leaders

[bluesbiker]

reet lads lasses today i fished with a leader for the first ever time,,cambois rock edges fouled up twice everything gone at leader knot which was a gudin,so i thought thats it for me no more greased weazel what ever its called straight thru 25 1b ish over head lob never broke off yet in that style keep the weazel for the beach,then it dawned on me the tackle shops say we should use a leader well they would at over £3 a spool,, my question is this is there a beach where you need to cast 150 yds plus around here ie blyth cambois sandy bay creswell duridge warkworth,,,all my memorys serve me saying max 50 yds at quite a few places

an example one evening we were down sandy bay a few more anglers arrived and the decided to walk to norway wow those pendilum boys are in full swing chest deep and blasting 150 yds out we were pulling cod in from behind them in 3 ft of water 40 yds out

ps this is not a thread to nock pendilum casting just an example of how close are they realy

[seanyrooroo]

There will always be instances where that is the case. However, there will also be occaisions where the fish are that far out.

The only time I will use a leader on rocks is if a big lift is needed.

[BigLoada]

Never had a problem with Greased Weasel, but I think in a snag, any leader will break at the join. Cambois estuary is one of the places for sure where you can wade out for miles and not get deep water. Same as certain parts of Druridge I think. I am not a good caster at all, only know how to do the overhead cast and even then if I cast too hard I fall over on my face.

[bluesbiker]

leader

cambois estury ??? you must mean wansbeck estury
again what was vald birns side 2 hrs b4 low water with the river to your left walk down from the ramp bucaneer,,,, just a small cast 50 yds tops you will hit fish,,,best after a sea if no weed present but ive wittnesed it fish great wi no sea running for weeks

[Lowrider]

Fished Cambois rock edges this week.
25lb lb line straight through with rotten bottom and lost sinker every cast.
Used Cannylinks though so got my trace back.

[willywetegg]

Certain places that you mention like Blyth beach, (especially where the sandbars are) and Cambois beach can very often fish very close in. The north end of Blyth beach where it is mainly flat has always fished best for me at distance. As has been mentioned though, it is always best to have the option of fishing at a greater distance in case there is nothing doing close in.

Another reason for using a leader on the beach is to cut down on the pull of the wind or sea. If you are using 30 lb straight through you will get a much bigger bow in your line than you would with say 15 or 18 lb with a shock leader.

Usually when fishing rock marks nothing more than a lob is needed so I very rarely use a leader there. As long as you check your line when you reel in each time it should be fine.

Jim.

[g-force]

The secret is to learn the Bimini Twist knot, or, perhaps easier, the Spider Hitch. This gives you a short length of doubled over line which you attach to your leader with a regular knot. This acts as a sort of shock absorber when pulling from snags. I use this all the time, whether fishing 30, 20 or 15lb mainline, with a minimum 60lb shock/rubbing leader. Coupled with a rotten bottom set-up I rarely lose "the lot" - more often just the sinker or a bent / busted hook. I was fishing yesterday with 15lb mainline (no rotten bottom) & managed to bend out a 3/0 manta when snagged.

BTW got my pollock today on 15lb line & 60lb leader off the rocks, fishing at extreme (to me!) range (about 150 - 170 yds) - there are some marks where a long throw is needed to reach a tide rip or gully, but I guess probably 90% of my fishing is done in the 50 - 100 yd bracket.

Cheers, Gary

[adam.d]

I'd say being able to pendulum cast is just another string to ya bow. A lot of people think there is no fish close in and are effectivley casting over the top of them.

[BigLoada]

The secret is to learn the Bimini Twist knot, or, perhaps easier, the Spider Hitch. This gives you a short length of doubled over line which you attach to your leader with a regular knot. This acts as a sort of shock absorber when pulling from snags. I use this all the time, whether fishing 30, 20 or 15lb mainline, with a minimum 60lb shock/rubbing leader. Coupled with a rotten bottom set-up I rarely lose "the lot" - more often just the sinker or a bent / busted hook. I was fishing yesterday with 15lb mainline (no rotten bottom) & managed to bend out a 3/0 manta when snagged.

BTW got my pollock today on 15lb line & 60lb leader off the rocks, fishing at extreme (to me!) range (about 150 - 170 yds) - there are some marks where a long throw is needed to reach a tide rip or gully, but I guess probably 90% of my fishing is done in the 50 - 100 yd bracket.

Cheers, Gary

Gary, whenever I read about the bimini twist, no one mentions how you attach it to the leader. What knot would you use mate? I am currently using a spider hitch tied to the leader using an albright knot but its all a bit bulky.

[tonynufc]

Gary, whenever I read about the bimini twist, no one mentions how you attach it to the leader. What knot would you use mate? I am currently using a spider hitch tied to the leader using an albright knot but its all a bit bulky.

use a figure of eight knot to attach the leader to the bimini.

[g-force]

This is the knot I use mate:

Fly Fishing Knots, Slim Beauty Knot - MidCurrent

There's a good video which shows clearly how to tie it. I use the doubled, twist length of the bimini in place of the simple, doubled line he shows in the video.

It is quite a bulky knot when all put together with 30lb mainline, but enables me to fish a heavy leader with a lot more confidence over rough ground & these days I don't use anything else. This arrangement is great with tapered leaders which I'll often use over clean ground as the knot ends up being very small & streamlined. Hope this helps!

Cheers, Gary

[tonyfromalnwick]

35 lb straight through off the rocks, 15 lb with a 60 lb leader off the beaches, ESPECIALLY if there are other people nearby.

Saying that, I got most of my clean beach flatties from 20 - 40 yards out last season, when a simple flick is enough to get you amongst them.

[BigLoada]

This is the knot I use mate:

Fly Fishing Knots, Slim Beauty Knot - MidCurrent

There's a good video which shows clearly how to tie it. I use the doubled, twist length of the bimini in place of the simple, doubled line he shows in the video.

It is quite a bulky knot when all put together with 30lb mainline, but enables me to fish a heavy leader with a lot more confidence over rough ground & these days I don't use anything else. This arrangement is great with tapered leaders which I'll often use over clean ground as the knot ends up being very small & streamlined. Hope this helps!

Cheers, Gary

Brilliant thanks! I had seen that website once before but couldnt remember the web address. I will give that one a go for sure, thanks.

Dean