Streamer Tactics Ep.3 -- Leaders

Streamer Tactics is a multi-part video series to help fly fisherman learn more about fishing with streamers. This video we cover leaders and what they are made out of, leader length, weight, and monofilament vs Fluorocarbon.
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Brian Wise
171 Harlin Drive
Gainesville, MO 65655
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[@johnr909]

This is great info taken from experience. I’ve been dry fly and nymph fishing for trout in the Rockies for decades but I’m new to using sink tip lines with streamers and getting a lot out of this.

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

Mono is KING ;)

[@flyfishingtheozarks]

Werd. 😎

[@RichStrolis]

Some mono is better than others for this game.

[@flyfishingtheozarks]

@@RichStrolis For sure. There isn't a super cheap way to make Fluoro (unless you make it by the mile....literally) but mono can be made with inferior product. Anything below 25lb, give me Maxima all the way.

[@imcurious2731]

Hi Brian ☺️ This the insomniac from the Pacific Northwest, I totally agree with using Short leaders, with sinking tip lines!! True especially for anadromous fish such as Salmon, Steelhead, Sea-Run Brown trout!! With Chums, I use a 3'-4' leader!!😎

[@skorflyfishing]

Great commentary. Mostly applies to trout which is an important note. For instance, I totally agree with constantly checking your leader for nicks. But the abrasion resistance of fluoro can be huge when you can't check your leader in the middle of an extended fight with a large saltwater fish like a tarpon. This even applies to smaller freshwater fish that like to hide in heavy cover. More stretch, less stretch, it can be good or bad depending on the fish species, and what you are trying to achieve. For a fish with a hard boney mouth, you want no stretch when setting the hook. Long leader vs short leader? We could discuss every point, but for trout, this series is right on. It gives a great base of understanding so that you can think through how to set up your rig for your particular situation. Applause! And like button pressed.

[@flyfishingtheozarks]

Thanks! I couldn't agree more, everything you said is spot-on. I probably should have prefaced this video that it is geared more toward larger flies in a freshwater setting.

[@skorflyfishing]

@@flyfishingtheozarks BTW, you sold me on the Cortland sink tip. Thanks.

[@flyfishingtheozarks]

@@skorflyfishing Nice!

[@richardkidder3449]

Love your videos, they are great. I am really enjoying you presentation and learning a boat load of stuff. Regarding leaders, this is a personal tick of mine. Fluorocarbon and nylon strands are both single filaments of polymers, also referred to as monofilaments. I’m picking nits, I realize, however the points you are making have more to do with the properties of nylon and fluorocarbon, than whether you have a monofilament leader or a braided leader per se..

[@hop2it783]

Good topic. I have gone back to mono more and more the last few years

[@flyfishingtheozarks]

Same here. I was all in with Fluoro for a couple of years until I finally got sick of having to baby the knots so much. If a knot doesn't seat correctly, I will always cut it off and tie it again.....and I find myself doing that a whole lot more with Fluoro.

[@mrmattvan]

Enjoyed the video but you didn’t mention the large difference in sink rates between mono and flouro which I feel like is significantly more important for streamer fishing specifically…I kept waiting for you to bring it up rather than the stretch differences.

[@flyfishingtheozarks]

Agreed, there is a difference in sink rates of Fluoro vs Mono. In the previous video about fly lines, I went over different sink rates, etc.....the way I look at the sink rate of fluoro vs mono is that it really only matters when you are dry fly fishing or fishing wet flies. Hear me out. If you are nymphing, the weight of the nymphs and/or split shot added to the line will make the sink rate of fluoro and mono exactly the same because the flies will pull the mono or fluoro down WAY faster than it would have sunk by itself. In streamer fishing, when you are fishing a sink tip, nieither mono nor fluoro will sink faster than the sinking portion of the line....so the sink rate of fluoro doesn't help there at all either. If you are fishing a floating line, with a completely weightless streamer (which I don't think I have ever heard of) the sink rate of the fluoro will not even be enough to help the weightless streamer break the surface tension of the water, let along "help" it sink. To me, the sink rate takes a hard backseat to the low-stretch and low-visibility of Fluoro. Check out this video at the 4:30 mark - kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5vFgI2HhKqkrNE

[@ColorfulCOFlyFishing]

Thanks for this! When will the flies one drop ?

[@flyfishingtheozarks]

Next video will be Knots, after that one I am covering flies.

[@ColorfulCOFlyFishing]

@@flyfishingtheozarks Alright. Thanks

[@chrisbukowski9434]

Always great info thanks

[@flyfishingtheozarks]

Thanks for watching!

[@johnnylightning1491]

Brian, I'm not sure I can hang out here any more, I don't do well with snobs, even if they're not snobs, or is that knot snobs. I don't know, I guess maybe it's OK if I hang out here a while longer. Looking forward to the next video. Have fun down there in the Ozarks.

[@flyfishingtheozarks]

Thanks!

[@jstellafineart]

Great video Brian! And I can't wait for the knot episode! 🤩YAY!!

[@flyfishingtheozarks]

Coming soon!

[@scottellsworth1759]

Awsome video got me thinking lol I must of missed the other videos is there a link and question on the topic lol if your wadding would the leader setup change if your making longer cause of floating fly line would you make a third smaller section or keep the two and just lengthen both section to desired length or say just but section like if I got a floating and want 6 feet deep would need 6 ft leader so to speak

[@flyfishingtheozarks]

Thanks! There are a few different ways to do it. I would recommend doing a 7 or 7.5' tapered leader in that case....like I talk about in the video, you definitely want a longer leader if you are fishing a fast-sinking fly with a floating fly line.

[@RichStrolis]

Good stuff, like I said in the other comment depends on the mono, some is much better than others as it does stretch significantly less. What I’d add that you missed on with the stretch thing is there is a significant difference in stretch with fly lines based solely on what the core of the line is constructed from. If the line has a mono core it’s going to stretch significantly more to a fly line with a braided core, a core construction that was originally done by Airflo and then ripped by Rio with the “in touch” series of lines. Braided core lines will cross more eyes on fish than a mono core line on average depending on the type of mono core more often than not. At the end of the it’s all what works for you, not an exact science. As for your leaders that formula will be extremely problematic with a floating line and weighted fly if you get out to 9-10 feet in length which is what I typically fish my headbangers and other heavy flies. 20-16 pound taper will be difficult for most to turn over, the step down on that leader needs to have more mass on the butt section or you’ll have a bad day.. just some extra added tidbits.. 👍

[@flyfishingtheozarks]

See, dammit.....I knew I was forgetting something! I didn't even cover the leader for a floating setup. I'm a 7.5' tapered leader on a floating setup.....it's just too easy to tie a tapered leader on when you have to go long.

[@RichStrolis]

@@flyfishingtheozarks I don’t like that theory, tapered leaders for the weighted streamers I throw just don’t work

[@DylanWOWilliams]

Love it.

[@flyfishingtheozarks]

Thanks!

[@DylanWOWilliams]

@@flyfishingtheozarks No, no. Thank you.

[@sugarcreekfliesandties1594]

Can a fly be tied to fluorocarbon using a figure 8 knot?

[@flyfishingtheozarks]

I will cover the knots I use in the next video, but you can absolutely tie a figure 8 knot with fluorocarbon......I think there are better knots for streamer fishing though.

[@beefconnection9997]

Thanks! Great video. Can't wait for the knot one. I,ve issues with my knots. I,ve lost a lot of fish with them breaking.

[@flyfishingtheozarks]

We will see if we can fix that!

[@SavageFlies]

Nice summary Brian. I'm always envious of you streamer fishermen targeting these monster browns when I'm over here tossing a #20 parachute Adams from a 2-wt rod with some extra long 6x. One point though... for us small water guys, the stretchiness of nylon monafilament versus fluorocarbon can be pretty noticeable. :-)

[@flyfishingtheozarks]

Thanks 👍 Looking forward to our side project!! :)

[@coreystoner4129]

I’ll say this very good video but in fishing someone flies abs it varies from person to person is they want it to behave a certain way in the water and different lines will give you different actions