The leader is probably one of the most important considerations when putting together a fly fishing set up. My goal here is to help you understand the differences and how they affect your fly fishing experience.

The Taper

The first thing to understand about leaders is that they are tapered. This means the end that connects to the fly line is thicker than the end the fly ties to. Nowadays, most leaders are manufactured in one seamless piece. But there are also hand tied leaders where a progressively smaller tippet size is used from the thick end to the thin. The reason leaders are tapered is to create a gentle presentation when the fly hits the water. The thicker end helps to turn over the thinner end with the fly attached to it. Then, the thinner end can Continue reading “3 Key Features to Understand Fly Fishing Leaders”