Practice Leaders For The Kids

[Smitty]

HI Everyone:

 

So since returning to the teaching profession a year ago, I have decided to revive something I used to do with great passion. I have re-started my flyfishing club. First meeting was this past Wed. lunch. Had about 12 kids show up.

 

So I am going to teach them to cast out on the field at lunch recess. And it occurred to me - finally!- that an easy solution to save burning up (with snaps, whips, and wind knots) good, expensive, knotless leaders, well heck! I should just tie my own knotted leaders for grass practice.

 

So I have read that a standard formula would be 60%butt - 20% taper - 20% tippet.

 

So questions:

 

1) Is the 60-20-20 formula about right?

2) Would you adjust it for beginners?

3) What would that translate in term of pound test? Something like - using a 10 foot leader - about 6 feet of, say, 30lb test, 2 feet of 12 lb test, 2 feet of 6lb test?

 

I will google this...but there are lots of smart people here in the know probably with practical experience as opposed to just theory.

 

Thoughts?

 

Smitty

[Tungsten]

Since its just practice and you want to make it easier for the kids i would just go with something 1-4'max.

What ya also need is something like what they had at the expo, a tarp with 1" of water in it to cast into.

Best of luck with your club.

[Smitty]

Since its just practice and you want to make it easier for the kids i would just go with something 1-4'max.

What ya also need is something like what they had at the expo, a tarp with 1" of water in it to cast into.

Best of luck with your club.

 

Well I have considered that Tungsten, in fact, I mulled that over in my head a few times. The reason I wanted to stick with the standard leader length is that I wanted to closely mimic actual casting conditions. Perhaps it really doesn't make that much of a difference...I have taught kids before using a regualr 9' leader.

 

Would still appreciate comments on leader formula, because when I actually take the kids out fishing, I was thinking of just using my own pre-tied leaders. The waters I fish near Hinton are not that algae stained, and the fish aren't that fussy, so I'm definitely not worried about any of the standard concerns regarding knotted leaders.

 

Any further thoughts on the questions I posed?

 

Smitty

P.S. The tarp idea is great; thanks for the idea!

[Ricinus]

I would think 60 20 20 would be good in a 9 ft length. If you are going to use a piece of yarn as a hook I would keep the thickness heavy in order to turn the yarn over.

 

Regards Mike

[jasonvilly]

Will you actually be able to take the kids fishing?

 

I know with the district I teach in you can't have kids within 100 feet of water due to liability issues. Even going to a pool requires about 8 pages of paperwork per kid.

 

It is sad how little you can actually do with the kids.

 

 

[Smitty]

Will you actually be able to take the kids fishing?

 

I know with the district I teach in you can't have kids within 100 feet of water due to liability issues. Even going to a pool requires about 8 pages of paperwork per kid.

 

It is sad how little you can actually do with the kids.

 

Well, cross my fingers yes. I used to take kids horseback riding up in the Ram range. Now I hope I can just get them on the community lake and do some overnight car camping trips. So the answer is maybe...I spoke to someone downtown, very helpful, she pointed me in the right direction in terms of paperwork. One set of paperwork for activities deemed "low risk" versus "high risk". Until I mentioned the lake and boat, they were fine with me filling out the stream fishing and sliding it under low risk. But I mentioned the word boat and now its high risk (= more extensive paperwork).

 

I don't care how much paperwork is involved. Some of the best times I ever had as a teacher - or flyfishing - was showing jr high kids how to catch cutts/grayling/athabows out of the small creeks.

 

Smitty