Photo Credit: https://www.orvis.com/p/superstrong-plus-leaders-2pk/2fcz

Introduction:

For the introductory fly fisher, understanding what a leader is can be something that is overlooked by many. Everyone is so eager to begin fly fishing, that they fail to learn each aspect of fly fishing and what each detail is important. Even though the leader doesn't receive the recognition that fly selection and rod selection will, the leader is still a valuable component of fly fishing. The recommendations that I am giving are very general and are centered around what I would consider normal. 

What is the purpose of a leader? 

The purpose of a leader is to aid in your casting and to represent a transition from the fly line to tippet, to fly. Leaders will be heavier, and stronger than normal tippet will be. With that added weight, no matter how subtle, it will provide the extra weight necessary for casting small flies, and for casting dry flies only. Leaders also assist in conserving tippet. Rather than having to use 7ft+ of tippet every single time you rig up, a pre-made leader will give you the ability to simply tie it onto the fly line. Then, as discussed in an earlier post, you should attach a tippet ring to the leader, and then connect your tippet, and then your fly. 

What strength of leader should you use? 

The strength of your leader will be dictated by what you are fishing for. Pre-made leaders are made with a taper, so they will begin very strong, and then slowly size down to the intended size. So if you buy a 5x leader, the entire leader will not be 5x. It will begin stronger, such as a 1x, and then work itself down to the intended 5x. The strength of your leader will depend on what you plan on fishing for. For basic stocked trout, the standard leader size that I would recommend would be 5x. For smaller, wild fish, I would recommend a 6x leader. If you are fishing an area with highly pressured trout, or highly selective trout, then I would recommend a 7x-8x leader. These leaders will be smaller in diameter and will obviously not be as strong. However, they will provide the drift/presentation that is necessary to catch selective trout. 

The examples mentioned are for using dry flies or nymphing. When streamer fishing, a strong leader is recommended due to the weight of the streamer and the aggressive strikes from fish. When streamer fishing, I would recommend using a 3x leader, depending on the water of course. 

How long should your leader be? 

When it comes to leader length, as expected, it will be based on the type of water you are fishing. When fishing small mountain creeks for native brook trout, using a 10ft leader is completely unnecessary in my opinion. However, when fishing a tailwater, a 10ft leader can sometimes not only be normal but a requirement. When thinking about how long your leader should be, think about the depth you will be fishing and how selective the trout are. Let's examine basic stocked water for trout. If the average holes you will be fishing are 4-5 foot deep, with the occasional 7-8 foot hole, you will want approximately a 7-foot leader in my opinion. This isn't exact, you will also catch fish using a 6-foot leader, or an 8-foot leader. But it will give you a general starting point. For small streams, where casting across the whole creek is effortless, a leader of this length will be a hindrance. In those situations, I would recommend a leader that is only 4-5 feet long. In my experience, determining if your leader is too long is not difficult. If you are having significant trouble casting, there is a chance that the leader is too long for what you are attempting to do. If I try to use a 7-foot leader when fishing something such as a light dry/dropper with a rod that is only 6'2, I may have an issue. Not because I am doing anything wrong, but because there is not enough weight present to roll the flies over efficiently. 

When streamer fishing, your leader will be shorter than when you are nymphing. Streamer fishing with a floating line, I recommend approximately a 5-6 foot leader, even if you are fishing deeper water. For streamer fishing smaller water, I would recommend a 4-5 foot leader. An exception to these rules is if you are using a sinking line. When using a sinking line, you want to use minimal leader, because more leader, will affect your sink rate. If you are using a sinking line when streamer fishing, I would recommend a leader that is only a couple of feet long. 

My (unconventional) personal leader system: 

The information that I have given you is basic information in the fly fishing world, and what would be viewed as the industry standards. However, personally, I am unconventional in my own leader approach. When nymphing for stocked trout, I have used a leader before, but it is not a necessity for me. If I do not have a leader, I am more than willing to use only 5x tippet for my entire rig. Additionally, I have fished with people who will use basic Fluorocarbon line for their leader, either 4lb or 6lb. 

When I am fishing with a dry/dropper in small water, I use shorter leaders than the average person would. I typically use approximately 4-5 feet of 6x tippet and nothing else. I do this mostly for convenience, and the fact that leaders are expensive. I do not see the need to spend money on a leader when I can tie a small amount of tippet on and do the exact same thing. Remember, in these small creeks, I am not casting a long distance. That is the reason that I prefer a shorter leader than most because I value being able to make a cast exactly where I need it to be, rather than having extra distance between my fly and fly line. In small creeks, the holes/runs will be small, and you have a limited space of where the fly needs to land. In these situations, precision is the most important thing to me. 

As for streamer fishing, I utilize 6lb or 10lb fluorocarbon exclusively. Once again, I do this out of convenience and also the fact that I do not believe it hinders me in any way. My average streamer leader when I am using a floating line will be around 5 feet, and my average leader when using a sinking line will be 2 feet. I am not using any type of tippet in these situations, and am connecting the fly line straight to the leader, and the fly straight to the leader. I believe in operating simply, and in a minimalistic way. However, I also feel a certain obligation to inform you on what the standards in the fly fishing world are. I am not someone who always does the conventional thing, but I am someone who always does what works best for me personally. At the end of the day, whether you are utilizing the standard approaches or a more unconventional approach, figuring out what works best for you and what produces fish for you, is the most important thing.