Just thought I'd share a setup that's working well for me (I'm sure other people use it as well - but here's my version step by step).

The basic setup is a Rod Dibble furled leader (made from Gel spun polyester) of 4ft in length (rated to go with my 3-weight floating line). These are available with terminal loops as well as microrings - for this setup; the looped end is the correct option. This allows a temporary hi-viz braid section to be quickly added or removed. Attached to the hi-viz braid is a 6 foot section of level Stroft mono (0.14mm diameter) to a short dropper with a further 22" to a point fly (Again Stroft mono of either 0.14mm or 0.12mm diameter).


I keep a level tippet and single dry fly wrapped around a block of foam on my fishing vest. The foam block has a velcro strap all the way along one of the long edges to trap down the butt end of the tippet (which ends in a perfection loop). I can then very quickly change between a nymph and a dry fly setup (simply by unlooping the rig in use, wrapping it onto the rig block and looping on the alternative rig). The advantages of furled leaders for dry fly have been covered quite a lot already - however they are also brilliant for super sensitive nymph fishing as they are so much lighter (and hence present much less resistance to a taking fish) than normal fly line. Furled leaders are also really low stretch and provide good contact on the strike.

Here's how to make the hi viz loop (which can also be used on a long leader/"French nymph" type setup).

Take a length of bright orange braided backing and form a hairpin bend - pinching the apex of the bend in the jaws of your flytying vice:


Catch on a length of standard black tying silk (do not use Gel Spun polyester as it is too slippery) as you would when starting to tie a fly:


Then whip towards the apex of the loop (further trapping down the tag end of thread):


Trim the tag end of the tying thread


Then fold the loose end of the braid towards the apex of the loop too (to add extra security) and trap down by whipping over:


Continue to whip away from the apex of the loop (having trimmed off the tag end of the braid:


Now catch in a doubled length of monofilament (about 5lb breaking strain right) with the apex of the mono loop pointing in the opposite direction from the apex of the braid loop:


Lay on about a dozen further turns of tying thread over the nylon loop- working away from the apex of the braid loop before cutting the tying thread and passing the free end through the nylon loop:


Now tightly grip and pull the tag ends of the nylon loop so that the free end of the tying thread is pulled back under the existing whipping:


Finally crop off the spare end of the tying thread closely to the whipping:


Repeat the process for the opposite end of the braid (making the loops the required size - larger at the end which will loop onto the furled leader with a smaller loop to tie onto with the level nymph leader.


One on the dropper using the setup above:

Hi Paul

Do you find the gsp furled leader any better than the common thread made furled leader? Is it just for this purpose to help turnover a dry and nymphs or personal preference? I have a couple of Jim Williams furled leaders which are thread made and i found when using them in a duo set up they are very limp and cause the rig to hinge through the furled leader section. I do like using them as presentation and turnover with a single dry is superior on my 3 and 5 weight setups and would like to find a furled leader to suit the duo setup.

Jonathan

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"The way to a man's heart is through his flies"

Hi Jonathon - the GSP furled material is also limp, with almost no "memory". However, for my own duo/trio fishing - I tend only to have about 12 inches of the flyline tip outside of the tip ring - allowing me to use level nylon essentially from the rod tip to the bushy dry fly (between 6 and 8.5 feet typically). You probably won't see much difference between your current thread furled leader and the Rod Dibble ones.

I guess you could incorporate a slightly stiffer mono section from the tip of the furled leader that then drops down to whatever diameter you use for your duo rig. That way, you could just pull the furled leader mostly back into the rod rings when you have a duo rig attached (and, obviously, giving you scope to pay out the furled leader for pure nymph/wet setups or dry fly).

I believe Rod also takes requests (in terms of overall lengths and tapers) for his furled leaders so you could experiment with a longer level tip section.....

why not just make a braid loop at both ends of the hi vis braid,it would save you a lot of hassle.
A good explanation of a blind whip finish.thats how i fasten my braid loops to my flyline.

Jim

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I did think about that - but I was a bit wary as to whether the thin brand of backing would give a reliable connection. Would be interested if anybody out there is using that method?

Also - as a semi-unintentional benefit; the black bands of whipping show up better in silvery light than the bright orange.

looks like a very good idea. i might try this as a sight indicator. i know it works better for short line casting like you mentioned, but if like me you like to cast from one side of the river to the other, does it effect your casting? the reason i ask is because i always get tangles on my dropper and this is just one more thing that can tangle my line

burhan

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Well past the light
But at the end of the day
It's the end of the day

Burhan

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Paul

I use the braided end method to make sighters for nymphing. I use 30lb Airflo micro poly backing in fluo orange. I thread about a needle and a bits length back down the section to make the loop and I've never had one fail yet even landed salmon czech nymphing! To aid sight i colour the leader with black marker in sections and it stands out well and you can have one made in a minute

Jonathan

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Paul,

Nice tip.

Just started using a Tenkara rod for close range river fishing so experimenting with different types of furled leaders and setups. One aspect is a high viz leader tip for nymph fishing built into the furled leader. This also gives the ability to quickly change over to dry fly using the same leader.
The dynamics of the leaders are still what you would expect, its just that the tip section is made from high viz tying thread.
Below is a video of us testing one out yesterday. The cameraman, AlynFisher, is the furled leader manufacturer (more of a hobby, rather than a commercial concern) Custom Furles Home Page.

BTW The grayling caught at the end was by AlynFisher, not me.

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Jonathan - many thanks for that. Would it be possible to post a photo sequence of your loop formation? I'd like to try and replicate it exactly!

Regarding the question about using it as a longer range sighter - these little lengths of braid are good for French nymphing setups, they take mucilin very well and float to a decent degree. Also - with the furled leader setup (which also takes mucilin well), this can be used very effectively in the czech "long nymph" style which is used a huge amount by Jiri Klima (especially in his pleasure fishing where he says it saves him from wading around too much!). Jiri's style for long nymphing is to couple an 8ft up to 8ft 6" rod rated for a 2-weight line and to attach a short leader (of maybe 5 feet) which holds two nymphs about 20 to 22 inches apart. The up or up and across-stream cast is delivered and the flyline is held off the water apart from the last 18" to maybe 6-feet (being tracked accurately downstream). In uniform shallow streamy water, he also fishes this setup down and across (with a high rod tip) to search more water in a short time.

Pedros - nice underwater footage and (as I originally stated) a great example of ideas arising independently in several places. I was fishing with Stuart Crofts a couple of weeks ago (using the rig pictured) and he said that Rod had been making the England rivers team the furled leaders with an integral bright orange tip. They had tried to keep it to themselves for a while but obviously, there is always cross fertilisation through competitions. It was nice to know I was on the right track with an idea/adaptation of my own even if there are plenty of others out there doing it already.

I remember Dave Downie fishing czech nymphs off a furled leader of some kind several years ago now in the Czech republic but I only just got around to thinking about tuning a setup for instant change to dry fly (hence the use of lowest/lightest rated Bennechi thread leader that Rod produces). I also wanted the option of incorporating a versatile indicator braid that can be positioned anywhere along the monofilament part of the leader from the butt to the middle to near the tip.....

Hi Paul

I'll try and sort out putting some pics up never tried before?!

If you like send me your specs on lengths you would like in a pm and i'll make them up for you and send them on in the meantime?

Jonathan

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"The way to a man's heart is through his flies"