[Moose]

Anyone have any positive experiences with furled leaders on spey lines?

I bought a Spey length furled leader months ago and didn't like it, but don't remember what I tried it on. Last week I had the Winston DBF out with a new XLT 7/8. I had cut 18" off the tip of the XLT and looped it, and had a long mono leader on it. I wasn't happy with the mono leader as it was an old one (forgot my good leader wallet with the new stuff in it) and rummaged through my gear looking for something else to tie on. Found the furled leader, figured what the heck.

Man, it really smoothed out the turnover of the line. The furled leader seems to act as an extension of the line and the turnover of the fly is improved significantly. It does tend to want to stick just a little on the intial lift and sweep, but this was easily overcome by lifting just a tad higher.

 

[Green Butt]

I have been using them alot over the past few years on single hand and double hand rods. They are tapered and heavier than mono leaders and thus don't cast the same , but as you say the adjustment is not hard to make.
I like the flouorocarbon ones and use them as a mini-sink tip. They get me down just a little more than a mono leader, which is all I want many times.
Also is really hard to get a knot in them. If I use one in really clear water conditions I often use a very long tippet or even a steppped down tippet to put the fly farther from the leader.
I like them, but still use the mono leaders at times too.

 

[JimT]

Furled Leaders

Moose

I've been using furled leaders exclusively for the past two years. You can turn over the leader by casting just the leader. I have added 3 - 4 feet of tippet and turned that over with no problem. They don't curl like a mono leader, pull it off the reel or out of your leader wallet and it is straight. The only disadvantage I found is if you snag your fly and have to break-off. A furled leader made from mono will load-up like a spring and come snapping back at you.

They are easy to make, you can customize the length, material and strength. I have made them from mono, Fireline (doesn't load up like mono on a snag) and thread, 3/0, for lighter applications (4wt).

Glad to hear it worked for you.

Jim T

 

[Muckle Salmon]

Whats a furled leader?

 

[Moose]

Whats a furled leader?

Below is an excerpt from an article in FR&R magazine:

For those unfamiliar with them, furled leaders are essentially multiple strands of fine-diameter material (horsehair, silk, Dacron, nylon or other material) spun together. A quick, and perhaps significant distinction should be made here between furled leaders and braided-butt leaders. The difference is that the latter have a hollow core, which can collect water, then "spray" it during subsequent casts. It's not that a furled or even a regular monofilament leader won't also do this-but it's a matter of degree....

The typical furled leader is a two-piece arrangement, consisting of the furled, tapered butt and body section, and a tippet.... What you'll likely be amazed by is how easily the furled leader will turn over even a fairly lengthy tippet section.

There are several purported advantages of a furled leader, including efficient power transfer, turnover, tighter loops and delicacy and ease of casting. Because the mass of the leader (relative to the line) is an important consideration in achieving a smooth turnover, furled leaders can be more effective than regular nylon ones. That is in part because a straight piece of monofilament of equal mass would be too stiff.

We often make much of a rod's ability (or lack thereof) to act as a shock absorber in order to protect a light tippet against a heavy fish. Well, a furled leader can improve your odds further. The furled construction allows for approximately 15% stretch, increasing the margin of error. This is not an undesirable feature when a 20-incher sips your spinner and you respond with a too-heavy hand.

FR&R magazine




Do a google search for Blue Sky furled leaders. A ton of info. The one thing I'll add is that if anyone tries them, you'll want to apply some silicone to the leader when it's dry or it will tend to grab the water and make the upriver sweep of the line more difficult. They do make for a much sweeter turnover and aid considerably in short presentations, IMHO.

 

[Huckleberry]

You can also make your own.
See below a description of how to do this, including a discussion on variations, materials, leader for 2-handed rod, etc.
http://globalflyfisher.com/fishbetter/henk/index.html
I've made several myself using flytying thread.
Cheers,
Tom.