Leader material

One of the most crucial factors in fly fishing is the selection of the appropriate leader material. Often the material used for it, the length and diameter of the tip decides the success of catching.
In fly fishing, a distinction is made between drawn monofilament leaders and various monofilament lines on the leader spools. In addition, one uses Polyleader with different sink rates and on predatory fish Monowire and Polywire materials.

Leader

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  1. STROFT GTM 25m
    €3.30
  2. STROFT GTM 50m
    €4.90
  3. STROFT GTM 100m
    €6.30
  4. STROFT GTM 200m
    €12.50
  5. STROFT GTM 300m
    €16.40
  6. STROFT GTM 500m
    €24.50
  7. STROFT GTM 1000m
    €40.70
  8. STROFT LS 50m
    €6.00
  9. STROFT FC 1 25m
    €14.55
  10. STROFT FC 1 50m
    €27.55
  11. STROFT FC 2 25m
    €7.25
  12. STROFT FC 2 50m
    €12.20
  13. STROFT FC 2 500m
    €110.65
  14. STROFT FC 2 1000m
    €215.70
  15. OPST Commando Sink Tips 12ft
    €39.90
  16. OPST Commando Sink Tips 5ft
    €29.90
  17. OPST Commando Tips floating
    €29.90
  18. PIJAWETZ Superior X8 Fly Snap Connecting Ring
    €4.50
  19. MARRYAT leader pulled 7.5ft
    €3.50
  20. MARRYAT leader pulled 9ft
    €3.50
  21. MARRYAT leader pulled 12ft
    €3.50
  22. PIJAWETZ leader pulled 9Ft incl. loop - loop device
    €3.50
  23. PIJAWETZ leader pulled 12Ft incl. loop - loop device
    €3.50
  24. PIJAWETZ Leader pulled 9Ft Fluorocarbon incl. Loop - Loop
    €6.90
  25. POLYLEADER salmon/steelhead 5Ft
    €7.90
  26. POLYLEADER salmon/steelhead 10Ft
    €9.90
  27. POLYLEADER salmon/steelhead 14Ft
    €13.90
  28. POLYLEADER trout 5Ft
    €7.90
  29. POLYLEADER trout 8Ft
    €9.90
  30. POLYLEADER sea trout/steelhead 8Ft
    €9.90
  31. POLYLEADER bass/pike (without wire) 4Ft
    €7.90
  32. POLYLEADER light trout 5Ft
    €7.90
  33. POLYLEADER light trout 8Ft
    €8.20
  34. POLYLEADER saltwater 5Ft
    €7.90
  35. POLYLEADER saltwater 10Ft
    €9.90
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Leader - material properties

Monofilament made of polyamide copolymer alloys
Fished on the water surface or sinking (sinking speed only by the lure or water current). A transparent, often colored leader available in a wide variety of lengths on a spool. The most commonly used lengths for fly fishing are 25m, 50m and 100m. Depending on the area of use, the material is more elastic (dry fly; nymph) or stiffer (saltwater). For lengthening of drawn leaders.

Monofilament made of fluorocarbon:

A transparent leader which is used for fishing under the water surface (sinking lures). Unlike a conventional monofilament, the fluorocarbon material is not visible under water. The material is very abrasion resistant. It is offered on spools with e.g. 25m, 50m and 100m length. Basically, you should always use a so-called Bitzenbauer ring (leader connection ring) for connections with fluorocarbon material. Connections with angler's knots are expressly not recommended! For the extension of drawn leaders

Drawn leaders:

A drawn, transparent leader (tapers to the tip), has special unwinding properties. The leader stretches excellently due to the weight reduction to the tip and the transported bait settles smoothly on the water. Uniform lines would make the bait splash in the water. Ideal if the pulled leader have some toughness load. If the material of the leader and the combination of rod action and leader is right, fine leader tips can be used to drill handsome fish and leader breaks are minimized. If the tip of the leader is damaged, extend the leader with material from a leader spool and restore the original condition as best as possible. Depending on the water and the target fish, different lengths and strengths of the tip are distinguished.

Predatory fish leaders:

Wires made of nickel titanium alloys, polywire (very resistant) are braided from several strands and used for predator fishing due to their excellent properties. Modern polywire lines are easy to tie with a clinch knot. Monowire consists of only one strand and is basically stiffer than polywire. Additionally, you could use a drop of super glue or shrink wrap to make the knot smoother.

Polyleader - sinking leaders

Conventional leaders sink due to the weight of the lure or the water current. Sometimes you need faster sink rates to guide lures to the bottom of the water. For this purpose it is recommended to use so called Polyleaders. These are available in different lengths and with different sinking characteristics.

Leaders - Connections:

At the end of the fly line is a loop connection (Loop & Junction) In this loop the leader is tied or hooked.

Various fishing knots are suitable for connecting leader material. For fluorocarbon material, however, a leader connecting ring is recommended. In very clear water and under blue skies, a knot is preferable to a leader connecting ring due to visibility in the water. There is also the possibility of a connection with UV glue and UV lamp.

Fishing knots:

Not all knots are the same. If a leader knot does not hold when drilling the supposed life fish, it is unfortunately too late. But there is help. The company Stroft as a specialist of fishing lines has published a brochure with 22 safe connections for all applications. For each knot, the area of application, carrying capacity and special features are described. The topics are divided into line- line knots, universal knots, loop knots, hook knots and special knots. The Pijawetz company will be pleased to enclose a knot brochure with your order on request.

FEEDERS - Material and Storage

Leader material should be stored and transported protected from light. UV radiation and too much sunlight should be avoided. Unprotected, leader material can age and quickly become brittle. It becomes rough and tears occur. It is recommended to check and replace the leader material regularly.

Make lines wet when tying knots, this creates less friction when tightening. The knot slips together more easily, the material does not roughen.

It is important to trust the quality of the leader. Often stated diameter values unfortunately differ from the actual values. When fishing selectively in crystal clear water, stronger diameters than specified can lead to less catching success. Stroft leaders are highly recommended due to the material properties such as elongation, elasticity, knot strength, the specified values are actual values.

Leader material disposal


Plastics cannot be degraded in nature. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to collect leftover and used leader material and dispose of it in an environmentally friendly way at the end of the fishing day.

Length of leader

Depending on the size of the waters, one divides pulled leaders into different lengths. The length should also harmonize with the rod length. Basically, the more fishing pressure on the water, the clearer the water and the nicer the weather (blue sky), the longer the leader.

Leaders are specified in Ft. (1Ft = approx. 30cm).

Streams and small waters shorter leaders with 7'5 Ft = 225 cm.
Medium waters and rivers 9Ft = 270 cmLakes
, larger waters and rivers 12Ft = 360 cmDifficult
situations with crystal clear water and smooth surface up to 15Ft #450 cm


Leader tip thickness

The dragged leader tapers towards the tip. Towards the fly line is the thick part, towards the lure is the thinner part. Depending on the target fish and the visibility of the water, you choose the desired tip thickness in addition to the length. The tip strength of the pulled leader is usually indicated in X. (e.g. mostly 7X = 0,10mm - 6X=0,12mm - 5X=0,14mm - 4X=0,17mm - 3X=0,20mm). At Stroft there are 11 thicknesses available per length for drawn leaders.

Leader spools

Leader spools are offered on 25m, 50m or 100m rolls. Ideal for replacing the leader tip when the pulled leader breaks, or for lengthening the leader when it wears out. For storage we recommend a useful tool from Stroft, the leader spool system.

Pitzenbauer or leader connecting rings

Basically, you use different knots to connect leader material.

With clammy fingers and in cold weather, these knots (blood knots) are often only doable with some practice. It is easier to use a leader connecting ring for connecting leader material and to tie the leader material into it from each side. Leader connecting rings are available in different diameters and with different load capacities.

Recommendation: When connecting Fluorocarbon material, due to the material properties necessarily use leader connecting rings.

Buy leader material online - Pijawetz offers ..

Buying leader material is a matter of trust. Pijawetz is a distributor of Stroft fishing lines and leader materials for various purposes. For many years we have been using the high quality products of Stroft for all our fly fishing trainings on the Salza river and for trips in fresh and salt water.

Stroft monofilament GTM, LS, ABR and Fluorocarbon FC1 and FC2 are among the highest quality leader materials available on the market. Drawn leaders made from GTM material are available in 4 lengths and 11 thicknesses each. NiTi Monowire and Polywire for the predator sector and important accessories complete the comprehensive Stroft range.

We would be pleased to count you among our satisfied customers. We are happy to assist you with advice.