The Board

Hi All,

Could someone tell me the advantages and disadvantages of using furled leaders? Thanks!

All the best

I use hand twisted for Snakehead which is similar to furled. That’s a actually a great question, Nick.

Pros - loop to loop goes through the rings easier than the alternative loop to loop knots.
Less memory, particularly if you anchor around the tip ring for long periods of time.
Weight for weight it’s more limp.
Seriously strong without using the bulk of a Bimini, basically I’m using one piece of mono – there is a J-knot, but it’s doubled.

Cons - you are forced to loop to loop, so I don’t use for trout fishing.
Picks up water, or air for that matter.

For me personally, fantastic for throwing Poppers at Snakehead. Trout fishing I use a two turn needle knot and a furled leader connection doesn’t come close.

Cheers, Paul

I’ve tried them for trout fishing... I liked them on small streams, the furled leader is great for turnover in tight confines with no / hardly any line out the rod tip....
on usual sized rivers I struggled to find any ‘benefit’
I don’t use them at all any more,

I agree Matt. I wonder why that is.

Thank you, both! That's very interesting

All the best

No idea Paul
One of the resident physicists would perhaps be better placed to offer an opinion...
strange to describe, with a 6’ glass rod with no or only a couple of feet of line out the tip you just feel connected to the fly; turnover is smooth, ‘soft’ and just feels like a great set up...
I got an immovable knot in my last furled leader (made from tying thread, I haven’t tried nylon furled leaders) from not paying attention when taking it out of a leader wallet... I fish so infrequently with the 6’ rod I haven’t bothered replacing it yet.

It could also relate to where I use them, tiny streams which you can either bow and arrow cast your way up with a ‘normal’ rod, or use a tiny rod and actually cast... but with so little room you need a really short leader; furled leader of 3’ with 3’ or 4’ of 6x attached.... I don’t think you could make a 6’ leader made from just straight lengths of nylon that turns over and casts so nicely...

Moving away from nylon will add another variable! But I see a similar difference with nylon. Yeah it’s a physics question

If you take a custom tied furled leader out of its package and hand cast it for an unsuspecting customer inside the shop you will get an immediate "Wow" response from said customer... and make a hefty profit if you happen to be the manufacturer.

I have seen it done.

Otherwise, in these parts, they were tried then binned. The consensus (around here) is that they are a solution looking for a problem.

I like the silk ones for wee streams , from a tackle dealer point of veiw not a great product as they seem to last a long time ,hence no repeat sales !

Paul Arden wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 6:03 am Moving away from nylon will add another variable! But I see a similar difference with nylon. Yeah it’s a physics question

Not a physicist, but taper, mass and stiffness springs to mind..

Cheers
Lasse