by Bernard » April 19th, 2020, 12:48 pm
Since some of my earlier posts, I have ramped-up efforts to better tune the leader game and have come up with the following. None of it is rocket science and I have yet to get to trying the furled leader approach (just got some via mail order) and not yet but soon will try those links. Anyways, for now, here are my tweaks/take-aways:
- Cheating with a pre-fab 7.5 foot machine tapered leader and cutting back a tiny bit on both ends. The result: knotless (except at butt/junction with main line) short leader. When the time comes to add tippet, I am making sure that I don't accidentally add too much length.
- Unless you are fishing with a rod under 6 feet, I see no need to have a leader longer than the rod. Again, keeping in mind that this is all about small stream stuff. This is a very loose rule of thumb but it helps one always have the leader outside of the top guide when one is going from spot to spot. Generally, I do not mind it if the leader is in behind the tip top (even if I am doing that wrap-around-the-reel trick with a much longer leader) BUT I have found that it has helped save some of the headache when fishing with my wife and others as I watch them get frustrated with the line/leader transition getting stuck, if even for a nano-second, behind the top guide.
Hope that all made sense! Oh and that said, I have begun experimenting with 1/2 of a 5wt DT on a 4wt rod and for the most part, am loving it. More on this soon.
Bernard