Furled Leaders

[chickendude1234]

I've been looking up some info on furled leaders and have some questions for anyone that has used them.

1) Does it help the presentation as much as they say?

2 )Do they last as long as they say?

3) Can I get them anywhere around here (Logan/ Ogden) or do i have to order them on-line?

4) what brand do y'all prefer?

Thanks everyone.
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[kochanut]

i use Flygoddes's furled leaders. i have one on a certain rod thats been there for 2 years and its still like brand new
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[sinergy]

+1 what koch said Ive used blue sky's furled leaders and I honestly cant tell the difference, plus FG's are allot less expensive.

And she's local supporting our local economy [cool][cool][cool]
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[riverdog]

I think furled leaders are one choice if you have problems with presentation. Other choices are to work on your casting, drop the indicator and/or go with lighter line (and rod). If you add a furl leader I like ones that are both clear and very supple. Most of the time I use a relatively light line and rod for the conditions ( without the furled leader) as the furled leader won't completely make up for the lack of sensitivity of the heavier gear. If your not comfortable fishing subsurface flies without an indicator then might as well add the furled leader to help offset it's effects on presentaion.
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[flygoddess]

I never thought of furled leaders helping Nymphing or Streamer. They will help to turn over flies better than mono because they have NO memory. Take a store bought tapered leader out of a package and try to cast just the leader. Now take a furledleader out of the package and cast it. They cast themselves.
I do use a 7' furled leader when deep nymphing because I am usually fishing 20' down. With the furled leader, I can now cast that 20 feet. That would be 13' of fluoro on a 7 foot furled.

Dries, nothing will lay a dry out more delicate than a furled leader. You can add 3' to 5' of mono, or fluoro tippet and it need not be tapered to lay out nice.

They can last very long time if you don't get snagged in trees or hooked on anything where you are forced to break off. Wind knots can be a pain.

River, I have a mono that is more supple than any I have tried. Like you to check one out sometime.
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[cpierce]

FlyGoddess furled leaders are the way to go. They last a really long time, have no memory, and lay a dry fly down like a natural.

They are worth twice the price!!
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[TyF1y]

I have heard about furled leaders but have never tried one. I didn't realize they didnt' have any line memory in it. I think that line memory really spooks pressured fish. I want to try one of these bad boys. Flygoddess how can I buy a furled leader from you? Maybe at the expo this weekend?
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[MatchT]

I agree. FG leaders are very durable.....prefer shorter versions for all applications.....I mostly stillwater fish and agree they have a lomg lifespan compared to regular mono leaders...

Match
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[riverdog]

[quote flygoddess]I never thought of furled leaders helping Nymphing or Streamer. ..... Take a store bought tapered leader out of a package and try to cast just the leader. Now take a furledleader out of the package and cast it. They cast themselves.
I do use a 7' furled leader when deep nymphing because I am usually fishing 20' down. With the furled leader, I can now cast that 20 feet. [/quote]

OK, I just got home so I took a store bought Orvis mirage 9 ft 4x leader out of the package. I did run it through a leather straightener twice, I hope that's OK because that's what I'd do on the stream. I put it on a rod and reel. I pulled out some line and I cast a single time into a slight ( 3-4 mph) headwind. I then measure the distance of the cast - 51 feet. I don't work on distance casting technique at all- just the casting I do on stream where I concentrate on accuracy because for the waters around here that is far more important. Not trying to put down furl leader but I just don't see the issue with the tapered leader in your scenario. I would have repeated it with a furled leader but I'm out at the moment.
Maybe you can put down FG rules of furled leaders[laugh] because I never thought of using them with stillwater deep nymphing. Truth is in Utah I don't use them nymphing but I'm using a 2-4 wt line for that here. When I break out a 5 or 6 wt for bigger rivers in states to our north I will occasionally put on a furled leader. I find it helpful with not spooking trout when they are in calmer clearer side channels.
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[flygoddess]

I said cast the leader, not with line, just the leader. If you don't like furled leaders, you don't like them. They are not meant for everyone.
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[riverdog]

Why would I do it without line? That's not what I would do on the water. It's not about liking or disliking, it's where they work best for someone fishing I thought. I do think in some circumstances the furled leader is just there in place of the additional line one casts and I don't see the point if it isn't clear leader. Not at all saying there aren't advantages to furled leaders. Just don't see it in every application.
I was taught to fly fish by fishing. I try things out on the water while fishing to see if it works.
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[sinergy]

I nymph with furled leaders quite a bit mainly cause I dont see the need to keep switching out leaders. One the benefits when nyphing with furled leaders you get
tigher loops when roll casting, the flexibility of a furled leader (suppleness) has allot more flex then a flour or mono line, add in the flex of the line is like a shock absorber
protecting your tippet. Plus less rock snot cause there no knots for it to catch on.

Dont know what rod your using but with faster tip rods like my VT2 or Z the furled leader I find I dont have to put as much pressure on the rod when drycasting to achieve the same distance. Which is less wear and tear on my arm


One thing I don't like about furled leaders is when im dry casting im constantly smothering them in floatant haven't tried mucilin I hear thats the way to go but i like loon aquel.
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[flygoddess]

[quote riverdog]Why would I do it without line? That's not what I would do on the water. It's not about liking or disliking, it's where they work best for someone fishing I thought. I do think in some circumstances the furled leader is just there in place of the additional line one casts and I don't see the point if it isn't clear leader. Not at all saying there aren't advantages to furled leaders. Just don't see it in every application.
I was taught to fly fish by fishing. I try things out on the water while fishing to see if it works.[/quote]

I am saing you can, that is a plus in my book. If I fish spooky fish, my Olive or Brown leader with 3' to 5' of fluoro is camo enough to work. The fish see the tippet not the leader.
I haven't used a tapered leader in 8 years. Just furled and never looked back. Different strokes is all.
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[mojorizing]

[quote riverdog]Why would I do it without line?.[/quote]
Think outside the box for just one, little minute.
Can you cast your Orvis leader, alone, without a line, rod, or tippet?
Of course you can't.
Can you cast a furled leader, alone, without a line, rod, or tippet.
Yes, at least most fly fishers I know or have showed a furled leader can.
What does that prove?
Think about it for a few seconds. Didn't take the guys I've shown long to get it.

And as for the comment that you don't see the point if it's not clear, again, think outside the box.

For dry fly fishing, a tapered extruded mono leader can't even come close to the suppleness, casting and laying down of a well built furled leader. Put a 6' tippet on and poetry in motion.
It's just so ingrained in some, that a tapered mono leader is the only way to go they fail to see the advantages of a furled leader.
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[riverdog]

I said I like furled leader clear and supple- I get it with dries. To me the clear is just an extra bonus especially for those of us that mostly fish for wild trout. My response was was to FG example with deep nymphing not a blanket statement about furled leaders in generally- here's the quote again in case you didn't see it posted in my reply;
"I do use a 7' furled leader when deep nymphing because I am usually fishing 20' down. With the furled leader, I can now cast that 20 feet. That would be 13' of fluoro on a 7 foot furled. "
I can cast 7 feet of line and 13 feet of leader plus tippet with a flyline a bit easier than as I can cast 13 feet of flouro on a 7 ft furled leader to deep nymph. I think of the furled leader only as a replacement for 7 extra feet of fly line in this particular application. It's not like the suppleness of the leader matters in deep nymphing like in dries. So here if the furled leader doesn't outperform the fly line I don't get it. Synergy comment about just not switching out of furled leader switching to nymphs totally makes sense. It may be of limited value in much of nymphing but it isn't a divantage either.
Now nest time take a few seconds and read the post before replying to something I didn't write. That is why I quoted her comment and then my direst reply to keep it simple to follow[].
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[mojorizing]

My first part of the post is in reply to your quote of " why would I do that" meaning casting a leader by itself.
I don't use clear furled leaders. I use 6/0 unithread. Colored. Fish don't seem to mind them either, hence my clear comment.
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[sinergy]

ya I see what your saying when nymphing there times Ive used regular fishing line ( P-line) for a Provo bouncer rig But its nice to be able to quickly switch to a dry rig and why not have a furled leader
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[SatanLBZ801]

Furled leaders are great for every situation! Joni makes some great leaders that in my opinion, are a lot better quality then the ones selling on Ebay. She uses the perfect size tippet ring (2mm black nickel). Most other people use a 3mm strainless, which I've noticed many a times flickering through the water in the sun. Not something I liked seeing. Far as the leader being clear, if you're fishing in stillwater I could possibly see a reason for it, but river fishing, it's just like anything else, sticks, twigs, reeds, brush, etc, floating down the river. Fish don't notice the color of the leader, I'm more concerned about how the leader lays down on the water. Which numerous people have already said that furled leaders lay down better then mono. Like mentioned before, my ONLY complaint is with dry flies, after using the leader for awhile it will suck up the water and start to sink so. Gotta be pounding on the floatant. I know I won't be going back to the mono tapered leaders!
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[flygoddess]

[quote riverdog]I said I like furled leader clear and supple- I get it with dries. To me the clear is just an extra bonus especially for those of us that mostly fish for wild trout. My response was was to FG example with deep nymphing not a blanket statement about furled leaders in generally- here's the quote again in case you didn't see it posted in my reply;
"I do use a 7' furled leader when deep nymphing because I am usually fishing 20' down. With the furled leader, I can now cast that 20 feet. That would be 13' of fluoro on a 7 foot furled. "
I can cast 7 feet of line and 13 feet of leader plus tippet with a flyline a bit easier than as I can cast 13 feet of flouro on a 7 ft furled leader to deep nymph. I think of the furled leader only as a replacement for 7 extra feet of fly line in this particular application. It's not like the suppleness of the leader matters in deep nymphing like in dries. So here if the furled leader doesn't outperform the fly line I don't get it. Synergy comment about just not switching out of furled leader switching to nymphs totally makes sense. It may be of limited value in much of nymphing but it isn't a divantage either.
Now nest time take a few seconds and read the post before replying to something I didn't write. That is why I quoted her comment and then my direst reply to keep it simple to follow[].[/quote]



Because the line doesn't sink, or at least it shouldn't. I deep nymph fish in 20' of water. That means, the line is out in front of me and the leader is straight down.
I use to do this with straight fluoro, but "you can't cast it". The furled leader makes it possible to cast all 20'. not to mention it holds the indicator better.
Can you cast 20' of straight mono or fluoro? Even a 12' Orvis tapered is a challenge. You are judging without hearing the facts, that is all.

So in answer to why, because it makes it possible. Riverdog, I really do fish and I fish the same waters you do. Maybe not the same places, but remote naturals..
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[chickendude1234]

Well it sounds like there's only one nay sayer.

Flygoddess, how does one go about buying some furled leaders from you?
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