Choosing the right taper flyline

My research into tapers for enhancing fly line performance, both in the air and on the water, can be summed up as follows. For distance you want density. The denser the line, the more efficiently the line can cut through the air and -theoretically- the further it will cast. Short shooting heads, or abbreviated forward tapers with thin, light running/shooting lines behind them would appear to offer the greatest distance potential. In practice, however, they are not vety stable in flight and tend to ‘bunch up’ badly in the air. They are also not very subtle and tend to land with a crash. By contrast, the tapers of my ArrowHead lines offer good distance potential, with stability in the air, ease of casting and subtle presentation. My ArrowHead Twin-Lines will knock the socks off a similar weight shooting head!

For stealth and delicacy you want long delicate tapers that turn over slowly and settle very gently onto the water. Interestingly, these are also the best tapers for roll and Spey casting. My ArrowHead Dry-Line and Wet-Line (Neutral Density) have gained quite a following for shy trout on hard fished waters.

Leader Design

The job of the leader is to separate the very visible fly line from the fly. It must be constructed to give the best possible continuation of the ‘turnover’ of the fly line (so as to distance the fly from the end of the fly line), while fulfilling certain other practical fishing requirements. The tippet (point) of the leader and knots are the weakest part of the connection between the angler and a hooked fish and must, therefore, be strong enough to land the quarry without an unduly prolonged fight. Fishing too fine is unsporting, in my view, and I have never understood those who consider it clever to attempt to land large fish on precariously fine tackle.

Some anglers go to considerable trouble over leader design and there has been much published in books, in articles and on the internet dealing with this subject. The following will suffice for a beginner, but you will undoubtedly seek refinements as your knowledge and tastes develop.

Small still water trout
5ft level 8lb + 4ft level 6lb (9ft overall), or tapered 9ft ready made to 6lb point

Early season reservoir
4ft level 10lb + 3ft level 8lb (7ft overall)

Drift fishing loch style
4ft 10lb + 4ft 8lb (dropper) + 3ft 6lb (dropper) + 3ft 4lb (12ft overall)

Chalk stream
9ft ready made tapered leader to 3lb point