2 Scenarios Where I Grease My Leader. Photo By: Louis Cahill
by Kent Klewein
Sometimes all it takes is a little grease.
Here are two scenarios where I find treating my leader with floatant helps me catch more fish.
1. Fishing with Tiny Dry Flies
Many anglers out there shy away from fishing tiny dry flies because they find it difficult to see them and keep them floating during their drifts. Greasing the length of your leader with fly floatant can help your tiny dries float longer and make them easier to see on the water. A good scenario for this would be if you’re fishing a CDC pattern where you don’t apply floatant directly to the fly pattern. By greasing your leader you’ll increase the floatation of your pattern and it will stay afloat longer in more turbulent water.
2. Drifting Nymphs & Emergers in the Film
If you find the standard dry fly dropper rig is failing to get the attention of feeding fish during a hatch, try instead tying on a single emerger or nymph pattern that imitates the aquatic insects hatching. Then grease your leader from the butt section to within 6″ of your fly. This will allow your fly to drift in or slightly below the surface film where a biggest percentage of the hatching naturals will be found struggling to break through the surface tension. Complete each dead drift by letting your fly swing and rise to the surface to match the behavoir of the emerging bugs.
Keep it Reel,
Kent Klewein Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Do you use the same gel floatant that you would use for your fly??
Yes.fly floatant works fine. Mucilin is my favorite.
I like this post, short and to the point! Thanks for the tips. I already grease my leader with tiny dries, but have never fished nymphs through the surface film. I think I’m missing out!
Kent,
Love that last tip! May come in handy with a floating nymph. Ever tried the two together?
Keep up the good work, guys.
All the best
Kent,
Love that last tip! Maybe it would come in handy with a floating nymph? Ever try the two together?
Keep up the good work, guys!
All the best
Great points, but the caveat, what about mono vs floro? Gin clear lakes and streams I need small flys and floro, but need floro to sit below surface… My only secret so far has been short floro tapered leader, and no tippet, but wondering if way to use floro mono combo, but I swear on calm clear water they see the mono….but 22 cdc needs some help