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DIY Euro Leader // Complete Buildout with Video

DIY Euro Leader // Complete Buildout with Video

You can easily do better than a factory tied Euro Nymphing Leader. While these are a fine start as you are dipping into the sport, haha, it's easy to build a leader that is more effective and more fun to fish with.  Feel free to deviate as it makes sense to you. 

Leader Length:  12' +/-

I have found that anglers on my guided trips and in my progression Fishalong clinics do best with a leader that is no more than about 2' longer than their rod length.  A thin competition style euro line is very light, thin, and relatively stiff giving you nice connectivity to your nymphs. While a pro-competitve angler may like more mono at the tip, I think there is a balance for the civilian angler that is achieved by keeping the end of the fly line just outside the rod tip.

Basic Leader Formula:

This is not exact science, and I deviate from this build slightly but here is the jist of it.  My most common variation would be running a portion of the sighter (indicator) material as 3X or 4X.  Lighter is always better.

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Comments

Joe Rotter - July 13, 2022

RE: Fluorocarbon Butt Section – Todd – you can absolutely use Fluorocarbon if you have it on hand. Just make sure it’s thick enough diameter to provide some stiffness and prevent the line from sagging too much.

Todd Clarke - July 12, 2022

Curious if there’s any reason to not use fluorocarbon for the butt section? Not a big deal, just curious.

Joe Rotter - April 11, 2022

Hi Rich, many anglers will build their leaders differently. When you say you took the class, I’ll assume that was with us. You can forgo the tippet ring and simply blood knot or surgeon’s knot into the sighter, it’s not too hard. I do both depending on whether I want to dig a tippet ring out of my bag. The tippet ring is used by 90% of anglers that I encounter however.

Rich Whitehill - April 3, 2022

I am looking for the Lance version of this buildout. Took the class, lost the notes. But his did not use a tippet ring.

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