Kent, Furled leaders are a big thing across the pond. Many folks fish with, and swear by them. A friend over here makes them with a mechanical system. I have used his furled leaders made with #6 Unicord and also 2 lb test Fluro. They work very well at turning a fly over, from weighted nymphs to large pike flies. I can't wait to try the fluro leaders out on a windy flat.
Here are some sites to look at: http://www.canerod.com/rodmakers/tips/furled/furled.html http://globalflyfisher.com/fishbetter/henk/henk3.htm To see the process go to (plus you see some Dutch fish): http://community.webshots.com/album/67738458yZfxuu Go to: http://www.mail-archive.com/vfb%40troutnet.com/ Type in "leader martin" in the archive search and you will find out how to make a mechanized leader furling machine. Mechanically furling the leader allows it to be more symmetrical. Besides it is easier and quicker to make leaders that way. Contact me off line if you have more questions Good Luck, Mike -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Kent Lufkin Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2003 5:48 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Furled leaders? Conventional wisdom holds that the best way to entice selective trout is to reduce fly size, lengthen the leader and reduce tippet diameter. However, in reading Darrel Martin's wonderful book 'Micropatterns', the Tacoma author refutes that strategy in his section titled 'The Long Leader Heresy' and goes on to promote furled leaders as a preferable alternative for a variety of compelling reasons too numerous to list here. I remembered a discussion several years ago about furled leaders and retrieved the thread below from the archives. (Notice that Spencer's original post inquired about 'braided' leaders while the two replies only mentioned 'furled' leaders.) The thread doesn't answer some of the lingering questions I have after reading Martin's section on furled leader design and construction. Moreover, I'm not sure if the participants in the thread are still subscribers (Dell Coppock, Ray Wallace and Spencer Harker). If any of you have experience with furled leaders, could you perhaps suggest resources for making or buying them? Can you explain the difference between furled leaders and the 'braided' leaders sold by Orvis and others? What leader and tippet length combinations have you found work best for various situations such as small streams, stillwaters, dry flies or nymphing? Thanks in advance, Kent Lufkin >From: Ray Wallace >* Subject: Re: Leaders >* Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2000 12:31:37 -0700 >------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > >How do you rig your leader for deep chironomid fishing? I've been using the >furled leaders with a longer and finer tippet. > >Ray > > > I agree with you Ray, the only time that I don't use them is when I'm > > fishing deep chironomids. > > Dell > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Ray Wallace" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Sunday, July 23, 2000 12:20 PM > > Subject: Re: Leaders > > > > > > > > > > I started making my own furled leaders last year and now they >are the only > > > leaders that I use. They turn over even the largest bass bugs. > > > > > > Ray > > > > > > > I was hoping some of you seasoned vets could tell if there is >difference > > > > between using braided leaders or the plain mono leaders? They >seem to be a > > > > little more expensive, but are supposed to fish better. I was >wondering if > > > > this is true in any of your experiences. Also do any of you >know how to tie > > > > the tippits for these leaders. > > > > > > > > Thanks,, > > > > Spencer
