[Mike Barrio]

What are your favoured leader set ups for trout?

I used to knot up my own leaders, 4ft+3ft+2ft, or 5ft+4ft+3ft ( both easy to remember ) but I haven't done that for years to be honest.

I can be a bit lazy and I enjoy keeping things simple. I usually fish a furled leader + 3 to 5ft tippet, and that handles my presentation pretty well.

I feel most confident when I'm fishing a good quality 9ft mono tapered leader with about the same 3ft of tippet added to the point.

[Robert MacDonald-Lewis]

On rivers I also tend to keep it simple, using a 9ft tapered leader and a length of tippet. Length I use varies depending on conditions, typically 3-5ft.

On lochs I used to use a tapered leader with added tippet to add droper and point flies. Recently I have been simplifying even more and just using straight mono, sometimes using slightly lighter mono from dropper to point fly.

[Kevin McPherson]

This season I have been using a 9ft tapered leader with a tippet ring , and some lighter tippet of of the ring and on occasion attaching a dropper to the ring as well 

[James Laraway]

blimey....

I have never fished a tapered leader in my entire life for trout !

I have never felt the need to be honest.

I tend to fish 2 flies on my leader, so only one dropper - mainly to avoid tangles and having to change leader too often.

It i want turnover i just fish a slightly bigger  or heavier fly on the point - does the job very nicely   

[Kevin McPherson]

Hi James , I until this year was the same but with the addition of the tippet ring I  have had less tangles and if I do a very quick recovery only needing to replace from the tippet ring 

[Sandy Nelson]

I’m single fly only on the river and use a 14’ tapered leader that I cut back a bit (roughly 12’ ish after I take away a bit of the level tippet end) and fit a tippet ring. Then 3-4’ of tippet to the fly.
It’s usually about 15-16’ total length.
Using the tippet ring means the tapered leader lasts all season unless it gets abraded on rocks or the like, during a battle.

[Mike Barrio]

The use of tippet rings is interesting. I understand why, as the tapered leaders last so much longer.

What brand/source and size of rings are you all using?

[Mike Barrio]

blimey....

I have never fished a tapered leader in my entire life for trout !

I have never felt the need to be honest.

I tend to fish 2 flies on my leader, so only one dropper - mainly to avoid tangles and having to change leader too often.

It i want turnover i just fish a slightly bigger  or heavier fly on the point - does the job very nicely   

Could that be because you are mainly fishing lochs James? So less likely to be focusing on currents and drag with small flies.

[Sandy Nelson]

I’ve tried the fulling mill and the riverge ones. Both are good, basically identical. 1.5mm seems to be the best size.
I’m currently using the black nickel riverge ones. I doubt it makes much difference but it looks a bit cooler.
I say go for whatever you get the best deal on

[Iain Cameron]

Hi Mike,

Same as Sandy. Set up is based on fishing a single, usually dry fly on rivers.

15 foot tapered leader, superglue “knotted” or  nail knotted permanently to fly line, then trimmed back to about 12 feet. Then a tippet ring, Riverge brand I think, and then attach a few feet of tippet. Using a 10foot rod, that’s about 14-15 foot of leader.

As Sandy said, unless the leader gets damaged, it is in place for a season or more…. Keeps life really simple and quick and efficient,  and relatively tangle free.

For a loch set up, when I’ll often have two flies,  I’ll shorten the tapered leader a bit, maybe to 10foot, then still a silver ring then dropper tied to ring, a f four or five feet to tail flee. 

[Gavin Stevenson]

I use the rings, I also find them good for connecting pre made dropper leader setups, makes it very quick and efficent to change particulalry on lochs and still waters

[Merv Amos]

For loch style bank or drifting boat
5’10”, 5’10”, 5’10”  of 10lb stroft mono ,  then of Rio flouroflex plus 8lb and 7lb - use figure of 8 knot and leave 8” dropper of heavier line for 3 fly set up ( as you may notice I’m 5’10 so it’s full arm length of each)

For rivers 5’10” 8lb stroft then 4’ of 7lb stroft then 4’ tippet of 4lb fluorocarbon.

Use the flouro as no need to degrease and Rio is already dull enough.

[Mike Barrio]

Welcome to the forum Merv 

[Graham Nicol]

Furled leader with straight Stroft ABR on the end. Never bothered with anything more elaborate and it has done me well over the seasons.