Tying Your Own Leaders for Fall Fishing Success
By Troy Letherman
For Alaska fly anglers, proper leader construction is of fundamental concern when preparing to fish for our primary fall species: steelhead, trophy char, rainbow trout and coho salmon. Most leaders, especially the commercially available extruded leaders, perform poorly when casting big salmon flies and the types of heavy streamers designed for fishing trout on the swing. Hence, unlike in traditional dry-fly fishing where soft leaders are preferred for making delicate dead-drift presentations, most streamer leaders are tied with stiff monofilament, the kind designed for saltwater, and range from 7 ½- to 9 feet in length. Mason Hard Mono, Rio Saltwater and Maxima Clear are all good choices for fall in Alaska.
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