Setting Up Gear Questions

[thevalkrye]

hi everybody i'm new to fly fishing but i am already "hooked". i grew up in northern sask and have been fishing since i was little and now i'm learning to fly fish. i have a couple of questions that i was hoping you guys could help me out with..here goes.

 

i have a #5 rod and matching reel. the guy also sold me some 9ft 2x 10lb tapered trout leaders and some "leader material" 10lb, 8lb and 6lb. is leader material the same as tippet? or do i need to go get some of that too?

 

since i am new and will be changing gear lots..should i tie a chunk of the leader material to the fly line before my leader to buy me some extra play room so i don't cut up my fly line too much?

 

when i did my fly fishing beginner course the instructor said that if we were casting streamers or other 'heavy' flies we could forget the tapered leader and just use mono filament. is the leader material just that? do i just add it to the chunk i added on to my fly line and forget the leader?

 

i think i have a good understanding of setting up a nymph type hook setup and streamers just go the end of my leader or is there a better fancy way of setting up that rig?

 

thanks in advance for the help guys.....i cant wait to learn it all...maybe i can be a help to somebody one day too!!

[maxwell]

yup ur maxima? or other leader is ur tippet material... u can use some 25lb mono and tye a loop off the end of your flyline so you can use a loop too loop connection too save you from chopping your flyline a ton.. and when tossing streamers you can or dont halfto worry about using a tapered leader and your 10lb will be just fine

[thevalkrye]

right on thanks!!............now to find the fisheys!!

[thevalkrye]

how long should i make the mono from the fly line (i had some 20# tri-line around..that should be ok er no?) and then add a perfection loop an another in my leader? what if im just using mono for a leader..how long would i want it? 9 feet? and finally when ever i put split shot on my line it seems to slip off or around on the line...is there a way around this?

 

thanks so much for your help everyone

[PlayDoh]

Your leader length will vary depending on how deep the water you are fishing. A guideline is twice the depth of the water when nymphing, but 9'-10' is commonly a good length.

 

You can get these short things from the fly shop or Canadian tire for like $2, that you inch-worm you fly line into, then use a piece of supplied shrink-tube and heat it up.

 

Then you can also buy tapered, loop-leaders, again, even at Canadian Tire. So if you break off, or want to switch your whole leader rig you can. You can then also start pre-rigging leaders, then just swap them out with the Loop to Loop. For example you may have a 3 or 4 foot, 10- 20 lbs test line with a loop on the end that you use for heavy nymphs or streamers. Then you have a generic 9 foot leader, that tapers to a 4X, already tied to a Hare's ear, Prince nymph, SJW, ect.

 

So with a loop to loop system, youd take your short streamer leader, and all and unloop it, and just loop on your who nymphing rig. Save your empty spools of line/tippet, since you can use them to wrap your goto rigs on. You can also use a piece of cardboard, and make notches, then wrap your pre-rigs on them.

 

Keep your Leader/tippet spools handy, so that if you want to put on another nymph, and fish with 2 or more you can use the leader, tied to the bend of the first fly, and a foot or so to the second.

 

I can relate to your shifting split shot. I find the split shot that have the little tabs work better. Some have suggested a little knot to act as a stopper, but I don't like standing knots in my line. I've found that if you bite them hard, they'll usually stay put, or fly off right away. lol. Plus you get the goodness of lead in your mouth.

 

I bought some 'lead strip weight' since a flyfishing author recommended it, but I hate it. Theres different types of weight, like putty, so you'll have to pick up a few and find what you like best. I'd also recommend getting 'bead-head' flies, as well as non, since a bead-head needs extra weight less. Obviously. You can also put the weight right infront or on the fly itself if possible. It casts a bit better then if its a bit off the fly I find.

 

I just started like you, but I got hooked last fall, so I had lots of time to work out my "setting up".