Fly Fishing Leader - how to choose the right leader

The “right” leader for fly fishing

The fly leader is a very critical part of your fly fishing equipment. It is the connection from your fly line to the bait i.e. to your fly/streamer and ultimately to the fish. Depending on the type of fish being fished, the body of water and the tackle used, the type of leader used can vary. Here you will find out the basics and recommendations for the correct use of your leader. You will also receive a few practical tips!

Construction and structure of a fly leader

The structure of a fly leader is always similar these days. These are usually leaders that taper from the fly line to the bait (fly or streamer). i.e. at the transition from the fly line to the leader, the fly leader is often significantly thicker than at the tip where the fly is knotted. This is called a “tapered leader.” The longer this thick part of the leader (the so-called “butt section”), the better the leader unrolls and stretches better.
The reason for this taper is better physical force transmission when throwing. Ultimately it's about being able to present a fly well. Manufacturers vary in the structure of the taper. Modern manufacturing technologies mean that tapered leaders can be made from nylon or fluorocarbon. In the past, this taper was forced to be achieved using braided leaders. These leaders are still fully justified today.

Standard lengths:

As mentioned above, most fly fishing leaders are made from nylon. The best-selling length when fly fishing for trout and grayling are leaders with a length of 9 feet or 275 cm. This corresponds exactly to the best rod length for a classic trout line class #4-6. If the water is particularly clear or the fish are particularly shy, the length can also be increased significantly. Certain techniques also involve fishing with leaders of 450 cm. For smaller bodies of water and shorter rods, a 7.5 foot (210 cm) leader can be used.

Tip: Make sure that the leaders have a “Perfection Loop” attached to the end of the fly line. This allows you to quickly and easily connect the leader to the fly line using a loop connection

Strength and Diameters of fly leaders

We recommend that you pay attention to the tensile strength of the different manufacturers, as there are enormous differences. The most commonly used leader thickness, i.e. the tip diameter at the front end of the leader, is 0.16 mm (5X) when fly fishing for trout and grayling with a dry fly or nymph.
For larger fish and dusty water you can also fish with 0.18mm. 0.21mm to 0.25mm is more suitable for streamer fishing.

Tip: Please pay attention to the age of the nylon fly leaders, as nylon significantly loses its carrying capacity as it ages. Solar radiation and heat affect the material and weaken it. In this respect, you should use new nylon leaders at the start of the season so as not to risk losing fish during the fight.

Tip

Tapered Leaders (275 cm)

TRAUN RIVER tapered leaders are manufactured from high quality nylon. The combination of a compact power transport butt part combined with a well-balanced taper let these leaders turn over smoothly. The leader can be tied at the fly line with a nail knot or looped with the integrated perfection loop. Strength Tip diameter (mm) kg 03X 0,43 11,5 02X 0,37 9,5 01X 0,32 7,5 0X 0,27 6,8 1X 0,25 6,0 2X 0,23 4,6 3X 0,21 3,8 4X 0,18 3,2 5X 0,16 2,8 6X 0,14 2,2 7X 0,12 1,6

Traun River

€5.90

The “right” leader for fly fishing

Construction and structure of a fly leader

Standard lengths:

Strength and Diameters of fly leaders

Tapered Fly Leaders: Nylon vs Fluorocarbon

Tapered Fly Leaders:

Full-function leaders: perfect for every purpose

Full-function fly leaders have the following positive properties:

Specialty leaders: Poly-Leader and Predator

Poly Leader

Pike leaders

Leader material: the right connection to the fish

Helpful accessoires for fly fishing:

Important tools - Must Haves