Furled Leaders: The What, Why, and How.

By Jim Cramer
Excerpts reprinted with permission of the author and Federation of Flyfishers® (FFF)

My first two furled leaders were purchased in Austria in 1994. Later as I studied them at home, I knew that I could build a better leader. Research, testing, and much experimentation followed as I built hundreds of leaders over the next few years. Following is a bit of what I have learned about the what, why, and how of furled leaders.

The What. Five years ago perhaps one fly fisherman in a thousand had heard of a furled leader. Now thanks to the internet that number may be five percent and growing quickly.

In simplest terms a furled leader is like a very thin tapered rope. Multiple strands of material are twisted and counter twisted together to form a knotless tapered leader. In Izaak Newton's time, multiple strands of horse hair were carefully knotted and twisted to make lines and leaders. Today's modern materials simplify the process and improve the product.
Note: A monofilament tippet is always used with the furled leader.

The Why. Presenting the fly in the most natural manner possible is the primary purpose of the leader. In many situations the furled leader accomplishes this in a manner superior to the common monofilament leader. Furled leaders are not my choice for all fishing situations, but I do believe they excel for small dry flies where presentation is crucial.

If one leader was to be called user friendly it would be a furled leader.

Advantages of furled leaders are numerous.
- Lack of memory reduces micro-drag
- Positive turnover provides increased accuracy
- Gentle presentation eliminates leader slap
- Natural elasticity protects light tippets
- User Friendly, not prone to wind knots
- Visibility facilitates the tracking of flies
- Good retention of paste floatants
- Excellent knot strength

Let me address a reservation often voiced by those seeing a furled leader for the first time regarding the leader's visibility. Fish are not spooked by each piece of flotsam and debris in the water. If so they would soon starve. Consider also, that as a fish rises to a fly, the furled portion of the leader is well outside its cone of vision. A visible leader, on the other hand, is a great aid to the angler especially when tracking small dry flies in the fading evening light. When fishing the damsel nymph migration to shore in still waters a bright leader treated with Musclin keeps the nymph near the surface and makes it easy to track. A bulge in the water two feet behind the visible leader indicates a take before it is ever felt. Hang on!

The How. Available space does not permit delving into the finer points of construction, but this is not rocket science. Leader construction is comprised of three steps; layout, initial twisting, and counter-twisting. Visualize a V with each leg of the V representing one leg of the leader. Each leg is laid out with interlocking loops or knotted strands establishing the leader's length and taper. Each leg is then twisted several hundred times in the same direction. Next the bottom of the V is twisted in the opposite direction allowing the legs to progressively join one another. Visualize a Y. A board or jig with pegs and hooks facilitates the layout and twisting operations. A whorl or a power hand tool like the Dremel or a reversible hand drill is used for the twisting.

Material selection, taper, and length are the three most important variables determining leader performance. My early leaders were made of monofilament tying thread which I do not recommend as the leaders exhibit an undesirable stiffness. All current fly tying threads will produce a satisfactory leader, but each has its own characteristics.

Because the leaders land so softly and are so effective at reducing drag, the need for very long leaders is minimized. I have made furled leaders up to fourteen feet not including the tippet that would turn over by hand, but from a practical stand point a seven foot leader plus tippet fills most needs nicely.

After using furled leaders for several years, I've come to the conclusion that Mr. Walton and his friends were not as handicapped by their equipment as I once thought. As many guides say, "Its 90% presentation and 10% fly selection."

You owe it to yourself to give these leaders a try.


Copyright 2001 by Jim Cramer
Reprinted with permission of Federation of Fly Fishers
PO Box 1595, Boseman MT 59771, 406-585-7592
http://www.fedflyfishers.org

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