jaredoconnor
Peabrain Chub
I’ve been using a short 1-2ft taper and then 14-18ft of 1x down to the balanced leech. I’ve been wondering if the 1x is too thick. What formula are y’all using?
Slip Bobber Leader
- Thread starter jaredoconnor
- Start date
1X is thick, and as such could mess with the way that your fly sits, but might also be too much for line shy fish.
As for my set up, I use either a 12’ or a 15’ knotless tapered leader that ends in 2X. From there I add 3X fluorocarbon long enough to reach where I want me top fly to fish.
@jaredoconnor are you catching fish? If so, with 1x you’ll be prepared when big Walter eats your leech. And if you hang up on something? You’ll straighten the hook before the line breaks.
I use 1x fluoro tippet on my full sink lines setup with boobies or dragon nymphs. Like @Irafly said, I find it too thick for my indicator setup. I’ll go as heavy as 2x fluoro with something tied on a big scud hook in lakes with lots of big fish. But 90% of the time 3x covers the job, from balanced leeches down to #16 chironomids.
I use 1x fluoro tippet on my full sink lines setup with boobies or dragon nymphs. Like @Irafly said, I find it too thick for my indicator setup. I’ll go as heavy as 2x fluoro with something tied on a big scud hook in lakes with lots of big fish. But 90% of the time 3x covers the job, from balanced leeches down to #16 chironomids.
jaredoconnor
Peabrain Chub
Wouldn’t your tapered leader inhibit the sink? I was under the impression you need to use a more or less level leader, so it doesn’t develop a belly.
Bambooflyguy
Legend
9’ tapered mono leader 5x, swivel to 16” 6x fly, then 18” 6x or 7x to bottom fly. I don’t fish much deeper than 12’-15’ especially with shorter bamboo rods.
ifsteve
Steelhead
That's a bit misleading. A guy may well catch fish on 1X. But how do you know he wouldn't catch more and/or bigger fish with a lighter tippet? To me the question is really are you breaking fish off on 3X? If the answer is no then don't go heavier. If the answer is yes then by all means go to 2X. But 1X is just silly overkill even for walter. 1X, depending on brand and fluor or not is going to be around 12#. If you can't land walter on 12# then the issue may lie more with your fish fighting technique than tippet strength. Now sure in some places underwater obstructions can hinder you a bit. But really unless you are fishing Jurassic Lake I'd start with 3X and go to 2X only if needed. In fact I probably end up going down to 4X 10X as often as I got to 1X....which is to say never.......LOL
aaronj
Steelhead
I'm with you there. My tippet has been 5x for years, but this year I'm gonna go up a size to 4x and see if there is any difference in my hit per hour ratio...
All flouro for it's ability to sink faster, for 14' of depth at my fave lake:
6' of 2x to a micro oval tippet ring
4' of 3x to a triple surgeons knot, top fly on tag end
3' of 4x to bottom fly
The only lake I fish deeper:
10' of 2x to tippet ring
4' of 3x to a triple surgeons knot with first fly
4' of 3x to bottom fly
6' of 2x to a micro oval tippet ring
4' of 3x to a triple surgeons knot, top fly on tag end
3' of 4x to bottom fly
The only lake I fish deeper:
10' of 2x to tippet ring
4' of 3x to a triple surgeons knot with first fly
4' of 3x to bottom fly
I use a paper clip to ream out the peg...
My bobber setup from top down-
- 3-4' of regular tapered butt or make my own
- 10-12' of straight 10 lb fluoro My bobber will most likely be somewhere in this section.
This gives me a rough range of 4 to 16 feet of water depth and a nice section with no annoying knots.
- 2-3' of 6 lb fluoro to top fly. If a balanced leech or minnow it's an improved clinch. Loop if chironomid.
I'm in the Phil Rowley camp on this one.
- 16-18" of 4 lb fluoro to bottom fly. This is usually a clinch knot from the eye or "collar" of the top fly to a loop knot on the 2nd fly.
2nd fly is usually a micro leech (like a BMW), chironomid like a Gray Boy or a blood worm to start. The lake decides what's next.
All blood knots for leader to leader. I'm not in the swivel or ring camp, but totally see the benefits. Just not my cup of tea.
Also, and I think this is big for people that haven't done much of it. Over-weight your line! If you have a 5wt rod use a 1.5 or 2x heavy fly line or just make it easy and throw on a WF6F line. You need more mass than usual to throw that God-awful bobber rig. I see so many people flailing away with their regular WF5F lines for bobbers. Save some hardship and throw heavy. It helps a lot!
- 3-4' of regular tapered butt or make my own
- 10-12' of straight 10 lb fluoro My bobber will most likely be somewhere in this section.
This gives me a rough range of 4 to 16 feet of water depth and a nice section with no annoying knots.
- 2-3' of 6 lb fluoro to top fly. If a balanced leech or minnow it's an improved clinch. Loop if chironomid.
I'm in the Phil Rowley camp on this one.
- 16-18" of 4 lb fluoro to bottom fly. This is usually a clinch knot from the eye or "collar" of the top fly to a loop knot on the 2nd fly.
2nd fly is usually a micro leech (like a BMW), chironomid like a Gray Boy or a blood worm to start. The lake decides what's next.
All blood knots for leader to leader. I'm not in the swivel or ring camp, but totally see the benefits. Just not my cup of tea.
Also, and I think this is big for people that haven't done much of it. Over-weight your line! If you have a 5wt rod use a 1.5 or 2x heavy fly line or just make it easy and throw on a WF6F line. You need more mass than usual to throw that God-awful bobber rig. I see so many people flailing away with their regular WF5F lines for bobbers. Save some hardship and throw heavy. It helps a lot!
Wayne Kohan
Life of the Party
I assume you heat it up first?
Yes but not by much. I use heavy flies most of the time that counter that potential issue. Couple that with sensitive, pear shaped, dual colored indicators, and the extra distance and ease of casting I gain far out weigh the slight change in full vertical leader.
I use SeegercatorLeader™ formulas for my deep water indicator fishing; they're Shawn's leader recipes and work really well.
I use a drill motor and bit to ream out my Seegercator™ pegs (I will try to remember to look at my drill index so I can remember the drill size). I simply hold the peg with a pair of pliers and slowly rotate the drill bit while pushing it through the peg. I clean the bit halfway through. Works every time.
Thread drift: Peg facing the fly or peg facing the fly line? Huh?!
I use a drill motor and bit to ream out my Seegercator™ pegs (I will try to remember to look at my drill index so I can remember the drill size). I simply hold the peg with a pair of pliers and slowly rotate the drill bit while pushing it through the peg. I clean the bit halfway through. Works every time.
Thread drift: Peg facing the fly or peg facing the fly line? Huh?!
Fly line! I use the peg as another visual level for takes.
I use the same approach to building my indicator leaders; short mono butt section, long middle section to make depth changes easy with a slip indicator, and fluoro tippet sections.
Swivels are for fishing in BC. Or keeping the twist out of my sinking lines with booby patterns.
His nymphing leader looked the same without the float when we fished a river over here. Maybe it is the secret to a super effective setup.