Selecting a Fly Leader

Leaders attach the fly to the fly line. Most leaders are made of mono or fluorocarbon tapered from the butt section (attached to the fly line) all the way to the fly. This taper is gradual with knotless leaders and in steps with tied leaders. It is important to match the leader with the fly.

• If the leader is properly sized the fly can be cast in a tight loop. This helps deliver the fly more precisely. It also delivers the fly at a respectable distance from the rather heavy fly line with less splash and probably less spooked fish. There will also be less tangles and wind knots.
• Too light a leader and you may drop your fly near the splash and visibility of your fly line. This spooks fish. Lighter leaders will be weaker than heavier leaders causing you to lose more hooked fish.
• Too heavy a leader and you may have problems delivering your fly to the right location. Also, the heavier leader may impose unnatural drift or presentation problems on the fly. Selective fish may be spooked. It may be difficult to attach the fly if the tippet diameter is too great.

Most tippet sizes will support three or four fly sizes before they either get too stiff for a lifelike presentation or too thin to straighten a fly. For average conditions choose the middle size. You may wish to choose the heavier size if the water is dirty or turbulent. You may also want the heavier leader in windy conditions or when fishing a bushy fly. Finer size leaders are less intrusive in very clear water or when casting to spooky fish. A longer leader may help with spooky fish if you need the heavier size. A quick way to estimate the leader size for trout fishing is by the following formula:

• (Fly Size/4)+1 = Proper tippet size for your fly.
• Example of 8 size fly (8/4)+1 = 2x

Here is a short guide to help you choose a leader for trout:

	Leader Weight vs Fly Size -- Trout and Freshwater
	+	2/0	1/0	1	2	4	6	8	10	12	14	16	18	20	22	24	26	28	+
0X:																				15 lb
1X:																				14 lb
2X:																				12 lb
3X:																				9 lb
4X:																				6 lb
5X:																				5 lb
6X:																				3 lb
7X:																				2 lb
8X:																				1 lb
	+	2/0	1/0	1	2	4	6	8	10	12	14	16	18	20	22	24	26	28	+

Here is a short guide for saltwater and the bushier bass flies and poppers:

Recommended Leader vs Hook or Fly Size - Saltwater and Bass
	4/0	2/0	1/0	1	2	4	6	8	10	12	14
22 lb												10 kg
17.6 lb												8 kg
13.2 lb												6 kg
10 lb												4.5 kg
8.8 lb												4 kg
6.6 lb												3 kg
	+	2/0	1/0	1	2	4	6	8	10	12	14

When considering length:

Our club has standardized on RIO leaders and tippets as the highest quality and most versatile.

Leaders can be hand tied with graduated sections of tippet diameter [See Art1, Art2]. Tied leaders may be more economical than tapered leaders especially if you tie them yourself. Another economical alternative is to buy tapered leaders and hand tie on tippet as it is consumed. For example, you may buy a 5x tapered leader and extend it with 5x tippet and then re-extend it every time you the last extension was fully used.