Phil uses RIO's Powerflex Plus 7.5-foot leaders for the bulk of his stillwater lines.
Available in three sizes, 2X, 3X, and 4X, Powerflex Plus, 7.5-foot leaders (2 leaders/pkg) are both thin and incredibly strong featuring tensile strengths up to 20% more than regular leaders. You can use these leaders as the leader foundation for a variety of fly lines, from floating down through type V.
Use a 7.5' leader as a base and simply add tippet to complete your leader. The short butt section of this leader provides backbone and casting support while the tippet section keeps your fly or flies at the same level.
Here are some leader recommendations for a variety of fly lines. Keep in mind the faster the sink rate of the fly line the shorter the leader. Adding flies increases overall leader length as well as water clarity. As a general rule, the clearer the water the longer the leader.
Recommended Overall Leader Length by Fly Line
- Floating Line: 9-14-feet (7.5' leader plus 1.5-6.5' of tippet)
- Hover and Clear Intermediate Lines (1-2 inches per second): 9-12-feet (7.5' leader plus 1.5'-4.5' of tippet)
- Type III Full Sinking Line (3-inches per second) 7.5-9-feet (7.5' leader plus 1.5' of tippet)
- Type V Fulling Sinking Line (5-inches per second) 7.5' leader
