Having previously covered tippets (my first NSJ article!) and fly lines, I thought I would wrap it up by writing a piece on leaders. While simple on the face, what you choose to use for a leader can have a dramatic affect on your fishing. In fact, the wrong leader can negate the effectiveness of even the most expensive fly line. For example, while a Scientific Anglers DT4 XPS in New Zealand Gray may be the ultimate "presentation" line, attach a 7.5' 2x leader and it becomes all but worthless. Conversely, putting a 15' 6x RIO Trout leader on a WF6 Type V sink tip line renders it totally ineffective.

For further clarification, when I say leader, I mean a "tapered" leader. While suitable in some situations such as trolling, a length of monofilament is not what I consider a leader. By tapered, I am referring to a leader that declines in diameter from the butt to the tip. Tapering can be accomplished by "extruding" (forcing liquid polymers through a mechanically controlled diaphragm), or by hand joining sections of monofilament of varying diameters. Tapered leaders made by machines (Extruded) are called "Knotless" while those made by hand are called "Knotted".

Today's tapered leaders are very much like today's fly rods - all tapers are not created equal! While some leaders employ a more or less straight taper (a consistent decline in diameter over the length of the leader), some have very complicated compound tapers where the diameter declines at different rates at various points in the leader. This is almost always the case with knotted leaders and many of today's specialty leaders (usually the upper or lower end of the leader declines in diameter slower than the other end). This is very obvious with some salmon leaders used to throw large bulky flies.

Like tippets, freshwater leaders are manufactured and marketed using the industry standard "x" classification (refer to the table below). Under this rating system, leaders are sold based on diameter not strength. While the "x" rating pertaining to tippet denotes the overall diameter, the rating pertaining to leaders represents the thinnest diameter of the respective leader. Like tippets, the pound test associated with a specific "x" rating will vary considerably from leader to leader (manufacturer to manufacturer and model to model). While strength is important, in most cases diameter is more important.

X	Diameter
0	.011
1	.010
2	.009
3	.008
4	.007
5	.006
6	.005
7	.004
8	.003

In regard to big game leaders (salmon, saltwater, etc.), a standard pound test rating is used. This is the same for big game tippet. In some cases, big game leaders can be purchased that adhere to the IGFA (International Game Fish Association) pound-test standards. This allows for the certification of game fish records often sought in saltwater fishing. Conversely, while big game leaders rarely list "x" ratings, they always state the diameter in 100ths of an inch (the same as is used for the "X" rating). Like freshwater leaders, the diameter/strength ratios will vary considerably from leader to leader.

As for freshwater leaders, they come in a variety of lengths (4.5' - 15') with the two most common lengths being 7.5' and 9'. Within these two lengths, there is a wide range of "x" ratings available with 4 and 5 being the most popular respectively. In fact, our three best selling leaders are 9' 5x, 7.5' 4x, and 9' 4x. I can also state that I have seen a significant swing in favor of the longer leaders and a noticeable increase in lighter leader (6x) sales over the past two years (I believe this is driven by a maturing of our customers).

While by no means representative of all the leaders available today (they are countless!), here are the leaders that we currently stock at the shop. As you can see, there are a large number of options and we are in fact only scratching the surface (we carry less than 50% of what the respective manufacturers offer never mind what the rest of the manufacturers offer!).

Make	Model	Length	X / Pound Test	Comment
RIO	Trout	7.5'	3x,4x
RIO	Trout	9'	4x,5x,6x
RIO	Trout	15'	6x
RIO	Hand Tied	12'	3x,4x,5x,6x,7x	Knotted
RIO	Steelhead/Salmon	9'	8.8#, 10#, 12#	Big Game
RIO	Striped Bass	7'	8.8#, 10#, 13.2#, 17.6#, 22#	Big Game
RIO	Mainstream	7.5'	2x, 3x, 4x	Economy
Umpqua	Trout	7.5'	3x, 4x
Umpqua	Trout	9'	4x, 5x
Umpqua	Trout	10'	5x, 6x
Umpqua	Spring Creek	13'	5x, 6x
Umpqua	Striper	10'	10#, 12#, 16#, 20#	Big Game
Umpqua	Wire Tipped	9'	12#, 16#	Wire Tipped
Maxima	Chameleon	7.5'	2x, 3x, 4x
Maxima	Chameleon	9'	3x, 4x, 5x
Scientific Anglers	Trout/Panfish	9'	4x, 5x, 6x	Economy

Quality leaders are available from roughly $3.00 to over $4.00. While there are leaders available for less than $3.00, we have not found one that we are happy with. On the average, the majority of quality leaders available today have an MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) of $3.75. While this may sound expensive to some, if used effectively (i.e., in conjunction with tippet), a leader should last even the most serious angler several outings. In fact, even though I fish far more than the average angler I typically can use the same leader for 3 to 6 outings.

With all the money we spend on tackle and our desire to land the large fish we are fortunate enough to hook, leaders should be taken every bit as serious as anything else we buy. In fact, the leader is one of the components of our tackle that most influences our success at hooking and landing fish. Specifically, if your leader is not the proper one it will dramatically impact your ability to hook fish. Worse, if your leader is improperly selected while you may hook fish, you may not be able to land them. Here is where the balance lies and where anglers must do their homework.

In regard to dry fly fishing, if all we were worried about was hooking fish, the longer and lighter the leader the better. However, if one is not a proficient enough caster to turn over a long leader, it will not work. Additionally, if the fly is too heavy for the leader, even the best casters will not be able to turn them over. Even when the leader is the right diameter for the fly and the caster is proficient, the size of the fish and the type of water comes into play. Specifically, while a light leader may hook many fish, you may not be able to land those fish in heavy water.

Adding to the complexity is the type of tackle you use. If you use a very fast rod such as a Sage XP in a 5-weight, even the best angler will struggle to protect 6x leaders with large fish and heavy current. Conversely, a softer Winston WT in a 4-weight should have no problem protecting 6x leaders under these circumstances. Our reels also dictate what type of leaders we can effectively fish. Even a soft rod in a light line weight will not perform well with a reel that does not have a smooth drag. So, as you can see ability, quarry, conditions and tackle all impact what leader we should choose.

The game gets much simpler in regard to leaders used in conjunction with sinking and sinking tip lines. In these cases the objective is to get the fly down. Additionally, presentation is not an issue here as the fly is pulled into place on the first strip. As a rule, leaders for this type of angling should be short and heavy enough to land the fish in question. In fact, many anglers use a simple two to four section hand-tied leader between 4 and 6 feet long when throwing large flies. When using smaller flies such as nymphs, a 7.5' leader should be plenty for most circumstances.

Here are a few rules regarding leaders that should help you choose the right one for your own ability, tackle, quarry and conditions.