Fly Fishing with Doug Macnair: Of Leaders, Tippets and Knots© (Part 2)
Doug Macnair

With the first part of leaders and tippet sizing behind us, there are two points you should commit to memory. First, the commercially packaged leaders, 7½ to 15 feet in length, are designed with the ever-popular floating line in mind. The thin dense sinkers seldom require a leader over 6-feet, if that, and the taper matters little. Second, the "X" size of the tippet has nothing to do with the tippet's breaking strength it -- what matters is the tippet's diameter. Commercially manufactured "knotless" leaders typically have tippet diameters similar to those depicted in Figure 1. If you decide to make your own leaders, as I often do, the product of your labor becomes the other kind -- it becomes the "knotted" leader with lots of knots. I'll save the knotted leader for later and, for now, concentrate on the commercial knotless variety.

The Knotless Leaders
Short of a special order, almost all commercial leaders are "knotless." This simply means you will be buying a leader whose taper is continuous from the butt diameter to the diameter of the tippet -- in other words, no knots from thick to thin. Technology enables the manufacturer to set the specific taper in incremental diameters extruded mechanically or chemically. The packaging will clearly indicate (1) the sizing for "X" and, (2) the breaking strength of the tippet. Importantly, these ratings apply only to the tippet, not the leader butt or body that are considerably thicker. For most freshwater fly fishers, the commercial knotless leader, with its built-in tippet, does a fine job. By the way, tie the first knot in the knotless leader and the knotless leader is knotted.

Besides sizing for "X," the other things of concern to the fly fisher are the leader's length and the breaking strength of the tippet. Commercially packaged leaders typically are available in lengths from 7½ to 15-feet. The longer the leader, the more difficult it is to control during the cast; the shorter the leader, the greater the likelihood of spooking the fish. For most folks, 9-feet is a pretty good compromise. In stained or cloudy waters, 7½-feet is a good choice. My guideline is simple: The shorter the leader that enables you to catch fish, the better.

The advancement in leader manufacturing has kept pace with the advancements in fly lines. Monofilament has been continuously improved for over twenty years and remains my favorite. However, other materials are beginning to come to the front. Suffice it to say a manufacturer now has a wide choice in materials when fabricating leaders. Little wonder then that today's leaders range from very stiff to very supple. In fact, there seems to be a leader for just about anything you could possibly want to do on the water. In the array available, which one is best? The answer depends on you -- your casting stroke, the waters you fish, and the fish you pursue.

In the beginning of your fly casting adventure, start with a leader made of conventional monofilament. As long as the leader is sized for "X," almost any will prove satisfactory as you refine your fly fishing skills. Down the road the differences in leader materials might become significant, especially when you begin fishing different waters and chasing different species of fish. Always keep in mind that the leader performs two tasks critical to your success in catching friend fish. First, during the cast the leader transmits power from the line to the fly: Second, in or on the water the leader is the fly line's shield of invisibility.

As a general guide, the butt section of the leader accounts for 40% to 60% of the leader's total length; and the midsection, or tapered body, another 20% to 40%. The tippet, of course makes up the remainder. What is magical about the percentages of butt, midsection, and tippet, is the taper that maximizes the uninterrupted flow of energy from the line to the fly. Mess up the flow of energy from rod to fly and the rig will not perform properly in making the cast or turning over the fly in the final presentation.

Now, for my surprise of the week: sooner or later you will become a fan of "knotted" leaders. If you don't believe me, here's something to think about. As you tie-on fly after fly, the tippet quickly disappears. The odds are, however, the leader butt and the midsection remain in good shape. Rather than replacing the entire leader, why not simply tie-on a new piece of mono and continue to march? It's that simple! Tippet material is inexpensive and widely available perfectly sized to "X." As an alternative, you can do as I frequently do -- use Stren's original in 4, 6, 8, or 10-lb. test. This saves money, big time!. By the way, tying-on a new tippet only requires tying one of two knots, your choice. I'll show you how to tie these knots a little later. The point is this: fly fishing need not be any more expensive than spinning and bait-casting. As the Great Guru said, "Follow me and I will save you money." In case you are wondering, some of my leaders last an entire season.

The Knotted Leaders
When you tie-on your first replacement tippet, you automatically become a member of the "Knotted Leader Club." Like it or not, membership isn't all that bad, because it entitles you to one or two closely held secrets that will help you become a better fly fisher. There are times when the commercial knotless leader will not conform to your want list of things you expect it to do. One example that pops into mind is wind fighting. Let's say you are having trouble making the cast because the leader cannot face the wind. It you have already shortened the leader, the problem is most likely the diameter of the leader butt. Many commercial leaders have a leader butt approximately .023" in diameter. That's fine under normal conditions, but not in the wind. Given a moment's thought, this statement should make good sense: After all, with all the emphasis on tapers, how could anyone expect a single leader butt, .023" in diameter, to satisfy the needs of lines ranging from 5 to 10-weight? The answer is it cannot. Stout-hearted men and women often need a stout-hearted leader. Accordingly, modify your commercial leader by inserting a length of 40-pound traditional mono between the line tip and the leader butt using loop-to-loop connections. The insert should be between 12 and 24-inches in length. I would try both and see which one works best for you. It may be hard to believe, but I think you will find the insert offers a better transition of power than the original hookup.

There are other situations in which the knotted leader has an edge over the knotless variety; however, the recipes can become very complex. As an example, check out Doug Traux's 12-foot, 5X knotted leader recipe for trout. (Orvis Vest Pocket Knot Booklet, Manchester, Vermont: The Orvis Company, 1989.) Notice, if you will, the length of the butt section in relation to the midsection and the 28-inch tippet.

For many first-timers to fly fishing, focusing on leader diameters instead of test or breaking strength is difficult to do. While it is easy to say, it is sometimes hard to remember that in fly fishing, the line makes the cast with the leader acting as an extension of the line. I strongly believe in leader butt diversification by diameter according to line size. This is something very difficult for any manufacturer to provide for. Most do well in offering standard (freshwater) and heavy butt (saltwater) leaders. By the way, that doesn't mean that these leaders cannot be switched back and forth between fresh and saltwater.

I cannot over-emphasize the importance of matching the leader butt to line size. When fishing floating or intermediate lines, try these matches using standard monofilament:

• WF-3 to WF-6-weight: .019 to .023 inches.
• WF-7 to WF-9-weight: .024 to .027 inches.
• WF-10 to WF-12-weight: .027 to .032 inches.

Making your own knotted leaders is fun, and perhaps the best way to go if you intend to fly fish the salt. In saltwater fly fishing, forget all about sizing for "X" and return to the mono's breaking strength -- provided the leader butt diameter remains your focus. Tying your own is no more difficult now than rolling a Bull Durham in the good old days when smokers didn't die from lung cancer. To me, it's relaxing and fun, especially during bad weather or when TV is lousy. To start out, I suggest using something like Stren's original mono. Inexpensive and, "just about right" in stiffness, the original mono are my choice because of their diameters. If you choose to experiment with the newer "thin" monos, just remember that their diameters are much smaller than discussed here. Then to, they have greater flexibility and little elasticity. They are also considerably more expensive. Except for shock tippets, the "thins" are not yet in my bag.

By tying your own leaders, especially for saltwater, determining the tapers for the transition of power throughout length of the leader is up to you. If you don't have a favorite recipe, read on. One of these should satisfy your needs. Some folks like the very simple 60/20/20. This simply means the butt section takes up 60%, the midsection 20% and the tippet 20%. Depending on the length, try stepping down two or three times in the butt section. Make the leader 7 to 9 feet in length. True, if you plan to fish the pristine waters of the Caribbean, one a bit longer might be appropriate. (If you have enough money to make the trip, you also have enough money to go buy one.)

The 50% formula is another and it works well for me. This recipe is equally simple since it is no more difficult then taking half the length of the butt section for the midsection, and then, half again for the tippet. To begin, simply determine how long the butt section is to be, and, importantly, the diameter of the leader butt. To this add one half the butt's length of the next lighter mono, and so on until finally adding the tippet. For example, to fish the flats using a 7-weight with a breeze blowing, begin with a 4-foot length of 40-pound test with a butt diameter of .025 inches. Then add a 2-foot length of 30-pound test, followed by a 1-foot length of 20-pound test. I make this to be a leader that is 7-feet in length. If it casts well, consider adding a "class tippet" of 8, 10, 12, or 16-pound test, according to the IGFA trophy I hoped to catch. Remember, the tippet by IGFA rules is the finite end of the leader and therefore, by definition not less than the last 15-inches. The shock or bite tippet does not count as long it is no longer than 12-inches. In saltwater, a shock tippet is a must if you intend to keep a toothy fish from breaking off. There are, of course, variations to any of these or other recipes. The thought to keep in mind is simply this -- experiment! Whatever works well for you is the one to go with. Leader kits and recipes are available from Orvis, Rio, Umpqua and Maxima

Getting yourself recorded in the history books for a trophy might not be all that difficult, especially if you understand tippets. It is amazing, but also fact, that many IGFA records remain open for fly fishers of the salt. If you take this to heart, be careful of what you tie on the end of the leader. Since the tippet is the weakest link in the fly fishing system, it cannot break one fraction of an ounce over the test rating. If the manufacturer says it's 10-pound test, pray it breaks at 9-pounds, 11-ounces. You will also hate yourself in the morning if the tippet, knot-to-knot, measures 14.9 inches instead of the required 15. IGFA certification requires the submission of the line-tip, leader, tippet, and fly that caught the fish, as well as some additional documentation. Check out the rules.

For this time, let me leave you with a few guidelines on building your own leaders.

• If you are new to the sport, start with a leader equal to, or slightly shorter than, the length of your rod.
• Sinking lines enable the use of a shorter leader -- the faster the sink, the shorter the leader.
• The stronger the breeze, the shorter the leader -- wind means ripples and ripples mean the fish cannot see as well.
• In stained or dirty water, ever the shorter the leader -- with a sink-tip or sinking line, a short lead of 2 to 4-feet will usually suffice.
• When nymphing with a floating line, try shortening the leader.
• When using a shooting head, use a short stout leader with only a slight taper.

Next up: The saga continues -- a little bit more "Of Tippets, Leaders and Knots." After a few more words about leaders, the focus moves to connections and knots. God Bless.

© Copyright: Douglas G. Macnair, 1997-2003.