CharlieB
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Practice Leader
I'm new to fly fishing and want to know if there is something known as a practice leader and, if so, where they may be available. I saw one being used in a fly casting video. It was bright orange and the instructor added a little tuft of yarn to simulate a fly. If there is no such thing, could someone recommend something I could use. I really don't want to beat up a good leader while trying to learn the basics. Thanks in advance for your help...CharlieB
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KJH807
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/11 11:18:00
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a bright leader was probably used so you could see the leader turnover and understand tech the "yarn fly" was also used for visual purposes
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musthuntmusky
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/11 11:47:04
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if you're casting in the lawn, you won't beat up your leader. Walmart carries tapered leaders (fairplay) for $1.96. Simply nail knot a 10'' piece of 20-30 pd. mono to your fly line and tie a loop on the end. Then, you can loop to loop connect all your leaders from then on. or... you could buy your first leader at 3x, nail knot it to your fly line, use it until it's too thick, and cut it so you have 8-10'' of butt section left. Then create the perfection loop for future connections. or... have your local fly shop set this up for you. you'll end up paying more for this "practice leader", then you would a standard one. You can be cheap on leaders, but buy quality tippet: Rio powerflex and flouroflex. Mono for dries (it floats), swinging/stripping streamers, and nymphing in decent flows. You only need flouro for low water conditions, as it costs more than double the price of mono. The only advantage flouro really gives you is less visibility under the water, a better sinking rate, less abrasive on sharp rocks (stronger lb to lb than mono), and easier to tie knots with. Might seem like a lot, but the price influx just doesn't make up for them. one more thing: always attach at least 3 ft. of what your tippet is marked at. i.e. 3-5 ft. of 5 or 6x on a 4 or 5x leader. This will help you not burn through leaders so fast. Use either the blood or triple surgeons, also found on youtube, to connect tippet to leader. nail knot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAtYdbVJWxI perfection loop: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTSCVlFObHU
post edited by musthuntmusky - 2011/03/11 11:49:03
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D-nymph
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/11 12:12:55
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ORIGINAL: musthuntmusky or... have your local fly shop set this up for you. What if one hates their local flyshop? Will the internet set it up for me?
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DarDys
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/11 12:33:40
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ORIGINAL: D-nymph ORIGINAL: musthuntmusky or... have your local fly shop set this up for you. What if one hates their local flyshop? Will the internet set it up for me? It will if you hold it up to the monitor and slowly count backwards from 1,000,000,000,000.
The poster formally known as Duncsdad Everything I say can be fully substantiated by my own opinion.
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musthuntmusky
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/11 13:38:29
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ya dude, cabelas has staff on call during normal business hours, or you can use the chat feature with ll bean!
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KJH807
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/11 13:49:41
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nothing says "fishing knowledge" like a call center
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DarDys
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/11 13:56:14
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ORIGINAL: KJH807 nothing says "fishing knowledge" like a call center "Hello, this is Peggy..."
The poster formally known as Duncsdad Everything I say can be fully substantiated by my own opinion.
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woodnickle
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/11 14:58:17
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Riverbum
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/11 20:05:13
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for practice, you dont really need a leader...just tie a bright short piece of yarn to the end of your fly line (for visibilty) and let it rip... also try this website for knots... http://www.animatedknots.com/
"Some go to church and think about fishing, others go fishing and think about God."~by Tony Blake~ "Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in. Its thin current slides away, but eternity remains." ~by Henry David Thoreau~
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musthuntmusky
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/11 22:32:15
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i wouldn't trust riverbum... he just likes to hear himself talk/type. those links i provided are the easiest for the said knots...
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KJH807
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/11 22:37:48
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ORIGINAL: Riverbum for practice, you dont really need a leader...just tie a bright short piece of yarn to the end of your fly line (for visibilty) and let it rip... ... no practice with a leader
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slimyrock
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/12 08:27:24
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Some days it just doesn't pay to chew your way out of the restraints.
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rottenhimer
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/12 16:47:33
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Charlie beat that leader till you can cast overhead @ least 30'.With a little practice you'll be hitting a 2' circle @ 50'.Then let er rip for real
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Riverbum
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/12 22:51:49
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ORIGINAL: musthuntmusky if you're casting in the lawn, you won't beat up your leader. Walmart carries tapered leaders (fairplay) for $1.96. Simply nail knot a 10'' piece of 20-30 pd. mono to your fly line and tie a loop on the end. Then, you can loop to loop connect all your leaders from then on. or... you could buy your first leader at 3x, nail knot it to your fly line, use it until it's too thick, and cut it so you have 8-10'' of butt section left. Then create the perfection loop for future connections. or... have your local fly shop set this up for you. you'll end up paying more for this "practice leader", then you would a standard one. You can be cheap on leaders, but buy quality tippet: Rio powerflex and flouroflex. Mono for dries (it floats), swinging/stripping streamers, and nymphing in decent flows. You only need flouro for low water conditions, as it costs more than double the price of mono. The only advantage flouro really gives you is less visibility under the water, a better sinking rate, less abrasive on sharp rocks (stronger lb to lb than mono), and easier to tie knots with. Might seem like a lot, but the price influx just doesn't make up for them. one more thing: always attach at least 3 ft. of what your tippet is marked at. i.e. 3-5 ft. of 5 or 6x on a 4 or 5x leader. This will help you not burn through leaders so fast. Use either the blood or triple surgeons, also found on youtube, to connect tippet to leader. nail knot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAtYdbVJWxI perfection loop: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTSCVlFObHU i wouldn't trust riverbum... he just likes to hear himself talk/type. since you dont know me from Adam, Im not sure what your basis is for that...BWGAS let's see...pot or kettle...opinions are like ****s...
"Some go to church and think about fishing, others go fishing and think about God."~by Tony Blake~ "Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in. Its thin current slides away, but eternity remains." ~by Henry David Thoreau~
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musthuntmusky
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/13 00:38:24
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INOV: In need of valium; please elaborate on your acronyms you'll have to forgive me, but I'm not following BWGAS: ??
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dano
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/13 14:13:40
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ORIGINAL: KJH807 ORIGINAL: Riverbum for practice, you dont really need a leader...just tie a bright short piece of yarn to the end of your fly line (for visibilty) and let it rip... ... no practice with a leader Yea, you definitely should use a leader. You need to learn how to turnover a leader. It's best to practice on the water with fly and leader attached. And lawn casting does beat the he!! out of a good line/coating. So, best to use a cheap line for lawn casting.
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DarDys
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/14 08:06:55
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ORIGINAL: dano ORIGINAL: KJH807 ORIGINAL: Riverbum for practice, you dont really need a leader...just tie a bright short piece of yarn to the end of your fly line (for visibilty) and let it rip... ... no practice with a leader Yea, you definitely should use a leader. You need to learn how to turnover a leader. It's best to practice on the water with fly and leader attached. And lawn casting does beat the he!! out of a good line/coating. So, best to use a cheap line for lawn casting. Agreed. Use water when you can. The resistance of water on a flyline makes for a very different pickup than grass. Practice with a leader attached -- or you will conatantly be 9 feet off the mark -- LOL.
The poster formally known as Duncsdad Everything I say can be fully substantiated by my own opinion.
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Riverbum
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/14 10:32:16
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this guy says he is a beginner...though using using a leader will help you get a feel for turnover and practicing on water will help with pick-up, neither is necessary nor critical to BEGIN to learn how to fly cast...
"Some go to church and think about fishing, others go fishing and think about God."~by Tony Blake~ "Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in. Its thin current slides away, but eternity remains." ~by Henry David Thoreau~
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thedrake
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/14 10:56:21
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I've gotta disagree. A fly line by itself is not as easy to cast as a line with a leader attached. The taper of a fly line ends too abruptly to be cast well without a leader finishing the taper. A new caster will have a hard time getting the proper feel without a leader.
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musthuntmusky
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/14 12:06:22
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just cut your losses and give up you bum you. casting without a leader is best said by drake, abrupt end and somewhat snap. I mean, 2 dollars we're talking here... why wouldn't you learn to cast as you would on the stream?
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mohawksyd
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/14 14:28:24
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FWIW, when I started out last year, I did the fly line only thing. Then I tied on my leader and headed to the local DHALO. Like DarDys said, I was missing the mark by roughly the length of my leader. I got it figured out, but it wasn't without a lot of needless aggravation. You need that leader on there to finish absorbing the energy of the cast. Got the boy practicing with a full leader and a bad tie with the hook cut off of it so he can see where he's hitting. It's easier to learn from OTHER people's mistakes.
"For the supreme test of a fisherman is not how many fish he has caught...but what he has caught when he has caught no fish." - John H. Bradley
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jvp
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/14 16:04:21
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dimebrite
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RE: Practice Leader
2011/03/18 11:49:24
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Leader with yarn on the end is.best. on water at a pond or lake is way better than grass. The line loads differently when pulled off of grass rather than water....
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