This adjustable leader system uses a very a short, but thick butt section that is attached to 1-foot increments of light tippet that have small loops tied at each end. These tippet sections are joined loop to loop, and at the end is an indicator that drops a longer length of tippet and the fly at 90 degrees.
The benefits of this system are threefold. First, the 1-foot tippet sections are more flexible than the long, heavy butt typically found on trout leaders, and this flexibility dramatically reduces drag. Second, the length of the floating section or the depth of your nymph can be easily shortened or lengthened by moving the indicator up or down the chain of loops. And third, the right-angle drop from the indicator enhances the natural-seeming presentation of your nymph.
The example shown here is of a 9-foot leader that consists of a 6-foot tippet section between the indicator and the weight or the weighted fly, plus three 1-foot lengths of tippet. If you’re fishing a run that requires seven feet between the indicator and the nymph, then simply move the indicator to the front of the first 1-foot section that is behind it. An important consideration is the initial length of the tippet that runs between the indicator and the weight. My example here is six feet, but you should base your decision on the character of the river that you’re fishing.
When building this rig, make the upper loops as small as possible so as to minimize drag. I sometimes tie in tippet rings, using a Clinch Knot, in place of each of the upper loops, if I can find rings that are small enough.
This way, you attach the indicator to the tippet rings, instead of to the loops.
If you have questions, feel free to contact me at (916) 224-7444 or via Facebook at Dave Barbieri’s Guide Service and Casting Instruction.
