Advice to an MCCI Candidate

On Mon, Aug 18, 2008 at 4:50 PM, flysoup <flysoup@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Howdy Gary

Go out and pick up several tippet spools all different sizes Say 6 or 7.

With what you have in your hand make as many different type of leaders you

Red fish, Bass, Trout for dry, flies trout for nymphing, peacock bass. bluefish. pike, and one for a 14 ft spey rod for Atlantic salmon.

General principles of

- Tippet being matched to fly with hook size divided by 3 or 4 providing "x' rating of tippet.

- Flies to size #1 attached to mono tippett with Duncan loop/ uniknot or improved clinch knot. - Non slip loop for SW fly attachment

- Butt section should be 2/3 diameter of fly line tip for best energy transfer

I use Perfection loops or double overhand loops for attaching to my terminal loop system.

Red Fish - 4' 15#, 2' 12#, 2' 1x for larger shrimp flies and gold scoops in size #1 hook

Bass - popper 4 to 6' 3x fluorocarbon untapered

Trout Nymph - striaght section of fluorocarbon or co-polymer to match fly size form 3x for hellgrammites to 6 x for Zebra Midge #18-20. Needs to be as long as 1.5 times depth of flowing water or longer for faster current.

Trout dry - 60-20-20 with butt section about .006' thicker than tippett. Match tippett to fly size, total length to about length of rod or longer depending on conditions.

Peacock Bass- see Bass and Nymph above

Bluefish - About 8' long with bite tippet of wire and butt section of 50# test or heavier. No taper needed - nothing delicate here.

Pike 10' total length with 12" twisted wire bite tippet attached to fly with 2-turn Non-slip loop. Butt section 50# @60" mid section #30 @30" and an intervening class tippet no less than 12#

TH salmon 12' 3x fluorocarbon or copolymer is what I used in Ireland with some success.

Mono to Mon connections either double overhand (doubel surgeon's), blood knots or Uniknot. Wire to mono Uniknot or Albright knot to Haywire twist if couldn't generate double surgeon's loop-to-loop connections.

Someone could write an entire volume on leaders.

Important to start with the basic principles of leader formation before getting into the specifics of leaders for individual species. You included one relating the diameter of the tippet to fly hook size, for example.

1. Description of the design of a generic leader (Percentage of butt section, tapered section and tippet sections)

2. How these would be modified to suit different fishing & casting conditions.

3. What knots you would consider in making up these leaders.

4. Considerations on attaching the leader to the fly line.

5. Choices of materials to be used in leader construction, with reasons.

6. When (if ever) to add a, "shock tippet".

7. How and when to alter the design parameters of the leader to achieve different presentation layouts. (example: Slack line presentation vs. quick complete turnover with straight line leader presentation.)

8. Demonstration of knowledge regarding the basic physics of leader performance including choices based upon relative stiffness of materials as well as mass profile. (Which property is most important in having a leader turn over easily ?)

This should also include some basic information about leader materials such as optical density and refractivity as well as hydrophobic and hydrophilic characteristics.

The basic physics of leaders should also include information on sink rates relative to waters of differing density (like salt water vs. fresh water.)

9. Some knowledge of, "specialty leaders" including furled designs and, "blow lines", etc.

10. Information as to practice leaders .... such as Al Buhr's, "grass leader".

11. Basic knowledge on the principles involved in making up big game salt water leaders. (If the candidate is known to me to be a primary salt water fly fisherman, as an examiner I'll want him/her to know a lot more details.)

One candidate, a short while ago, was asked about making up tapered leaders. He answered by saying that he didn't feel he needed to know any of that for the reason that he always bought packaged leaders. The examiner asked how he would handle a student who asked how to tie up these leaders. His answer, "I'd send him over to the local fly shop." He didn't pass. (For multiple reasons.) G.

Gordy

list at least 5 reasons you would like to be a Master.

Expand better fly casting instruction

Train CCI's and Master's

Test CCI's

Contribute to the CBOG

Make advanced training more available in my region

Reasons are personal. All the ones you listed are good. For very practical reasons, some wish to achieve this status in order to have more good opportunities to teach, thus increasing income.

One reason I did it, was to experience the JOURNEY. Another was to gain sufficient knowledge to help advance the sport. G.

Three of your buddies are catching rainbows you are all using the same rods, reel, line leader flies basically as much alike as you can get You seem not to be getting the strikes that they are. What reasons can you give?

Above surface - in the film - subsurface

Drag or micro drag

Scent or chemical on Fly or gear

Fouled leader or fly

Fly broke off

Fishless zone - presence of otter or water snake, etc.

Poor presentation

Visual warning from flash on vest, bright clothing. shallow water, etc.

Broken hook

Adverse water condition zone - low DO2, chemical leaching, decomposing organic matter, etc.

Good ones. A couple I hadn't considered. It amazes me how many times I have broken my fly off, yet keep fishing !

Some of our members are bound to come up with some other reasons. G.

You are asked about fishing in Scotland. you have about 24 hours to get an answer ready

What would you do?

E-mail Magnus Angus in Scotland - a friend.

Internet search

FFF guides or CCI's in Scotland from FFF website

Hardy in Alnwyck contact through Jim Murphy

Talk to friends who have fished there (If I know any)

Contact fly shops in my region who have clients with Scot experience

Network with in-the-know contacts including CBOG's

Preface all answers with disclaimer about source

Good ! Perhaps we'll get some other suggestions, Al. G.

What effect does a miss matched leader have on:

Dry fly with too heavy too light

Too heavy makes it too visible and may weigh it into the film or sink it

Too light makes hook set without break off more problematic and landing too lengthy to the detriment of the released fish

Streamer with too long or too short

Too long - lose sensitivity to strikes. increase risk of tangles

Too short- may reduce strikes by presence of heavy fly line or cause short striking by ripping it from prey

Just to keep your head running (or spinning !) G.

ol Al

Allen R. Crise
FFF-Master Casting Instructor
Hawk Ridge Flycasting School
2508 A County Rd, 1011
Glen Rose, TX 76043
254-897-2045 h
254-396-1574 c
www.geocities.com/rrdoctor
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