Does anyone use the Airflo floating braided poly leaders with a floating spey line? I have a couple that I was going to use with lines for my single-handed rods and was wondering whether they are good for spey lines -- a 6/7/8 WC and a Mid-Spey 7/8 -- as well.
Braided Poly Leaders
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Not sure how frequently these leaders are used ..
"State-side," but this type of leader is heavily promoted in Europe. Interesting thing is one of the major manufacutures appears to be an American firm.
The 'floating leaders,' I'm (only .02 cents here) don't appear to bring anything to my personal table; but their sinking leaders and first rate ... with one exception.
The internal leader material appears to be quite soft and busts off if hung up very easily. The RIO version of the sinking leaders are first rate and a considerably longer. Again, my .02 cents here, too long for lower water work at 12 foot (vs. 5-7 foot for the Airflo's), but they don't have the 'weak internal leader' "problem" I've consistently found with the Airflo's.
These leaders are excellent alternatives for longer sinking tips for our/my Rogue Work, especially when run off a full dry line with a three-four foot "butt section" 20-25 # of Maxima main line. The long 'butt section' allows the dry line to stay dry/mend like crazy, and the sinking leader/tippet/fly to drop like a rock in the water column.
fae
"State-side," but this type of leader is heavily promoted in Europe. Interesting thing is one of the major manufacutures appears to be an American firm.
The 'floating leaders,' I'm (only .02 cents here) don't appear to bring anything to my personal table; but their sinking leaders and first rate ... with one exception.
The internal leader material appears to be quite soft and busts off if hung up very easily. The RIO version of the sinking leaders are first rate and a considerably longer. Again, my .02 cents here, too long for lower water work at 12 foot (vs. 5-7 foot for the Airflo's), but they don't have the 'weak internal leader' "problem" I've consistently found with the Airflo's.
These leaders are excellent alternatives for longer sinking tips for our/my Rogue Work, especially when run off a full dry line with a three-four foot "butt section" 20-25 # of Maxima main line. The long 'butt section' allows the dry line to stay dry/mend like crazy, and the sinking leader/tippet/fly to drop like a rock in the water column.
fae
G
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·The Air Flo Polyleaders also come in ten foot and fourteen foot lengths. They also come in at least four different strengths, including five and ten footers that are rated at 40lb.
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459 Posts
Smolt,
I bought a couple of the Air Flo leaders last year and now also have the Rio T-14 sinking leaders. Put them on the wind cutter spey line, casted better than my former and probably heavier deep water express heads and some other other miscellaneous sink heads I have been using over the last 20 years.
Both casted fairly well, but remember I am used to throwing awkward sink tips for close to 20 years now. Also remember most of my casting in the GLs is shorter distances under 60-70 feet due to the smaller river widths here. Even on a larger river like the Muskegon or Big M I will try and wade closer to decrease the length of the cast.
Air flos casted well but I don't think they get down as fast as the T-14, but I am still in field testing mode on these. Just got the T-14 in March.
PM Out
I bought a couple of the Air Flo leaders last year and now also have the Rio T-14 sinking leaders. Put them on the wind cutter spey line, casted better than my former and probably heavier deep water express heads and some other other miscellaneous sink heads I have been using over the last 20 years.
Both casted fairly well, but remember I am used to throwing awkward sink tips for close to 20 years now. Also remember most of my casting in the GLs is shorter distances under 60-70 feet due to the smaller river widths here. Even on a larger river like the Muskegon or Big M I will try and wade closer to decrease the length of the cast.
Air flos casted well but I don't think they get down as fast as the T-14, but I am still in field testing mode on these. Just got the T-14 in March.
PM Out
Airflo braided leaders are not the same thing as the PolyLeaders -they are braided as opposed to the polty coating on the mono core. Although this style of leader never achieved much recognition or use in the US they are still used a lot in some regions especially Quebec and New Brunswick for salmon fishing. Note that the extra super fast salmon 7' and 10' braided sinking leaders are sink rated at 12"/sec.
The new Airflo 20' Custom Cut tips are now available in all 3 grain weights. If you really want to GET DOWN try the 470 grain CC tip. At 23.5 grains per foot, it's almost 2 X as dense as LC 13. Hard hats should be recommended.
The new Airflo 20' Custom Cut tips are now available in all 3 grain weights. If you really want to GET DOWN try the 470 grain CC tip. At 23.5 grains per foot, it's almost 2 X as dense as LC 13. Hard hats should be recommended.
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Polyleader Or Tip
This thread started talking about polyleaders vs braid.
T14 is a very heavy, and for most people, not a very good casting tip. It works best with short heavy leads with a lot of grains to turn them over. I know that Dr. Way and Steve cast some of this on long belly lines, but they are exceptional casters!!!
Tackelman: How in the world do you cast something with 23.5 grains per foot without hinging? Ed Ward uses Wt 14 belly for T14.
This thread started talking about polyleaders vs braid.
T14 is a very heavy, and for most people, not a very good casting tip. It works best with short heavy leads with a lot of grains to turn them over. I know that Dr. Way and Steve cast some of this on long belly lines, but they are exceptional casters!!!
Tackelman: How in the world do you cast something with 23.5 grains per foot without hinging? Ed Ward uses Wt 14 belly for T14.
I'm not too sure how you do this but I'm going to try. The Custom Cut tips come with welded loops in each end so you can cut them where you want for length and/or grains. The rest will come down to the same sort of calculation that all 'tip' casters have to do in order to find a combi that works for them and their equipment. The formula that you indicated from Ed Ward is a good indication. These tips, like Rio's 'Big Boys', won't make for pretty casts, unless you're one of the accomplished Skagit style casters like Ed, but they can put your fly in the zone in some fast currents or deep seams that you otherwise can't fish. My shoulder hurts just thinking about it.
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Re Ed Ward system,
Actually Ed would rarely fish a big honkin' head like those. Instead he prefers shorter (9' or less) lighter tips, his "system" relies extensively on the ability of his Intruders to ellicit strikes from the most aggressive fish. As well, he hates to lose one of his flies - I can agree with that - at 30 - 40+ minutes per fly I understand.
The 14wt line in Marlow's design has more to do with the casting style than it does an ability to turn over long heavy heads.
Actually Ed would rarely fish a big honkin' head like those. Instead he prefers shorter (9' or less) lighter tips, his "system" relies extensively on the ability of his Intruders to ellicit strikes from the most aggressive fish. As well, he hates to lose one of his flies - I can agree with that - at 30 - 40+ minutes per fly I understand.
The 14wt line in Marlow's design has more to do with the casting style than it does an ability to turn over long heavy heads.
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Ed Ward Follow UP
Ed was a presenter at the Sandy Clave. He said that he keeps all of his heads at 9 feet to maintain the same casting stroke. His T14 head is 7 feet of T14 and 2 feet of floating to give his desired length.
He fishes a lot of pocket water and wants the fly and head to get down immediately, but not too deep.
He said that he used the heavy level to turn over the T14 and heavy fly, but I will defer to Kush on that, I may not have heard correctly.
Ed was a presenter at the Sandy Clave. He said that he keeps all of his heads at 9 feet to maintain the same casting stroke. His T14 head is 7 feet of T14 and 2 feet of floating to give his desired length.
He fishes a lot of pocket water and wants the fly and head to get down immediately, but not too deep.
He said that he used the heavy level to turn over the T14 and heavy fly, but I will defer to Kush on that, I may not have heard correctly.
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The OP asked about the Floating polyleaders...
I tried one to see if it might help keep my line on top better. It actually was worse, because the larger diameter (than the fly line tip) was more prone to getting caught by micro-eddies, etc. and drowning.
Hence, I found no advantage to the Floating polyleader, and it seemed to be worse than a regular leader, IMO. You still need whatever length of regular leader is appropriate, anyway, as the polyleaders are more of a line tip than a leader.
On the other hand, I really like the sinking polyleader.
--Bill
I tried one to see if it might help keep my line on top better. It actually was worse, because the larger diameter (than the fly line tip) was more prone to getting caught by micro-eddies, etc. and drowning.
Hence, I found no advantage to the Floating polyleader, and it seemed to be worse than a regular leader, IMO. You still need whatever length of regular leader is appropriate, anyway, as the polyleaders are more of a line tip than a leader.
On the other hand, I really like the sinking polyleader.
--Bill
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