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Polyleaders

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3.8K views 21 replies 15 participants last post by  Paul_B  
#1 ·
Just wondering how many people use polyleaders for still water fishing

cheers ?
 
#8 ·
I've used the Airflo hover polyleader to fish dry flies this year. IMHO it does help to sink my tippet but I still need to degrease in a flat calm. I had worried that it might also sink the fly but that doesn't happen for me using at least 5' of tippet beyond the polyleader. I'm going to use a sinking polyleader with a floating line to hopefully fish at the same depth as using a midge tip line - haven't tried this yet.
 
#10 ·
Just wondering how many people use polyleaders for still water fishing

cheers ?
Always found them numb and too thick, prefer a length of 16lb bs Kamoufil, needle knotted in through the fly line tip, Kamoufil has a good deal of stretch to a 1mm tippet ring then my chosen tippet, usually Helium Kamoufil or stroft gtm. If I want to sink well I use a good quality fine Fluorocarbon.
 
#12 ·
They fall in and out of favour with me but I'm a pernickity git with presentation OCD.Last season I tried going back to basics but that's another story.When in favour, I use the 5'light trout version for loch dry fly work on my #6 weight outfits .I find them too heavy for my #5 gear.

@john ...how do you achieve your smooth straight through connections...?
 
#17 ·
Hi Jimmy, I cut the loop off, strip about 1" of coating off the leader. Push a needle about 1/4" into the fly line as per a needle knot. Push the end or the leader through the fly line (a diagonal cut to a point helps)
Butt the ends of the leader and fly line together. At this point you can create some grip on the mono core of the leader by gently squeezing with a pair of forceps. Now bind the nylon and flyline tightly together with fly tying or rod wrapping thread. It should be about 3/4" and tight enough to bite into both the nylon and the fly line. Whip finish and coat with flexible waterproof adhesive like aquasure or bostik.

I'll try and dig out a line for a photo later.

I have found this totally reliable despite the sometimes silly stick I give big fish. Its never going to fail before a tippet. I usually get a season or so before the nylon core kinks and I need to replace
Cheers
John
 
#14 ·
This is how I do it- short head #3 is my normal line weight m View attachment 46113
I do the same Hardrar,using a two foot length of 8lb Tynex as a butt piece. Polyleaders on the other hand are manufactured with a built in loop at the thick end and are designed to be handshaked through a loop on the flyline, it is one of the issues I don't like about them.I think it causes hingeing...?
 
#20 ·
I preferred the tapered braided leaders that used to slide onto the end of the fly line, certainly as a dry fly leader on stillwaters. I think the closest thing to that these days is probably a furled leader.

Having said that, a 5' tapered polyleader did the job nicely for me when I had a day on a small stream with a 6' 6" cane rod earlier this year. It's the longer length ones I don't seem to be able to get along with.
 
#21 ·
Having said that, a 5' tapered polyleader did the job nicely for me when I had a day on a small stream with a 6' 6" cane rod earlier this year. It's the longer length ones I don't seem to be able to get along with.
Surprised at that VB, a 5' light trout makes my #5 weight rig feel noticeably sluggish.Probably just me being picky.