One of the difficulties in discussing any technical subject in a general way is the lack of precision in the use of terms. It is no more useful to talk about the extreme of a "stick leader" than to suggest you can turn over a 6" Dahlberg with a 20' 9x tippet. However, even taken to that extreme, I propose to you that if you took a thin 6' strand of titanium and attached it to a supple line that it would turn over quite nicely. Just as if you took a 100' piece of graphite, it would be easier to cast 100' feet, all you have to do is get it past the vertical. Some crazy Scots do a similar thing tossing a 40' caber. Solving the partial differential equations necessary to completely describe the motion of a leader including the variations produced by material properties and thus understanding the selection of profile, materials, and construction to optimize the transfer of energy is no simple task. Moreover, one encounters all the problems of dealing with elastic (mono) and inelastic (thread) materials (note however that furled thread is not inelastic). Not a project I plan to undertake in this lifetime! Certainly the contribution of a distributed mass is important, just as it is in the design of fly lines. Nonetheless, I hold that the "stiffness," or in this case elasticity, is also important under some conditions (i.e. those that require overcoming the air resistance of a large fly).
Hans wrote: <That is not transferral of energy, Paul, it is using the springyness of the material. Use stiff leader material and the butt section will be so stiff it will effectively _open_ this tight casting loop you have worked so hard at achieving.> Read Rene's post again, that's not what he said. He said that mono was incapable of storing and releasing energy like a rod, I was correcting him, it is. Besides, you are taking things to extreme again. I'm suggesting that thick mono (stiffer than the butt of a furled leader, which I assume you will concede) handles the energy transfer better than furled thread as it's closer in properties to the line. Some fly lines are constructed with a mono core. Stiff lines sometimes cast better than very soft lines, blah, blah blah, blah blah blah. Once again however, it all comes back to experience. If you (Hans or anyone) tells me that he or she can cast a 6" Dahlberg easily with a 6' furled leader and 3' tippet, who am I to argue. I'm telling the list that I've tried and I can't, whereas I can with a mono leader, q.e.d.. After my trials with his leader I reported my experiences to Jim. I'm sure he can beef up the butt portion to make it heavier (and thus stiffer), but what's the point? What advantage am I supposed to get? See, he did it to me again, 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.
