are primarily a mono line with a plastic
coating of different densites.

Which is OK, though, since they are entirely superfluous, entirely
fly-fishing-industry-doodoo-who-do-you-lose-the-moola-to
boooOOOOOooooOOOooo000ooooGUS.

JR
--reputed to be reputable

"steve sullivan" wrote in message
...
I would like to start making my own leader. How much will
using a
double nail knot affect things? I would probably use
flourocarbon (what
are the best? Is berkely vanish good? It is fairly cheap
at $9 for 250
yards. So assuming that a double nail not is ok, what I
am looking for
as an answer would be (for instance)
"to get a 6 pound test 8 foot leader, use 3 feet of 10
pound, 3 feet of
8 pound leader, and 2 feet of 6 pound leader.

Steve,
They have kits containing various sizes of leader for making
tapered leaders which are very economical. I put the
following information together for instructions to go with a
device I used to sell for making tapered leaders called the
Blood Knot Machine. I still have a couple of these and if
you are interested in buying one E-Mail me for my address.
They are $7.00 including postage.
Ernie

Leader Logic
Leader material in size .003" to .011" is also stated in
X's. Example: .005" is also called 6X. To convert from one
to the other just subtract the number you know from 11. A
3X leader =(11-3=8) or .008". A .009" leader =(11-9=2) or
2X.

Leader Stiffness - Leader material used in constructing
tapered leaders is stiffer (harder) than the type used on
spinning reels. This provides a better power transfer
during leader turn over.

Butt - The butt of the leader is the section that attaches
to your line. The diameter of the butt should be two-thirds
the diameter of the tip of the line unless you are using a
more flexible leader material in which case you should match
the flexibility of the leader to the flexibility of the tip
of the line. The length of the butt should be one third of
the leader length.

Line Size---Butt Line Size----Butt Line
Size---Butt Line Size---Butt
#1 or #2 = .017 #3 or #4 = .019 #5 or #6 = .021
#8 or #9 = .023

1. Tippet - The tippet is the section of leader that
attaches to the fly. Tippet diameter is determined by hook
size. Type of fly (wet or dry), clarity of water and the
selectivity of fish influence tippet length.
Hook----Tippet Hook------Tippet
Hook------Tippet Hook------Tippet
0,1,2------.011 6,8,10-----.009
12,14,16---.007 16,18,20---.005
4,6,8------.010 10,12,14----.008
14,16,18---.006 18,20,22---.004

2. Intermediate sections - The intermediate sections of
leader are the sections that connect the butt and tippet.
There should not be more than three thousands of an inch
difference in diameter between connecting sections. This
prevents knot slippage and improves leader turn over. The
length of the smaller diameter section should be shorter, or
equal to the length of the larger diameter section. The
tippet is an exception and is generally longer. An improved
blood knot may be used to prevent knot slippage when the
tippet is more than three thousands smaller than the
intermediate section it connects to.

3. Leader length - Smooth clear water and selective fish
requires long leaders. Shorter leaders should be used in
rough or discolored water. You can use shorter leaders when
fishing with wet flies and streamers. I prefer eight-foot
leaders when fishing small mountain streams.

Let's say you want a 9' dry fly leader for average trout and
using hook sizes 16, 18, and 20. Your rod and line are 3
weight. You would start with a butt diameter of .019" three
feet long. The tippet will be 18 inches of .005" leader
material. The butt and tippet are 54" long and the total
length of the leader will be 108" long so you will need 54
additional inches of intermediate sections. Keeping the
adjacent sections to .003" diameter steps, select diameters
of .016", .013", .010", and 007". Each of the larger
diameter sections should be longer or equal to the adjacent
smaller diameter section. How about a 19 inch section of
..016, a 15 inch section of .013", an 11 inch section of
..009 and 9 inch section of .007". This comes to a total of
54 inches. I never make an intermediate section less than 9
inches long. Of course you must allow for tying the blood
knots, you will learn how much to allow.

Always moisten knots before pulling them tight. Pull in a
slow firm manner to prevent heat, which can cause a 50% loss
in leader strength. The hole in the corner of the Blood
Knot Machine is used to attach it to your vest for quick
streamside access.

Ernie wrote:

truly excellent leader-making tutorial snipped (and saved)

I prefer knotless leaders for one reason: it's hard to slide a Fish Pimp
over knots.

BTW, the Fish Pimp is, so far, the best indicator I've used, after about
two years of trying everything I can get my hands on. Bruiser turned me
onto them at the San Juan this month. I was impressed when I saw him
using something other than his trusty old yarn-tied-into-the-butt
method. They're also made in Idaho, not China, which is a plus for me. :-)

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

Hi rw,
I am not familiar with the Fish Pimp, but if Bruiser is
using one they must be good.
Ernie

"rw" wrote
I prefer knotless leaders for one reason: it's hard to
slide a Fish Pimp
over knots.

Ernie wrote:
Hi rw,
I am not familiar with the Fish Pimp, but if Bruiser is
using one they must be good.

I'm sure the basic design is familiar to you, Ernie. It's a roughly
oblong float with a longitudinal slot, filled with a piece of flexible
tube. You pull on the ends of the tube and slip the leader in behind it.

The crucial advantage of the Fish Pimp (unfortunate name), compared to
similar designs I've seen, is that the float is very, very light. It not
only floats more weight, but it's more sensitive to takes (although
maybe not as sensitive as yarn).

BTW, I'd like to see a new design of knotless leaders. They would have a
more radically tapered cross section, down to "tippet size in about 3
ft. A very long tippet helps reduce drag when nymphing, and it's not
really all that bad to cast if you switch to dry flies.

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

On Wed, 17 Dec 2003 19:30:39 GMT, rw wrote:

Ernie wrote:
Hi rw,
I am not familiar with the Fish Pimp, but if Bruiser is
using one they must be good.

I'm sure the basic design is familiar to you, Ernie. It's a roughly
oblong float with a longitudinal slot, filled with a piece of flexible
tube. You pull on the ends of the tube and slip the leader in behind it.

The crucial advantage of the Fish Pimp (unfortunate name), compared to
similar designs I've seen, is that the float is very, very light. It not
only floats more weight, but it's more sensitive to takes (although
maybe not as sensitive as yarn).

BTW, I'd like to see a new design of knotless leaders. They would have a
more radically tapered cross section, down to "tippet size in about 3
ft. A very long tippet helps reduce drag when nymphing, and it's not
really all that bad to cast if you switch to dry flies.

A couple of decades ago Maxima had a line of 9' 6x knotless tapered leaders
with a stout but short butt quickly tapering down to around a 4x tippet
diameter, followed by a couple of yards of 5.5-6x. These were and remain the
wispiest of tapers I ever fished.

Back then, before I ever experimented with the Dark Side of wet flies, they
were only good for casting classic Catskill dries never larger than a 12 and
presented on near windless days.

And "cocked wing wind-up" was almost always fatal.

I don't even know if Maxima still sells tapered leaders, but your description
sounds like a dead match...

/daytripper