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Old 09-18-2011, 05:37 PM
FishlessFool FishlessFool is offline
 
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Default Furled Leaders

There was an article in the fall edition of Hatches Magazine about making your own furled leaders. I tried it out and made my own furled leader in about twenty minutes. Looks pretty strong and supple, but I havn't tried it out yet...


Anybody else here have experience with using or making furled leaders? What's your opinions?
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  #2  
Old 09-18-2011, 07:40 PM
waynep waynep is offline
 
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I have never made my own furled leaders but I have used them exclusively for atleast 4 years now. I have them on all my Fly rods. I will never go back to regular tapered mono leaders, I used to go through a leader at least every other time I went out fishing due to knots or other mishaps. In my experience furled leaders do not get tangled the same as regular leaders. I have used the same leader for up to 3 years before I needed to replace it.
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Old 09-18-2011, 07:55 PM
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npauls npauls is offline
 
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Where can you buy furled leaders and what are they worth? I looked into them a few years ago but can of faded away from the idea.

I am interested in trying them now to see how I like them.
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Old 09-18-2011, 08:01 PM
commieboy commieboy is offline
 
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Don't know where you can buy them, and don't know how much they would cost, but for dry flies, there is nothing better. There was a thread here awhile back with some links on making your own. REALLY EASY!!!! Try it. You'll like it.

I prefer regular tapered leaders for nymphing or streamer fishing.
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Old 09-18-2011, 08:08 PM
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npauls npauls is offline
 
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Usually if I am nymphing I just go straight mono instead of a tapered leaders. If I do get a wind knot or a tangle I can easily bite off and retie really quick without messing up another leader.
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Old 09-18-2011, 09:03 PM
greylynx greylynx is offline
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There are instructions on the internet on how to make them in bulk really fast.

Cabalas in the U.S. catalog also sells them

I have seen some of the home-made furled leaders made by some of the guys from the Northern Lights Fly Tyers Club.

The leaders made by the guys from the club are very very supple, and open quite well.
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Old 09-19-2011, 12:17 PM
waynep waynep is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by npauls View Post
Where can you buy furled leaders and what are they worth? I looked into them a few years ago but can of faded away from the idea.

I am interested in trying them now to see how I like them.
I have always bought mine off ebay, search Wonderfurl I have always bought from him
Wayne
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Old 09-19-2011, 11:09 PM
TheFishHunter TheFishHunter is offline
 
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We did up a bunch a week ago and tried them on the red deer this weekend. They were decent, and work great for streamers and nymphs. We are gonna pick up some seguiars floro and make some more because it sure beats the price of buying leaders!
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Old 09-19-2011, 11:17 PM
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npauls npauls is offline
 
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I just tied up 4 of them tonight and will be testing them out whenever I can get out again. I will probably tie about a dozen over the next couple days in different line weights to try out.
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  #10  
Old 09-20-2011, 08:48 AM
Rick. Rick. is offline
 
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For the sake of us "uninformed" fishers can someone take the time to explain what the difference is between a furled and a tapered leader? Thanks, Rick.
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  #11  
Old 09-20-2011, 08:55 AM
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pikergolf pikergolf is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick. View Post
For the sake of us "uninformed" fishers can someone take the time to explain what the difference is between a furled and a tapered leader? Thanks, Rick.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbcVaEe3RIs
you can watch this guy build one, looks real easy. Then if you read the comments you can decide if you'd like to try. I use the bought tapered and when I ran out of the tippet, I just tie in a new piece of tippet. Reading some of the comments about perforance I might build and try though.
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Old 09-20-2011, 09:47 AM
commieboy commieboy is offline
 
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For me the benefits of the furled leader are not in the tippet section or the cost factor (well, okay.. some of it is cost). Simply put, a furled leader has a butt and mid section that are nearly as supple and flexible as the tippet material. This makes for an extremely delicate, precise cast for tiny dries.

For hoppers, big attractors or streamers, I just use store bought tapered leaders since your initial presentation is either not an issue, or is meant to be disruptive.
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  #13  
Old 09-20-2011, 09:51 AM
Rick. Rick. is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pikergolf View Post
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbcVaEe3RIs
you can watch this guy build one, looks real easy. Then if you read the comments you can decide if you'd like to try. I use the bought tapered and when I ran out of the tippet, I just tie in a new piece of tippet. Reading some of the comments about perforance I might build and try though.
Thanks for that. Looks interesting and pretty painless. I'm wondering how I can screw that up. Rick.
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Old 09-20-2011, 03:02 PM
FishlessFool FishlessFool is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pikergolf View Post
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbcVaEe3RIs
you can watch this guy build one, looks real easy. Then if you read the comments you can decide if you'd like to try. I use the bought tapered and when I ran out of the tippet, I just tie in a new piece of tippet. Reading some of the comments about perforance I might build and try though.
I tried that way and it kind of sucks because it takes forever and produces a fairly loose furl. Also when you double it over to make your butt section, you only have four strands which I found to be pretty limp. If you were to double it over again it would be 8 strands going to 4 strands which might make for a bit of a wonky taper.

The method that was in the Hatches magazine was pretty easy and had a nice taper because it went 6 strands, 4 strands, 2 strands and then 1 strand tippet. The only part I didnt like about it is you're building each section seperate and looping them together.

The way they depicted it was looping your line back and forth from a hook in your vice and a hook in a drill chuck. The number of times you loop back and forth determines how many strands will be in that section. So twist the lines together untill it's pretty taught, hang a weight in the middle of it to keep tension, carefully fold it in half and then carefully release the tension to let the lines furl together, thats one section. Each section will have small loops in each end that you can use to join them together.

To be honest, even with the sections joined by loops, it turns over quite nicely. Although, I've been watching the videos of guys who make knotless furled leaders on wooden jigs and I want to try that next. Just need to build a jig...
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Old 09-20-2011, 07:39 PM
Jigsaw Jigsaw is offline
 
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I've done a little over a dozen of these leaders and they don't suck at all. I find they are easy to make, only 10 or so minutes a piece, if that.

If you want more taper to your leader you can make them go from 4 strands to 3 to 2. It is as simple as starting the whole thing so that one end is just 2-3 feet longer than the other.

To avoid the inevitable twisting and tangling of the line and to make the whole process easier I start with each tag end attached to a swivel and then attach them to two separate and offset kitchen chairs. The kitchen chairs are heavy enough to provide the tension I am looking for when twisting the mono. The swivels aid in controlling the mono as it spins. My non-dominant hand also aids in keeping tension on the mono and at the right angle so the mono keeps a nice even twist.

I fished with these all summer and found them to be very adequate leaders. The price is right for them that's for certain.

I haven't read the article in hatch mag but will be on the lookout for it and will give that method a try next.

P.S. Both the browns and rainbows on the bow didn't seem to shy away from these leaders at all. Tie a 16" 5x tippet to the end and your all set.





QUOTE=FishlessFool;1086839]I tried that way and it kind of sucks because it takes forever and produces a fairly loose furl. Also when you double it over to make your butt section, you only have four strands which I found to be pretty limp. If you were to double it over again it would be 8 strands going to 4 strands which might make for a bit of a wonky taper.

The method that was in the Hatches magazine was pretty easy and had a nice taper because it went 6 strands, 4 strands, 2 strands and then 1 strand tippet. The only part I didnt like about it is you're building each section seperate and looping them together.

The way they depicted it was looping your line back and forth from a hook in your vice and a hook in a drill chuck. The number of times you loop back and forth determines how many strands will be in that section. So twist the lines together untill it's pretty taught, hang a weight in the middle of it to keep tension, carefully fold it in half and then carefully release the tension to let the lines furl together, thats one section. Each section will have small loops in each end that you can use to join them together.

To be honest, even with the sections joined by loops, it turns over quite nicely. Although, I've been watching the videos of guys who make knotless furled leaders on wooden jigs and I want to try that next. Just need to build a jig...[/QUOTE]
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  #16  
Old 09-24-2011, 09:27 PM
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pikergolf pikergolf is offline
 
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To avoid the inevitable twisting and tangling of the line and to make the whole process easier I start with each tag end attached to a swivel and then attach them to two separate and offset kitchen chairs. The kitchen chairs are heavy enough to provide the tension I am looking for when twisting the mono. The swivels aid in controlling the mono as it spins. My non-dominant hand also aids in keeping tension on the mono and at the right angle so the mono keeps a nice even twist.
Good tip, I tried to do my own last night with what I had on hand, 6lb triline XL. Ended up frustrated because it`s so limp that it just made knots on the other side of my hand. I know I have to beef up the poundage but was wondering about swivels, good to know they will work. Thanks for the tip!
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  #17  
Old 10-02-2011, 01:51 PM
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pikergolf pikergolf is offline
 
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Well I went all out, built myself a jig, bought a bunch off different threads, and went crazy. All I can say is wow, the best of the lot were built with 6/0 uni thread. These things work like crazy, went out yesterday, fairly windy and using a 5wt outfit. Hardly any wind knots, the only ones I got was when I pushed the foreward cast to much without waiting for the line to straighten out behind me. The wind knots almost fell out when I took them out. Casting into the wind the leader always straightened out, unlike with mono. Very impressed.
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Old 10-02-2011, 02:02 PM
greylynx greylynx is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pikergolf View Post
Well I went all out, built myself a jig, bought a bunch off different threads, and went crazy. All I can say is wow, the best of the lot were built with 6/0 uni thread. These things work like crazy, went out yesterday, fairly windy and using a 5wt outfit. Hardly any wind knots, the only ones I got was when I pushed the foreward cast to much without waiting for the line to straighten out behind me. The wind knots almost fell out when I took them out. Casting into the wind the leader always straightened out, unlike with mono. Very impressed.
Everyone says the 6/0 unithread makes super leaders.

I have give this furled leader making a serious push like you did.
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  #19  
Old 10-02-2011, 05:20 PM
FishlessFool FishlessFool is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pikergolf View Post
Well I went all out, built myself a jig, bought a bunch off different threads, and went crazy. All I can say is wow, the best of the lot were built with 6/0 uni thread. These things work like crazy, went out yesterday, fairly windy and using a 5wt outfit. Hardly any wind knots, the only ones I got was when I pushed the foreward cast to much without waiting for the line to straighten out behind me. The wind knots almost fell out when I took them out. Casting into the wind the leader always straightened out, unlike with mono. Very impressed.
That's good to hear. I havn't built a jig yet, but I plan to do so this winter. Since I live in a small apartment, my plan is to build the jig in three sections that fit together so I can store it easily.
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