Furled Leaders

[Chalk]

If your interested in building furled leaders I would recommend two sites and the below tips.

I would read Mike McGuire's webpage on http://www.peninsulaflyfishers.org/Tack ... eader.html. His web page tells you all you need to know. This page will give you a jig with two length options. Only drawback is you build a leader leg and then you have to build the second leg while the other is moved to the side, hanging free looking for something to mess it up.

The second page is the one on midcurrent.com - http://www.midcurrent.com/articles/gear ... eader.aspx. I used this site to build my first jig, there are many other pages showing different methods to build a furled leader, but I choose these two or maybe they choose me. This will only give you one leader option. Advantage is you have both leaders legs laid out under tension prior to spinning.

Another notable site:
Humble Fishermen - I almost built this one, only thing I did not like was having to unleash 19' ft of leader, spinning it, unhooking it and then halving it. But there are certain aspects of it I like and may try it one day.

Notable things to know:
Use a overhand loop knot, don't get fancy and do a double surgeons knot, it's not needed and will cause a bump in the finished leader. Use this knot to start the leader and to finish on the last peg.

Midcurrent.com states that you should have say 4 loops on the first leg, it's actually 4 1/2, you have to continue past the peg to the next one.

If your starting from the right going to your left, all the looping should go away from you as in the picture below (you would be where the words strand are):


You can go around and through the pegs on the loops or you can go through the previous and pull the tag end in front of the peg and continue looping as in this picture.

Advantage of going in front of the peg (in picture) is it is easier to pull off the peg when getting ready to spin.

After spinning both legs make sure you do not loosen tension on either leg or you will end up with a wild hair in the finished leader. One leader is still on the drill, if the one not on the drill is longer, you need to reverse the drill and make them both the same. If anything the loose leader leg should be shorter to help keep tension. If you do cause the leader to twist up, keep tension on everything and go massage the kink out.

Once you have twisted both legs together counter clock wise, take a 6" piece of mono and stick it through the small gap on the tippet and do a loose overhand knot, maybe double it. This will keep the ends neat and in order until you can finish them. Do all this while keeping tension on the line. Now remove the tippet from the drill holding tightly at the end. Reach down 12 inches or so firmly grab the leader and then release the tippet, it will spin. I add a 2 oz weight to the tippet with a paper clip, it helps. Keep working down the leader 12 inches at a time until you have slowly released all the tension from the leader. Then add a piece of mono to the other end of the leader like you did on the tippet. If you accidentally loose the tip and end up with a snarled mess of line, it is okay too...I just prefer to slowly release the tension

It's really simple...writing the instructions or comprehending them is probably the hardest part of the whole process.

Getting into the science of increasing the taper, number of loops, what size line to use, etc is another discussion in it's self.

The above ramblings are my interpretation of the process and should be taken with a grain of salt

[RodBow]

Chalkey, It's stuff like whatever I think you said that keeps the waters void of more flyfishers - IMHO

[Chalk]

Chalkey, It's stuff like whatever I think you said that keeps the waters void of more flyfishers - IMHO

Good & it's spelled Chalkley

[RodBow]

Well, Chalk How is a furled leader different than a regular tapered leader and what are its advantages? -
Does it have special application over other leader types?

Thanks

[Chalk]

Why Consider Trying a Furled Leader?

If you are a knot lover, even the thought of tying a knot-less leader might trouble you. But there are some distinct advantages. A furled leader tapers smoothly from butt to tippet. Additionally, a furled leader has no memory (at all). It is as limp as a dishrag. In saltwater fly fishing, folks who swear by single-strand monofilament leaders with multiple complex knots might be convinced that a furled leader is simply out of the question. Consider, however, that furled leaders don’t kink. They have a superior shock absorption that in single-strand leaders is usually incorporated into class tippets (near the fly). Too, they turn over more smoothly than any step-down, knotted leader can. They land on the water like a butterfly. Nothing against a good knotted leader, but the step-downs are abrupt, and the knots can and do collect grass and slime.

But rather than chance overdoing the hype, let’s make one, and you decide if it has merit.

As an aside, trout fishers have been receptive of furled leaders for nearly a century. Ask a trout fishing enthusiast if he/she has heard of furled leaders, and you will learn that they were made at the turn of the century from horse tail hair, later silk thread, and currently with 2# or smaller mono.

[Jacknasty]

Wow, that looks like a lot of work

[Chalk]

Wow, that looks like a lot of work

Ramon good to see ya....it's not that much work, I can spin one up in about 10 minutes.

I did notice that with 4 lb line I can not get a tight loop, but it will turn over a sock as Nolefears says ...I'm going to try some with 2lb and see if it will give me a tighter loop....if it doesn't I might have to try some monocord or really fine thread