Re: Best presentation?

[Santiago]

Cheers. I've decided to cut off the bulky built in loop and attach a braided loop instead. The main reason being that a friend has advised me to take some polyleaders (intermediate sinking) so that I can if needed, alter the depth that my wet flies will be fishing just in case the trout aren't rising because its too bright etc. The new line is for fishing Highland lochs and I'm only taking the one line as I'm hiking so need to keep my luggage as light as possible. So the line needs to be kept as versatile as must, as I'll be fishing both wets and dry flies as dictated by the conditions. Great replies and food for thought and I may change some of my other fly lines attachment points!

[Olly]

The polyleaders - you can get other materials - are looped. So you may have difficulty swapping/changing them.
I use all the variations - floating: hover: intermediate: slow sinking: fast sinking: very fast sinking.

[Moley]

Agree with young Water mole.

Over many years Fatty has been experimenting with shorter and shorter leaders for both dry fly and nymph... especially so on Chalk Streams.

Have got the leader length down to about 4ft at times and still catch. This is because drag and the propensity for drag to happen are significantly reduced as control of the fly/nymph is easier.

Fatty does however use lightish casting lines 2/3 weight being the usual to prevent splash down disasters and deliver the leader and fly as delicately as possible.....given limited casting skills.

Still catch fish though.


No doubt this is heresy to long leader users and the current trend for twenty foot french leaders and flies in the face of most experts but there you go.

However, in mitigation what is said works for Fatty so works but up to you whether it is believed or not.

Short leaders suit the style or lack thereof demonstrated by a Fat Pie Eating fool, what catches trout!

As ever,.....

Moley

[Martin James]

I also agree with Leszek’s thoughts, as I said we all have different ideas, I find my long leaders work better for me than short leaders, I am a great fan on fishing small buzzers 20’s down to 24’s. I feel the extra-long leader, absorbs some of the shock when tightening into a taking fish, these takes can vary from a light movement to a savage grab. Fish the Kennet, Colne, Itchen, Test and similar waters, I usually use a leader around eight to nine feet. On the small streams of Devon I will used a 7 foot 3 weight rod with a leader around 6 feet, I also use the same tackle when fishing tight to rocks or pot holes on fast streamy waters in the Highlands. On many rivers I often fish tight to the far bank, which entails making thirty forty feet plus casts, dropping the buzzer into water around two feet in depth. On still waters you are often forced to make long casts, as so many anglers need to wade, pushing the fish further out from the bank. If I am fortunate to be on the water just after dawn many fish can be caught around twenty feet as you sit quietly on the ground.

[Liphook]

Agreed Martin Adapt to suit as always

[Robbi]

100% as above

[Iasgair]

Watermole+ gave great advice in detail and makes sense.

I have fished with both types and what I found out is if you do use a nail knot you must cover the end of the fly line with some sort of sealant or the fly line will soak up water and then sink. Not good if you're fishing dries.

I have no issues with loop to loop connections. I use threaded furled leaders and they have a loop at one end and a tippet ring at the other end. What I do is take heavy mono, 20lb test, and tie two perfection loops, one on each end with total length of about eight inches. I loop the fly line to one of the loops to the mono and then loop the furled leader to the other loop on the mono. This helps transfer power to turn the fly over. Then I tie the tippet to the tippet ring. This helps save you money because all you clip away is tippet and not the leader.

Wm+ made a good comment about spooking fish. I have sat and watched fish while natural debris came floating down river over the fish, leaves, branches and other things and the fish are not spooked. I have tossed furled leaders over fish and they are not bothered by it. But I have spooked fish using mono or nylon leaders. Why and how?

A threaded furled leader looks natural as it floats above the fish, but a mono leader has sheen to it from the sunlight. The fish see this sheen and know right away something isn't right. So, if using a mono or nylon leader it's important in my opinion to degrease the leader so the sunlight doesn't show through the leader as much.

Take a mono leader, just an inch or two, and put it in a clear glass of water and hold it up and look at the leader from underneath. You will see the sun shine through the leader and this is what the fish see. It's not normal in their world and they know it. But a threaded furled leader looks pretty natural. Also, furled leaders land softly and help prevent drag. I'm sold on them and no longer use nylon leaders.

Use whatever technique you like best. You're the one fishing, so do it your way.

Also, like Wm+ said, in river water where the water is turbulent it doesn't take long leaders. My leaders are 7.5 feet with about 3ft. of tippet. I fish freestone rivers and creeks, so I can get close to the fish. But in flat slower moving water, I may go longer on my tippet by another 2ft.

So, if you use a nail knot, seal the end up. Loop to loop, may cause a slight disturbance on slow moving water like a chalk stream, but if you cast far enough ahead of a fish you shouldn't have too much to worry about.