So I was wondering every ones take on this. I am sure this seems a little odd but I ask because I believe some are better than others. I have been using some cheap cortland stuff you can get at walmart and it works ok but I notice that it will twist up and I figure that is because its not top of the line. So I figured that I could get ppl's opinion on what the feel is the best, that way when I go to change I can make sure I get something that is not bunching up. Hate when my hoppers are next to a nice little wad of line but I swear that the fish try to take it to sometimes.
I mentioned that I buy spools of "leader" instead of those pitiful, tiny spools of "tippet". IIRC 5X is 4lb. That's what I use on little creeks. The seven to ten inch fish don't stand a chance on four pound test. But... Then there's that occasional 13 or 14 inch surprise. I've never had to play a fish for that long though. I don't have the patience for long fish fights. If it goes past a couple of minutes I worry that the sand papery teeth and underwater root balls and rocks will weaken the tippet too much and I'll likely lose the fish anyway. So I try to get them in fast and sometimes a big one leaves with my fly. My first time fishing Putah Creek in Ca. I managed a tricky cast that got me into what I'll guess as a 20+incher. I was using 5X and the fish was using the fast current seam. I lost that one because I couldn't chase it down river and tried to horse it out of the fast water. It would have been the biggest bow of my life too. Not counting steelies. I might have played that one longer just to catch it if I'd had more wits about me. Wits are often in short supply when your surprised like that. So no hard feelings.
I used to fish smaller leaders, but I got tired of line issues and losing that surprise brute fish. I use mostly 3-5x, but I still carry 6 and 7. I am satisfied with my hookup rate with bigger leader, as it has not changed; however, my fish to net rate has increased with fewer breaks. I also loose fewer nymphs to structure with stronger leader.
I've had refusals on 6lb. (2X?) from a holdover steely in Pilchuck creek. Being a holdover stuck in skinny, early fall water I'm sure it had seen a fly before. And the water was so clear that you literally had to poke a stick into it to be certain of the depth or you'd float your hat. I promise it was fine with the Green Butt Skunk I teased it with. But once it got close it paused... And then turned fast. Never to advance on another offering. I think it saw the line and remembered a bad experience. Seeing as the fish was about two feet long I probably wouldn't have landed it on anything finer anyway.
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