CTFishTalk.com: flies and leader question? - Connecticut Fly Fishing Reports ( CT Fly Fishing Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

icefishingnewbie · Joined: 18 Dec 2011 Posts: 275 Location: Haddam, CT

well i have a 9 ft fly pole and i picked up some flies from ebay they are a green copper john a adams parachute olive dryfly. a elk hair caddis a stonefly nymph and 2 black wooly buggers well all i intend on using in ct. But what i really got them for is my to favorite suummer vacations colorado and utah which are 2 excelleant fly fishing areas. So if there is any more tips give me it. Also iwould love to know if a 7.5 leader is a good size tapered leader thanks! Very Happy

icefishingnewbie · Joined: 18 Dec 2011 Posts: 275 Location: Haddam, CT

also my flies are all size 12 except the copper john is 14 are those to big?

CT_BASSman · Joined: 23 May 2011 Posts: 349

What weight rod is it?

You can go with a 7.5 ft tapered 5x leader then attach another 3-5 ft section of tippet ranging anywhere from 5x-7x depending on size of fly and presentation.

For nymphing and dries I would go with 6x, then for your streamers I personally use 5x for everything else trout wise.

If your're going to be fly fishing out west I would also suggest getting some dry hopper patterns. You can also throw in some BH (bead head) pheasant tails, hares ear, and prince nymphs, stoneflies both nymph and dries, caddis pupas ranging anywhere from 8-14 for the stoneflies and 14-20 for all the other nymphs and dries.

It would be a good idea and investment to have a varied selection of size.

Passinthru Outdoors · Joined: 22 Feb 2011 Posts: 142

The length and size of the leader depend on the fish and how you are fishing. IF you are dry fly fishing to spooky fish in clear waters, you may need to go down in size even to a 7x and a 12 foot leader. Fishing streamers and buggers you should go with a short leader and upsize it because of the strikes you will get stripping streamers you need the extra strength up to a 3X and short 3foot if you can find them. Having some different sized tippet material allows you to add and change as conditions require.

Here is a link to a basic leader/fly sizing chart to help you out. http://www.orvis.com/intro.aspx?subject=2202

CT_BASSman metnioned some dry hopper flies. Terestrials (hoppers, beetles, ants) are common in the warmer months and make for a good dry/dropper setup - Dropper is usually a nymph or emerger trailing off the dry fly.

You never mentioned if you have fly fishign experience or not but fishing dries can be very challenging as you really need to work on presenting a dry fly just like the original does with little to ZERO drag - floating drag free. If your skills are not up to it, youy might just frustrate yourself into giving up.

Throwing streamers are pretty easy to learn and deal with and a great place for starting out. Remember the majority of the time a fish feeds subsurace so nymphing and streamers are a good choice.

Best of luck to you. Wish I was heading out west.
_________________
“Don't tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don't tell them where they know the fish.” Mark Twain

Visit my Blog at: www.passinthruoutdoors.blogspot.com