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Leaper
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Rods, lines and leaders
This article is for informational purposes only and based solely on my own experience with feedback from the guides I work with.
GOOD
If you have to take just one rod for most of your fishing I suggest you bring a
9' # 6 medium/fast rod. It will let you fish all kinds of waters with fly lines
from a regular WF floating to a 200 grain line. It has enough backbone to land a
large fresh migratory brown trout yet light enough to cast a # 18 dry fly on a 14' leader
for spooky trout.
I would bring a good reel, with adjustable disc drag with two spools. One spool loaded with a weight forward fly line and the other spool with a 200 grain sink tip line (24 ft sink section).
If I had a third spool, it would have a level running line and 2 shooting heads (slow and extra fast sink)
BETTER
Assuming you want to be better equipped than with just one rod I would use:
9’ # 5 rod with a good reel loaded with a floating line (Dry fly, Hopper dropper combo, streamers in low water)
9’6” # 7 rod with a disc drag reel with two spools
- Spool # 1: 200 grain sink tip (24 ft sink section) for fishing streamers deep in the water column or lakes
- Spool # 2: level running line (Amnesia, Rio Slick shooter, Airflo Ridge line, etc.) with two interchangeable shooting heads (Type 2 or slow sink and type 8 or extra fast sink). This set up is great to fish really deep in the water column and cast loooooooooooong casts required in some large Patagonian Rivers or Lakes.
BEST
If you want to have as much fun as you can while being extremely effective no matter what situation I would bring:
8’ # 3 or 4 wt with a DT or WF fly line to fish smaller rivers in a stealthy fashion. This rod is particularly effective in small tributaries during the summer and fall months where you need to fish small dries to rising fish or a small weighted nymph without and indicator.
The # 5 and 7 rods as described on BETTER
12’ # 8 double handed rod to cast large flies into the wind in large rivers for large fish. This set up is great from Northern Patagonia’s Limay or Chimehuin Rivers migratory brown trout, to Santa Cruz River Steelhead to the Rio Grande.
A good fly line for the average fly caster is the Skagit shooting head. This system is really easy to cast a long distance while throwing a HEAVY sink tip and the HUGE flies favored by the large fish in Patagonia.
Leaders
As a general rule, a 9’ leader for a floating line and a 3’ leader for a sink line would do. But, you must adjust to the conditions you encounter.
Leaders for dry flies:
For my floating lines I mostly use a 10’ to 12’ leader with at least 2 ft of tippet section to have a drag free drift and so should you. Tippet size will depend on the size of the fly from 3X to 6X (I seldom go lighter than this)
For my hopper/dropper combo my leader consists of a 9’ leader with 3 X tippet (I use large dries) and then I seldom use a dropper shorter than 4’
Leaders for nymph and indicator:
Even though I am not a fan of the strike indicator nymph fishing I have to admit it is very effective under many situations. I have learned this past summer while fishing the Madison River a very easy and effective leader set up. This consists of a heavy butt section of 2’ tied to a little balloon with a clinch knot. To this balloon you tie the leader which consists of a level tippet of your desired length and size. The level section sinks better and keeps the fly at your desired or expected depth.
Leaders for sinking lines:
For ALL my sink tip or sinking lines I always use a level section of tippet between 3’ and 4’
You can use a longer leader under low water conditions and spooky fish, but make sure your fly is bouncing on the bottom. A bead head or heavily weighted streamer will sink at almost the same rate as your fly line and is a good option for longer leaders.
A long leader and a light fly will NOT sink at the same depth as the fly line and it will keep the fly high on the water column (well above the fish) and it’s usually a wasted cast. It will also create a “belly” on the leader and in the case a fish rise to take your fly, the strike might be undetected.
FLIES:
DRIES SIZE
March Brown 10,12,14
BWO 14-16
Ginger Quill 14, 16
Sulphur dun 14-16
Stimulators 8, 10 rubber leg
Royal Wulffs 8, 10, 12
Chernobyl Ant 6
Pheasant tail 14, 16, 18
Goddard caddis 12, 14
elk Hair Caddis 12, 14, 16
WETS
Watson's Fancy 12, 14
March Brown 12, 14
Blue dun 12, 14
Coachman 12, 14
STREAMERS AND LURES
Wooly Worms 6, 8 Brown, yellow grizzly; Olive, tan
Rubber Leg W.Buggers
Wooly buggers 2, 4, 6 Olive, black, brown,
Matukas 2, 4,6
Muddler minnow 4, 6 Silver body
marabou muddler 4, 4, 6
Churrasco Special 2, 4 Available at the Lodge
San Fermin 4, 6 Available at the Lodge
Bunny leech 4-8
NYMPHS (Tungsten bead heads are great)
Giant Black stone 4
Pheasant tail 12, 14, 16
Prince 12,14,16
Bead heads 12, 14, 16
Lightning bug 16
Zebra midge 18-22
Copper John 12-18 |
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