Big Game Leaders for Saltwater Fish
by John Kumiski
If you fly fish very long you’ll probably find that the way you do things evolves over time. If it doesn’t, you’re not showing much in the way of personal growth.
A five-week bout of fishing for little tunny several years ago taught me about the leader system I now use. Tunny are fabulous fly rod fish. Fishing for them is extremely educational. They will find and exploit any weakness in your tackle, be it reel, rod, or leader. They will also expose any chinks in your fish-fighting technique.
Getting hooked up was usually straightforward, but the fish kept breaking my leader. I would have to stop fishing and tie a new one. Tying quality knots when fish are breaking all around you is difficult at best. Haste really does make waste.
Thinking about it one evening after a particularly harrowing day, it came to me in a flash of insight- tie big game leaders. Make leaders like the ones I use for tarpon, without the bite tippet. I tied several.
They worked splendidly. If the leader broke it was either at the fly, or where a wind knot had formed. There wasn’t much I could do about the latter, but in the other case all I had to do was tie on a new fly. Problem solved. I use it for most my saltwater fishing now.
The leader consists of just two parts, the butt and the tippet. To make the butt take a “wingspan” (the distance between your outstretched hands) of 30-pound monofilament (six-to eight-weight line) and tie a small loop at both ends. I use a double surgeon’s loop, but use whatever loop you like. Loop one end to the end of your fly line.
To make the tippet take a wingspan of either 12-pound (winter) or 15-20 pound (summer) fluorocarbon leader material (please keep in mind that I live in central Florida) and tie a small Bimini twist in one end. Tie a double surgeon’s loop in the doubled line. Loop it to the butt section. Tie a fly on at the other end and you’re ready for any trout or redfish the lagoon tosses your way.
Traditionalists will object that the lack of stepped down taper won’t allow the fly to turn over. This is nonsense. The weight of the hook on any saltwater fly will turn the leader over, and any weighted fly will certainly turn over.
If you carry a couple of extra tippets in a ziplock bag you’ll never have to tie the knots while out on the water, a decided advantage when the fishing is hot and heavy.
Try this leader system. All you give up is about 90 percent of the chance of breaking off your fish.
And as a related piece-
Tying Fly to Leader- What Works Best?
by John Kumiski
What works better, tying the fly to the leader with a clinch knot or a loop knot? And wouldn’t it be great if there were a simple answer to the question?
I’m sure different people have different answers to the question, but I like the clinch knot for light tippets (less than 15 pound test) and the loop for heavy tippets (more than 15 pound test) With 15 pound test which knot I use depends on how much of a hurry I’m in.
Here’s the reasoning. The action of the fly is partially dependent on the materials it’s made from. If it’s tied to the leader with a snug knot it’s also partially dependent on the flexibility of the tippet material. Thin tippets are flexible, but as they get thicker they get stiffer. If you want the fly to swing and sway when using heavy tippets you need to use a loop knot. I like the no-name loop (although it’s becoming common to call it the Kreh loop).
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.