River fishing: Spanish style nymphing leaders

Pros , Cons and tricks with Spanish style nymph leaders .

[@johngetz8585]

Wow, have been fishing a 9-foot, 3 weight Sage SP for 20 years. I'm going to switch over to the Spanish style leader. I've been fishing the very similar 12 ft leader for Year's. Great info! Love the color code aspect! Been fly fishing for 45 years... really enjoy your videos! Cheers

[@mmtkus]

*I bought these and used them at the river where I get snags often they have done a **enjoyable.fishing** recommend great job of not breaking along with some strong line I purchased as well. They are super durable and easy to use.*

[@philipbailey7092]

Howard, I have watched this a few times now. I have progressively gone to thinner leaders over the past 18 months. But yesterday I bit the bullet and tied a Spanish leader with .18mm material. Just as you described. I fished it today. Thank you, a revelation and I was amazed at the control I could attain both casting and through the drift. Thank you mate.

[@howardcrostonflyfisher9227]

Philip Bailey no worries, my go to at the moment is 0.16 , I probably won’t go thinner with anything coloured as the break strain is generally poorer in coloured mono Vs clear .

[@philipbailey7092]

Howard Croston and I need to see it too. Lol.

[@pauldeaville9735]

Excellent and very informative, thanks Howard.

[@mikek4988]

Brilliant Howard-it's great of you to share so much Information

[@alvydass4004]

Thank you for good video!!!

[@universeiswise]

. 18 yeah was going to say 2#, Frank Williams used to use this 10 year's ago-the coloured indicator. Good point of that you keep it on though Howard for the initial take on the drop, didn't think of that! Good one

[@OKCKettlebells]

Solid info, as always. Btw, I've been using Skafars wax (yellow, green, black, orange - depending on light conditions) for about 3 months and love the versatility if provides while on the river. Really appreciate your work and can't wait for the new Hardy rods to appear to the regular market.

[@Inkwaziflyfishing]

Very nice logical and clear explanation thanks for sharing.

[@misterjohntmaguire]

Superb, some great tips. Thank you for sharing.

[@carlstatham594]

Probably the best nymphing advice I have ever seen. One thing ...... as product lead when can we buy that gillet? Looks great.

[@howardcrostonflyfisher9227]

Thanks Birdy . Unfortunately the Gillet’s are a staff item we did for IFTD a few years ago and not a normal stock item .

[@Podobed]

Great video- thank you

[@OldDominionTroutBum]

Fantastic info

[@lindsayiflyfish]

Thanks for sharing Howard, enjoyed that.

[@jasonmahoney385]

Great explanation Howard. Are Hardy going to bring out some new lines suitable for the butt/coloured sections of these leaders, to compliment the fluoro tippet? Finding it hard to source good quality .18mm coloured mono with good breaking strain.

[@howardcrostonflyfisher9227]

Jason Mahoney unfortunately not , we don’t have plans for the foreseeable future for these product lines.

[@patrickparisienne1917]

Pezon & Michel Color Line is great for the purpose. You can buy it online at Pecheur.com.

[@alexargyros7186]

Another wonderful video. Many thanks. Now, for a question. If you're using two flies (point and dropper), how long, on average, will your tippet be from the end of the sighter to the point fly (in relation to the deepest water you're likely to encounter)?

[@awaken77]

i dont like mono rigs for the same reason (even if it's legal in the jurisdiction) - its too slippery, when I use left hand to adjust length of the line outside of the rod tip during the drift

[@alexargyros7186]

I love this video, but I'm still not sure of the breakdown of your typical leader. Given that all these lengths and dimensions are subject to variation, could you describe your default leader from fly line to point fly? In other words, what are the lengths and thicknesses of the various sections? I've tried following your description, and I don't come up with anything approaching 22'.

[@carlwaine5263]

Great video, Howard. I've often thought about using a leader of this length on my Sunray nymph line as it's been nowhere near as effective with a short leader compared to using a 'conventional' 7 to 10m Spanish/French leaders and a WF2 line (with usually all of the latter still on the reel!). I agree about the poor handling of mono so this seems an ideal solution with the thinner line. Are you planning any more videos especially now we are effectively prohibited from fishing dutring the lockdown? The ones I have seen of yours are easy to understand, logical and thought-provoking and may just keep me going! Keep up the excellent work and fingers crossed for a speedy return to the rivers!

[@howardcrostonflyfisher9227]

Hi Carl , yes I will add some more videos although I’m working from home so still on limited free time . Thanks for the comments .

[@carlwaine5263]

@@howardcrostonflyfisher9227 fully understand, think since we've been working from home there is less time than ever! Tight lines for the future and thanks again, great videos.

[@MrJakhgw]

Does leaving the wax on when fishing it under water, or dropping the colored line into the water, affect the willingness of the fish to take your nymphs?

[@howardcrostonflyfisher9227]

Alex Wright Not that I’ve witnessed, if I suspected it I’d just wipe it off .

[@fieldsman3307]

hi Howard, I have only been fly fishing for three months so a vast learning curve, fishing a fast running welsh river 25' across so for nymphing should I use a 5' furled leader then tippet or just some straight 10lb mono then tippet, thanks mike

[@davidduncan6811]

Hi Howard. Please confirm that the leader (22 ft) is as follows; front section +-50cm of tricoloured, middle section 50cm of white, and butt section yellow - which is the remaining 6.2metres ( +-18') of the leader?

[@J450N42]

would just using the wax as a indicator and getting rid of the the indicator line not work just as well. Am thinking of it lessons the weak points in your line with knots and if something dose happen it be easier just to right a one section of mono? I was watching this hole video goin well just use wax? thanks for the video's i hope they keep going after this is over and you can show some of the stuff you have spoke about in action. btw am a hardy/grays man myself is there any dates on the new rods coming out?

[@howardcrostonflyfisher9227]

Jason Hunt feel free to just use wax if you like but it’s far less visible in some light conditions and bypass one of the main reasons for having a fully coloured leader . Ie even in glare I can always see the leader at some point - with selective application of wax you may end up with your marked section of leader list in glare .

[@J450N42]

@@howardcrostonflyfisher9227 Yer i can see your point with that lot of light condition I struggle with seeing it as it is do you have a recommendation on tippet?

[@erikkarlsson5727]

On the spanish leader like to have the last two sections in 0.15mm because when you let the sections of the sighter down the thinner line don’t catch the current as much as 0.18mm. Thougts?

[@howardcrostonflyfisher9227]

Hi Erik , I carry them from 0.23 down to 0.14 , the 0.14 is clear mono marked up with paint pens or wax , I don’t use colour below 0.17 as generally the break strain is compromised by the dying / tinting process and if using tippet of a similar dia it can break the “colour” and not the tippet etc if snagged . I’m I expect a lot of depth variation and the conditions/ fish size allow I use the 0.14 .

[@jimcastillo8950]

I am using Airflo euro nymph line .60mm as my fly line. Can I go with just a level Cortand sighter 9ft, size ,23mm to a tippet ring then tippet material? I am trying to eliminate a taper leader.

[@howardcrostonflyfisher9227]

Yes that will work fine - the longer the leader the better the presentation, unless you fish to FIPS rules you don’t particularly need the fly line - other than it’s easier to handle than just mono .

[@cmi78]

Great vid, thanks! Can you share your preference when it comes to euro nymph lines to match the 10‘8“ rod?

[@howardcrostonflyfisher9227]

The FIPS legal ones are all very similar, I typically use the Cortland braid core one , I don’t like the mono core lines.

[@ryanwhite384]

Very helfpul. Is there an advantage to using three sections like this over say, 15 feet of straight bicolor sighter to a tippet ring and tippet? Better depth guage?

[@howardcrostonflyfisher9227]

Ryan White yes - as explained in the video 3 sections is easier to reference / track / gauge fly position /register takes than one single coloured section .

[@alexargyros7186]

@@howardcrostonflyfisher9227 Would using a single section of tri-color work as well (since the different colors would serve as dipstick)? Also, it seems from your video that you prefer to fish a single nymph. Is that, indeed, the case?

[@philipbailey7092]

Another great video Howard. Question. When you refer to 018 in diameter are you talking about .018” or 0.18mm?

[@howardcrostonflyfisher9227]

Philip Bailey mm

[@philipbailey2034]

That is thin, and I assume the variable section is the butt.

[@howardcrostonflyfisher9227]

Philip Bailey you can if you want - levels fine though .

[@philipbailey7092]

By variable Howard I mean while reducing length. The 50cm white and the 45cm bi-colour remains constant

[@howardcrostonflyfisher9227]

Philip Bailey Hi Philip it’s not an exact formula- and frankly doesn’t need to be , the “Taper” if you can call it that has no influence on “turnover” , the shorter lengths at the end are purely for depth /position / take detection so anything 40-55cm is fine . I wouldn’t read to much into exact dimensions etc it’s the principle of a long thin leader with variable colour that’s important.

[@williamfoley6381]

What is your sighter material made of and how do you get it kinked?

[@jimcastillo8950]

Hello, do you connect your leader to your line loop to loop or do you tie your leaders to line? Thank you

[@howardcrostonflyfisher9227]

Hi Jim I just tie direct on to the loop .

[@davemartin5097]

How have you joined the different coloured lengths of leader? Tippet rings or knots?

[@howardcrostonflyfisher9227]

Knots , there’s a tippet ring at the end but you can substitute that for a loop as shown in the other video if you like .

[@davemartin5097]

@@howardcrostonflyfisher9227 Thank you very much for the reply.

[@ionutcotinghi1915]

Howard, where are you buying white?

[@philiprobbins8835]

Howard, what line (brand) do you use to build the leader?

[@howardcrostonflyfisher9227]

Philip Robbins I don’t get overly worried about the brand to be honest . I use anything from Korean carp fishing line I pick up when over in Asia to Hanak / Rio etc , as long as it’s limp and solid colour it’s fine .

[@christopheralex4804]

Who down voted this lol