# Generic 8wt leader construction



## rakeel (Apr 9, 2014)

I kinda use the lefty split(60% butt section/40% tapered). I use ~5ft of 40lb mono for the butt section. The tapered section I use 18" of 30lb, 9" of 20lb and 9" of 15lb then my tippet. If I'm feeling lazy then I just go 30lb to 15lb for the tapered section. I use a combination of blood knots, double overhands or albright knots. No method to what knot goes where, just whatever I'm feeling.

I also sometimes will use 30lb for the butt section and scale down the tapered part accordingly.

If I'm feeling reaaaalllly lazy, then I just a 7-8' section of 20lb hard mason straight to a 12lb tippet. This type of leader will give me trouble turning over large flies and poppers if my casting is sloppy.


----------



## johnmauser (Sep 9, 2009)

I started using this leader system a few years ago and I live and die by it.


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

I use Chico Fernandez's 50/30/20 leader from his book (Page 125) but with a 40# butt section instead of 50#.

5' of 40# butt + 3' of 30# + 2' of 20# gets you to a 10' leader that rolls out nicely. 

You can extend the final 20# section a little extra some days for snook or you can tie on another 12-18" of lighter tippet if you're throwing small bugs at spooky winter reds.

Also...if I'm setting up a rod to throw gurglers, poppers, or crease flies I make the entire leader out of Ande Premium Mono. It floats better and lays bulkier flies out nicely IMHO.


----------



## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

40-50 lb. Butt section then 30 then 20 then tippet


----------



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

johnmauser said:


> I started using this leader system a few years ago and I live and die by it.


No offense Brah, but.... crap no! For bonefish only, then ok, but it's a PITA to tie and looks like a clothes line full of knots.

I'm assuming the "blackmagic1" (he's a Tampa boy! ), will be mainly looking for Gulf coast/ Tampa Bay species, which needs a leader with a little more ass to it to turn over bigger and heavier flies than bonefish flies.


----------



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

crboggs said:


> 5' of 40# butt + 3' of 30# + 2' of 20# gets you to a 10' leader that rolls out nicely.


And how do you ad a lighter tippet and then a bite leader on that?


----------



## johnmauser (Sep 9, 2009)

Backwater said:


> No offense Brah, but.... crap no! For bonefish only, then ok, but it's a PITA to tie and looks like a clothes line full of knots.
> 
> I'm assuming the "blackmagic1" (he's a Tampa boy! ), will be mainly looking for Gulf coast/ Tampa Bay species, which needs a leader with a little more ass to it to turn over bigger and heavier flies than bonefish flies.


No offense to you either "Brah"....but you really shouldn't be so confident about putting down something you've never tried. This has been my go to leader guiding for redfish for 3 or 4 years. It's hard mono and turns over big wind resistant redfish flies with ease. If someone doesn't think it has enough @$$ in it like you said, then they can just drop the 12# tippet and leave it at 16#.

It's 5 equal lengths of line connected by 4 blood knots which i've never though of as a PITA to tie. One leader takes 10 minutes to tie and is going to last the average guy quite a while. 

It's fine if you don't agree with it, but start offering the original poster some helpful ideas instead of putting down others.


----------



## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

I usually tie 8 to 10 of these in a session and coil them up in smallish ziplock. Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon small double surgeon's loop 5' 50# blood knot, 2' 40# blood knot, 1' 20#blood knot, 20"-24" 12# tippet and then add more 12# with surgeon knot as it gets too short. Loop the 50# surgeon loop over something sturdy and pull down with something protecting your hand. Make sure you wet the knots and pull down swiftly and with some authority, it'll make the blood knots much prettier and more compact. The Berkley Vanish is pretty stiff and I've had great luck with this setup throwing bulky/heavy flies. I don't use bite tippet because I'm after redfish and trout.
Good Luck
LH


----------



## Limp Shrimp (Aug 23, 2015)

I was kind of surprised BW wrote that, that's usually not his style!.. Hard mono is a unique animal, it has more ass to than fluro... I vary my leaders depending on what I'm doing, mono when I'm fishing top water, fluro when I'm fishing for reds... I don't do anything fancy unless I'm tarpon fishing, I usually just go 5' of 40, 3' of 30, then the rest of 20, length depending on the wind..


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Backwater said:


> And how do you ad a lighter tippet and then a bite leader on that?


Ok...now you're just fishing so you can pontificate. Like most redfish around here, I won't bite.


----------



## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

I typically start with a 6'-4'-3' leader and use it until it gets down to 4'-2'-2' using 30#-20#-12# of 100% mono materials for fishing top water; 1'-2' down gets fluoro end section, 2'-3' down gets fluoro mid and end sections, over 3' down gets all fluoro materials.

40# butt section for 8wt is too large in my opinion, and just sets you up for needing another knot to get down to the better class tippet at the fly. 20# bite is also too large for redfish and trout.

Using line vs leader materials will save you big bucks over time.

Double blood knots with 4 turns of lighter class and 3 turns of larger class with tags trimmed neat.


----------



## Nway93 (May 9, 2016)

Been using rio saltwater mono lately. 4' of 40#, 2' of 25#, 1' of 16# then 3' or so 15 fluoro. This is what is use for redfish. I look at the diameter of the line as it varies between brands, each section is .004" smaller in diameter, with the butt section being .024". I used to use mason but the new stuff from rio ties way better and still turns over well.


----------



## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

4' of 40#, 2' of 30#, and 2' of 20#. All fluoro. Simple and throws the big flies quick. If I ever need lighter presentation for skinny water spooky reds then I add 2' of 12# tippet......which I never do.....lol


----------



## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

I use all fluoro now. Ande and Rio. Most of the time 4' 40# 2' 30 2' 12#. Every great lure fisherman I have ever known uses the smallest diameter leader/line possible just to the edge of breaking off fish. The lure / fly has much better action and fish don't detect the leader. Try to break the 12# fluoro tippet with your 8 wt fly rod. Your fly rod will break first, unless it's a .....


----------



## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

Hey guys, is there an advantage over using a blood knot to connect the leaders versus a uni to uni? Only asking because the tags of a blood knot are 90 degrees to the knot versus the tags of the uni that face the leader direction. I'm probably over thinking this but was just curious.


----------



## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

I don't have much of a preference and use both. But I can tie a blood knot with less material than I can a uni to uni. Probably poor technique.....lol

However if you are going to use two pieces of material that have a large diameter difference then I think a uni to uni is better.


----------



## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

Good discussion. I find it interesting and informative to see the differences in these often overlooked parts. As I'm getting back into the game, I was reflecting on what I used to do. Never really put too much thought into it as it was just second nature back then. I guess I'm more along the lines of Marietta Mike with the 30-20-12 and more often than not, had a short bite of 20 fc due to the numbers of dink snook that shook flies in their mouths like they were mad at it.


----------



## johnmauser (Sep 9, 2009)

Megalops said:


> Hey guys, is there an advantage over using a blood knot to connect the leaders versus a uni to uni? Only asking because the tags of a blood knot are 90 degrees to the knot versus the tags of the uni that face the leader direction. I'm probably over thinking this but was just curious.


I have used both of these interchangeably but find that I use a bloodknot more often. To me the bloodknot seems to be a little smaller than the double uni. I cut the tag ends on the blood knot pretty close to the knot (unless I'm fishing for really big fish) and I don't have much of an issue with hangups. But, I'd say go with whichever one you prefer tying.


----------



## rakeel (Apr 9, 2014)

blackmagic1 said:


> Good discussion. I find it interesting and informative to see the differences in these often overlooked parts. As I'm getting back into the game, I was reflecting on what I used to do. Never really put too much thought into it as it was just second nature back then. I guess I'm more along the lines of Marietta Mike with the 30-20-12 and more often than not, had a short bite of 20 fc due to the numbers of dink snook that shook flies in their mouths like they were mad at it.


I guess leaders are probably like anything fly fishing in that everyone has their own preference. Sounds like most have experimented with different things and found what works for us. The guy who really got me into fly fishing is an old salt and a hell of a flyfisherman. His advice on leaders to me was you want the smoothest transition of power from your fly line to your leader, tippet and fly as possible. his advice to do this was to try to match your butt section as closely in diameter and stiffness to your fly line. From there on it's just trying to step the line down to transition to the diameter of your tippet. That combination can be done any number of ways, some simple and some more complex than others. Try a few different combos of butt sections and tapers out and find what works for you in different situations. Leader material is pretty cheap compared to everything else in fly fishing so just try a bunch until you find what you like.


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

MariettaMike said:


> 40# butt section for 8wt is too large in my opinion, and just sets you up for needing another knot to get down to the better class tippet at the fly. 20# bite is also too large for redfish and trout.


I think it depends on where you are fishing and the time of year. On a higher tide around here you are casting to a mixture of snook and redfish that are laid up against mangrove edges. You have to hedge your bets and roll the dice.

But yeah...when the winter negative lows show up I'll be dropping down to a lighter butt section all the way through to the tippet. Will probably start with a 30# butt and end with a 10-12# tippet and smaller unweighted flies.

If I get cocky, I'll go down to 6# or 8# on the 6wt.


----------



## RobA (Aug 21, 2015)

I don't like mono leaders because of the memory. I use flouro and keep it simple - 40 - 30 - 20 in arm's length sections. I use 15 to 30 lb tippet - mostly 30 because (1) one big snook turning its head and slicing 20 lb was one too many, and (2) I don't have to retie as much while weathering the waves of dink snook that terrorize our mangrove shorelines.


----------



## scissorhands (Apr 8, 2012)

This is exactly what I do.


crboggs said:


> I use Chico Fernandez's 50/30/20 leader from his book (Page 125) but with a 40# butt section instead of 50#.
> 
> 5' of 40# butt + 3' of 30# + 2' of 20# gets you to a 10' leader that rolls out nicely.
> 
> ...


----------



## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

double uni > blood knot all day log

You guys must spend a lot of time tying knots while I am fishing! I only create my own tarpon leaders, for bones and reds, I go premade, mainly because there are many areas here in TX that get pretty grassy and I don't want anything snagging on my line.

Plus, I take my used salt leaders, even after they've been cut down with tippet added, then use them for bass. That way I get multiple uses out of them, so really it's a 2 for 1, making it cheaper.

Bones, I go flouro. Reds, mono or flouro, but mainly mono. Permit, I like mono, then extend up to 12' with flouro. The mono on permit gives extra stretch, acting like a shock absorber. Mono on butt and class for tarpon too. I like the stretch there as well.

But I have done my own and I always use the smallest tippet possible for the job, but don't get too cocky and fish ultra light all the time. Never know when a piece or coral or rock can appear - some durability is needed.

I do wait and buy the premade tapered when they are onsale and stack up on them which brings the cost down. Flouro premades are pricey, but you can find great deals on them.

Brands? Umqua, SA, Rio are all good. Most redfish / bonefish leaders are exactly the same, but some have different lengths. 10' premade for bones is perfect. 12' premade for permit also are good. Reds, you just need 9'. You can always add if they are being spooky.


----------



## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Our day in and day out leader setup for inshore use is a simple Poor Boy leader (for seven, eight, or nine weight floating lines). I wrote a longer piece on fly leaders a few days ago that might be worth a look....
http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=84515


----------

