Bonefish Leaders

Bruce Chard explains in detail how he constructs leaders for bonefishing - including materials, taper, knots and more. Lots of great info here!

[@robertwest7197]

I think Bruce is a great guy and an awesome ambassador for all things fly fishing. I posted a question, I forget where but the next thing I know I’m receiving a call from Bruce. We had a great chat and traded a few txt’s, as a result I bought one of his fly lines (big thumbs up) and have recently used his bone fish leader formula and what a difference it’s made compared to the three pack ready made leaders I was using. His fly line and leader formula has made a day and night difference with presentation and as a bonus it makes casting into the wind so much easier. I Highly recommend you give this a try.

[@PhilGoldstineReelRanger]

Great video & instruction! Thanks Bruce and Deniki for making this available to us all!!!

[@tubeyoutobe888]

18lb Grand max doesn't seem to be available any more. Upon Lou's recommendation I, recently used 2ft of rio 30, 25, 20, and 16 mono with a Rio 16lb fluoro tippet for bonefish - about 10ft. total and they worked great. These leaders are cheaper and better than tapered fluorocarbon. You do have to manage the knots as you get a fish closer to the rod. keep them out of the guides. You should grab the leader at the end anyway and pull the fish in- leaving things at the pole end loose and ready for a last min. run. You also need to cast well, the knots can catch on each other if you are doing tailing loops or other crazy stuff while casting.

[@MM-tt3np]

I build my leader with a taper all the way. By using a very cheap chinese leader as Class. It has a thicker diameter but much lesser strength than my quality Bite material. Rolles out smooth,works great and breaks off when I need it to break. Never heard about it before but it makes sense to me, so I'll go with that :)

[@dmk5n1]

Thanks for tips

[@onasisgarcia9353]

when and where is the best for permit on the flats

[@maarten846]

I use the same leader construction, but use vaseline for lube! works great!

[@idahomountainelk]

How do I lube the knots if I'm out fishing and don't have a glass of water?

[@PhilGoldstineReelRanger]

THANK YOU for a GREAT instructional video Bruce & Deneki! The master says blood knots, I got it. I find the double-uni much easier to tie and I know the knot well. My only question is WHY the blood knot? Is it just a personal preference, or is it a superior knot to the double-uni?

[@HondoTrailside]

A double uni is a 100% knot, the blood is like 70. The blood is easier to tie, because it is one knot, and when you draw up a uni around a slack piece of mono it doesn't organize as well. The main advantage of the blood knot is no knot is a smooth and low profile as a blood knot. The weakness of the blood is not a problem in most fishing where most of the leader even discounted by 60 is a lot stronger than the lifitng capacity of the rod. But for the final cut for the tippet, you may want to use something as strong as whatever you are tying to the fly with.

[@2232Stephen]

@@HondoTrailside is it really that much smoother and low profile than the double uni?

[@dmk5n1]

10:16

[@sampsonaka]

why is the flouro 18lb? did he mean to say 8lb?

[@carlosfernandes5260]

+Adam Sampson Even though it was an 18lb tippet section it was made of Flouro so it actually has a smaller diameter than the 12Lb Mono to keep the taper from large to small.

[@sampsonaka]

10 4 thanks

[@FattyMateo]

Can't see anything

[@Mikeflycast]

I really don't understand why you would go trouhg so much trouble making a leader out of so many different pieces. Now you have a leader with 5 anoying knots in it, which will be likely to get stuck behind the eyes of your rod when getting the leader out for a cast. Or when you catch a big bone, and you want to grab it, it is more likely to break of your leader when it goes for a last run, because the knots will get stuck behind the eyes. Why not just use one piece of fluor carbon like Frogg Hair, and use that. No knots, no time wasted making leaders with loads of anoying knots in it. Allso when the bonefish swims past one of those little twigs that stands out of the water it is much more likely to break off when you have all those knots in it. I get get the whole presentation principle but whe are not fishing in windstill conditions, with dry flies for spooky trout here. We are fishing for bones on the flats and ussually the wind is so strong that a tapered leader is really not going to do you that much good, in my opinion. Maybe I am missing something here. I have only been on 3 bonefish trips but ihave a lot of flyfishing experience and a I really HATE having knots in my leaders. Someone please educate me on this, I would really like to know why so many people would go trough so much trouble tapering there leaders while it as so many disadvantages.

[@jewishcoupon]

Much stronger and cheaper than pre-made stuff.Also you don't want to reel your leader into the guides because you risk break or pulling them off.

[@jewishcoupon]

And if you're reeling your leader into your guides to cast,you're doing it wrong

[@Mikeflycast]

+JewishCoupon Sometimes when we fish really shallow flats and fish get spooked very easy, i put on a really long leader of about 20 ft. You need to be able to get it out quick after you release a fish. Knots will be a big problem and prevent you from getting the line out quick. Allso when you get your big fish near the boat and it decides to go out for one more time, the knots will definitely brake your leader. I just came back from another Cuban fishing trip and i have seen it happen a couple of times with other fishermen. One guy even lost his Permit because of a knot getting stuck behind the rod eye. I use one 9 ft taperd leader now with about 4 or 5 ft fluorcarbon in front of it. Now i have one knot and one loop to loop connection. I am pretty shore this is the best way.

[@HondoTrailside]

I would wonder about the 20 foot leader stuff, that has it's parallel in the fresh water world, and generally it turns out not to work any better than shorter leaders. But if you want a 20 foot leader I don't see any reason why you can't get the knots down to 2, you still have the line splice to rip your guides off with, and if you can pass that, you can tie neat blood knots and even glue them and pass them. One other thing is that a lot of rods have guides that are way too small, they look neat and all that, but most commercial guides, even on trout gear are too small. Getting the right guides will help a lot.

[@4492573]

You have about 6 knots. Here in the real world, fishing the flats and marine growth in the water everywhere. That must be nice trying to strip back with sea grass and sea moss on your knots. FFS

[@philiplofgren7188]

What a crock of BS.