Who makes the best 9ft tapered leaders. I'm not necessarily looking for the cheapest, I don't mind paying for quality. It has to turn over nicely and last more than a couple of outings without coiling like a spring. I know i could go down the road of tying my own and have done in the past, but to be honest i can't be arsed. I would rather buy a few quality ones that do what they are supposed to, turn over nicely and lie flat and straight on the water. I had a search on here and the consensus seems to be towards Worcestershire ,Varivas or Hardy. Has anything changed???. I'd be interested to hear your opinions.
Who makes the best tapered leaders???
mick7662492
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To answer your question "Who makes the best 9ft tapered leaders?"
You do!
Can't be arsed? You buy a leader and have to tie it to your fly line. As soon as you need to put on a smaller or larger fly than the original tippet is suitable for, you tie on another length of tippet material. Okay that's two knots.
Make your own and you tie four knots, but you always end up with the perfect leader for your conditions. Is two more knots so daunting that you can't be arsed?
Move me mother I'm burning...
richard
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Sorry PaulOk, no probs, we'll keep it impersonal then
you will need to remind me next season, i just bought a pack of 10 Varivas 12 footersmg:
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You should try the bottom beat of the Lathkill...Mick, don't rise to to it just ignore the long leader snobs
water~lines: Good fishing
richard
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Hi', as Richard says, if you make all your own leaders you can produce exactly what you want for a whole variety of situations. For a long time I made my own tapered leaders, following the Charles Ritz formulae. Also, for longer leaders, used 15 ft Normarks, and have used modern equivalents.
For fishing the small becks which I favour, a 9ft leader would be as long as the width of the beck in places -- no exaggeration. Why the heck would you need a 9ft leader when under a tree canopy? On little becks, I match the leader length to the rod length, if I can, to keep the leader outside of the tip ring.
Shortest rod I have is 4ft 9in. Besides, on little becks, where there is often very little room for error, you are almost dapping at times, and roll casting a lot.
A full-blooded, overhead cast is sometimes a luxury.
I am waiting for someone to produce a 12ft or a 15ft furled leader. Now that would be tricky, as I don't think the stepped taper would match a standard tapered 15ft mono, for example. Ritz tapers would be nearer; but would require a lot of knots.
For ease, buy 9s,12s and 15s, and add suitable tippets of your own. They can last a long time. jadaTC
For fishing the small becks which I favour, a 9ft leader would be as long as the width of the beck in places -- no exaggeration. Why the heck would you need a 9ft leader when under a tree canopy? On little becks, I match the leader length to the rod length, if I can, to keep the leader outside of the tip ring.
Shortest rod I have is 4ft 9in. Besides, on little becks, where there is often very little room for error, you are almost dapping at times, and roll casting a lot.
A full-blooded, overhead cast is sometimes a luxury.
I am waiting for someone to produce a 12ft or a 15ft furled leader. Now that would be tricky, as I don't think the stepped taper would match a standard tapered 15ft mono, for example. Ritz tapers would be nearer; but would require a lot of knots.
For ease, buy 9s,12s and 15s, and add suitable tippets of your own. They can last a long time. jadaTC
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Damm, you beat me by 3"
5'2" here. A jungle rod should be no taller than the wife.Jada, who's Charles ritz, and what's his formula ?
Cheers.. :thumbs:
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Hi' Luke,
Charles Ritz's family owned a string of prestigious hotels -- Ritz Hotels -- does that sound familiar? I believe he was of Swiss nationality; and he was the nylon monofiil brand, Luxor Kroic's, best advert. He also designed rods, and was universally respected as an angler.
If you are genuinely interested, I have a plastic laminate of his various formulae, which I bought from the late Dermot Wilson, one of our late, great dry fly fishers. No, you can't have the laminate. But I have some printouts of lists that I typed some while ago. Pm me your address, and I'll mail you one.
Cheers, TC
PS If you decide to go ahead, you are in for a considerable amount of knot-tying. Hold on there, I have an A4 sheet before me that reads, ''Ritz Leader Formulae.'' They start at 23lb b.s. which was 0.45mm, and go down to tips of 7lb; 6lb;5lb and 3.75lb, the lightest of which was 0.18mm.
I'll bet there are readers asking how he managed to catch trout using tippets with a diameter of 0.18mm? Well, he did, and so did I. I still have a few spools of Luxor -- as 'keepsakes.'
This is going to make a few of you squirm -- we used double-blood knots, as Ritz used them, and I can't remember having a problem with them; BUT nylon had better manners than its modern substitutes. Fact!!
Just had a thought, (Should be my family motto, Using Ritz-s diameters, the butt lengths were chosen to give a good power transfer from line to leader, the modern equivalents would produce a pretty sturdy set of leaders; but many dry fly fishers would have no problem extending a 'heavy' 9ft to make a 12 to 16ft leader with a finer tippet diameter.
The lists that I typed are formulae for dry fly leaders, single fly. When I find the laminate, I know it has formulae for simpler 9ft wet fly casts.
Cheers, TerryC
PS To be honest, I haven't had hold of a leader that turned over any better than Ritz leaders, tied using Luxor Kroic nylon; but for many years, 9ft was my standard length, and nostalgia might just be having an influence; but I don't really think so. I was a better caster and fisher back awhile.
Charles Ritz's family owned a string of prestigious hotels -- Ritz Hotels -- does that sound familiar? I believe he was of Swiss nationality; and he was the nylon monofiil brand, Luxor Kroic's, best advert. He also designed rods, and was universally respected as an angler.
If you are genuinely interested, I have a plastic laminate of his various formulae, which I bought from the late Dermot Wilson, one of our late, great dry fly fishers. No, you can't have the laminate.
But I have some printouts of lists that I typed some while ago. Pm me your address, and I'll mail you one. Cheers, TC
PS If you decide to go ahead, you are in for a considerable amount of knot-tying. Hold on there, I have an A4 sheet before me that reads, ''Ritz Leader Formulae.'' They start at 23lb b.s. which was 0.45mm, and go down to tips of 7lb; 6lb;5lb and 3.75lb, the lightest of which was 0.18mm.
I'll bet there are readers asking how he managed to catch trout using tippets with a diameter of 0.18mm? Well, he did, and so did I.
I still have a few spools of Luxor -- as 'keepsakes.' This is going to make a few of you squirm -- we used double-blood knots, as Ritz used them, and I can't remember having a problem with them; BUT nylon had better manners than its modern substitutes. Fact!!
Just had a thought, (Should be my family motto,
Using Ritz-s diameters, the butt lengths were chosen to give a good power transfer from line to leader, the modern equivalents would produce a pretty sturdy set of leaders; but many dry fly fishers would have no problem extending a 'heavy' 9ft to make a 12 to 16ft leader with a finer tippet diameter. The lists that I typed are formulae for dry fly leaders, single fly. When I find the laminate, I know it has formulae for simpler 9ft wet fly casts.
Cheers, TerryC
PS To be honest, I haven't had hold of a leader that turned over any better than Ritz leaders, tied using Luxor Kroic nylon; but for many years, 9ft was my standard length, and nostalgia might just be having an influence; but I don't really think so. I was a better caster and fisher back awhile.
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What has this forum come toDamm, you beat me by 3"
who's Charles ritz, and what's his formula ?
mg:
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Was going to open a new thread, but as you'r all in leader mode i will ask on here.
I've been messing about making up tapered braided leaders, in all sorts of tapers and length's. I've been very pleased with the results, good turnover, no tangles and easily changed. The sinking variety are no problem as they absorb a certain amount of water anyway and with a rub with fullers earth they turn a floating line into a reasonable sink tip. The problem is with the floaters. I've tried watershed, and various treatment's, which keep them afloat for a while.
Any suggestions as to a more permanent solution would be gratefully received.
I've been messing about making up tapered braided leaders, in all sorts of tapers and length's. I've been very pleased with the results, good turnover, no tangles and easily changed. The sinking variety are no problem as they absorb a certain amount of water anyway and with a rub with fullers earth they turn a floating line into a reasonable sink tip. The problem is with the floaters. I've tried watershed, and various treatment's, which keep them afloat for a while.
Any suggestions as to a more permanent solution would be gratefully received.
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Dilly wax is the best out there IMO. A tube should last you a good few years. A little pricey compared to other stuff but defo worth it. Nothing will keep your braid afloat forever but regular applications of dilly wax should see it perform as you require.
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YOU, don't HAVE to do anything.
Asking for advice. If you can't respond without snide, smarta£$e, aint I clever asides, I would rather you did not bother.
I like the Orvis Super Strong copolymer leaders. They're nice and supple and work for me. They come in 9ft and if if you want a longer leader, just tie in an extra length of tippet. They also come in 12ft. I'm of the view that you generally fish with the longest leader that you can get away with, which on a small overgrown stream can be quite short!
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I have used most of the regular brands quite liked the Vivarus ones but an currently using the Stroft ones they are very good.
For keeping the tip of the floater up muclin worked into the braid and run along the top section of the line works well and usually lasts for a session.
For keeping the tip of the floater up muclin worked into the braid and run along the top section of the line works well and usually lasts for a session.
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Hi' Trion
When you say that you're making up your own braided leaders, can I assume that you are using shop-bought Airflo or similar tapered braids and adding your own tippets, or extensions to get down to tippet diameter?
If so, they are very adaptable, and I did use them for quite a long while, especially on still waters. I had/have them in all weights from floating down to very fast sink, so that I could add a variety of leaders to a floating line to produce varying rate sink tips.
However, I decided in the long run that an intermediate line fished better for me than a floater with a modified extension, as the inter was giving what I believed was a more level retrieve, once I had found feeding depth by repeated countdowns. It depends on the way you fish, the characteristics of the water etc.
But braids and polyleaders are very versatile -- braids have no memory problems and turn over well, polyleaders have no spray problems, but they are shorter-lived, IMHO.
In the final analysis, if you find a system that works for you, then go for it.
On Airflo floating braids I used good, old-fashioned Mucilin. It didn't just help the floater to float, it reduced spray when casting; but that shouldn't be a big problem as a false cast to the side gets rid of the spray.
Permagrease was also a good floatant, I used it on floating lines and braids. Good luck, jadaTC
When you say that you're making up your own braided leaders, can I assume that you are using shop-bought Airflo or similar tapered braids and adding your own tippets, or extensions to get down to tippet diameter?
If so, they are very adaptable, and I did use them for quite a long while, especially on still waters. I had/have them in all weights from floating down to very fast sink, so that I could add a variety of leaders to a floating line to produce varying rate sink tips.
However, I decided in the long run that an intermediate line fished better for me than a floater with a modified extension, as the inter was giving what I believed was a more level retrieve, once I had found feeding depth by repeated countdowns. It depends on the way you fish, the characteristics of the water etc.
But braids and polyleaders are very versatile -- braids have no memory problems and turn over well, polyleaders have no spray problems, but they are shorter-lived, IMHO.
In the final analysis, if you find a system that works for you, then go for it.
On Airflo floating braids I used good, old-fashioned Mucilin. It didn't just help the floater to float, it reduced spray when casting; but that shouldn't be a big problem as a false cast to the side gets rid of the spray.
Permagrease was also a good floatant, I used it on floating lines and braids. Good luck, jadaTC
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Good morning jada, I started using braided leaders, I think it was about the 1980's they came into vogue, but found that they were only available in certain lengths and tapers and some so called tapered leaders were only a length of braid with a loop at either end. I went back to using, either shop bought or home tied nylon leaders, but found that I still preferred the turnover that a braided leader provided.
Recently retired, with time on my hands, I've been constructing leaders, using various types and thicknesses of braid in different lengths and tapers. They provide good turnover, with various lengths of tippet added.
I've tried poly leaders but did not really get on with them and much prefer braid for suppleness and memory free properties.
At present i'm trying give them different densities and sink rates.
In it's natural state braid will absorb water and sink slowly, this can be speeded up with a smear of fullers earth. Floaters are a bit more of a problem, hence the post asking for advice on suitable treatments.
Many thanks for the interest, if you want to give it a try I can explain the construction and the most suitable braid.
Regards TRION
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I think ohanzee was alluding to the minimum character count required by the forum when posting a reply...
YOU, don't HAVE to do anything.
Asking for advice. If you can't respond without snide, smarta£$e, aint I clever asides, I would rather you did not bother.
It stops people just doing a
...Or a :thumbs: ...
Or in your case you might have used a
But now, you might prefer a
....but you'll need another 8 characters after it
:thumbs:
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If that's the case, and I've taken it the wrong way, my apologiesI think ohanzee was alluding to the minimum character count required by the forum when posting a reply...
It stops people just doing a
Or a :thumbs: ...
Or in your case you might have used a
But now, you might prefer a
....but you'll need another 8 characters after it
:thumbs:
mg:mg:mg:
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67,291 Posts
None neededIf that's the case, and I've taken it the wrong way, my apologies
it was all said in the post before mine so just suggesting Mucillin as an alternative to the Dilly wax, maybe easier to find in the UK although Dilly wax is a high quality product,you don't take any prisoners eh
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