Took me too long to get around to this but I must disagree with my Swiss
friend. Having tried heavier furled leaders on large flies, my
conclusion is that they don't do as well as tapered mono leaders. They
are certainly strong enough (I landed two salmon over 12 pounds on one
of Jim Cramer's beefed up leaders using wet flies), but they don't turn
over well when tipped with big flies like bass bugs or salmon dries.
More to the point however is that there is no purpose in using them for
big flies. The advantage of furled leaders, at least for me, is that
they turn over well but also fall in drag-reducing curves without much
extra effort on the part of the angler. Also, unlike braided-nylon
leaders, they don't throw off a pile of spray. For large flies one wants
a leader stiff enough to promote positive turnover, the antithesis of a
furled leader. In any event, that's my take,
Cheers,
Paul
--
Paul Marriner
Outdoor Writing & Photography. Member OWAA & OWC. Author of Atlantic
Salmon, Ausable River Journal, Miramichi River Journal, and Modern
Atlantic Salmon Flies.
