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Nymph · Rainbow Trout

All-Purpose Mono Rig Leader with a Sighter

A tight-line mono rig for small streams with a long, three-color sighter. It runs 480 inches of 20 lb Maxima Chameleon as the casting line, a 24 inch step of 12 lb Maxima Clear, then 12 inches of neon red Suffix and 12 inches of neon green Amnesia, a 4 mm tippet ring, and 12 inches of Cortland bi-color. A 2 mm tippet ring below the bi-color holds 36 inches of 5X fluorocarbon to a tungsten jig nymph.

BBy BarblessOctober 15, 2026

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20 lb.017"
Maxima Chameleon
12 lb.013"
Maxima Clear
12 lb.013"
Suffix Superior monofilament neon fire (neon red)
10 lb.012"
Sunset Amnesia monofilament neon green
Sighter · 12"
9 lb1X.010"
Cortland Indicator Mono Leader Material - Bi-color
Tippet · 36"
~4.5 lb5X.006"
BUTT · 40 FT
TAPER · 24"
SIGHTER · 12"
SIGHTER · 12"
Total length48' 0"
Flies1
Knots6
WaterSmall stream, Freestone river

Drag the drawing to pan. Tap a fly for what it does, a knot for how to tie it.

Build your leader

48' 0" of line · 6 pieces · Butt to tip

Butt 20 lb2SighterSighter55X

Tie it

0 of 6 done

These are the finished lengths. Leave extra for tying each knot.

How to tie it

  1. Build the tapered leader

    Join the 40 ft butt to the 24" mid with a blood knot. Add 12" of 12 lb with a blood knot. Add 12" of 10 lb with a blood knot.

    Tie a blood knot

  2. Add the tippet ring - heavy

    Tie the tippet ring - heavy to the 12" sighter. Tie 12" of 9 lb to its other eye.

  3. Add the tippet ring - light

    Tie the tippet ring - light to the 12" sighter with an improved clinch knot. Tie 36" of 5X to its other eye with an improved clinch knot.

    Tie an improved clinch knot

  4. Tie on the Tungsten Jig Pheasant Tail

    Tie the Tungsten Jig Pheasant Tail to the 36" tippet with an improved clinch knot.

    Tie an improved clinch knot

The knots

  • Blood knot · 5 turns×3
    1. Overlap the two ends by about six inches.
    2. Wrap one tag end around the other line five times, then bring it back and pass it between the two lines where they cross.
    3. Wrap the other tag end five times the opposite way and pass it back through the same opening from the other side.
    4. Wet the knot and pull the two standing lines steadily until the wraps seat. Trim both tags close.
    The blood knot, step by step
  • Improved clinch knot · 5 turns×3
    1. Pass the tippet through the hook eye and pull about five inches through.
    2. Wrap the tag around the standing line five to seven times.
    3. Pass the tag through the small loop just above the eye, then back through the large loop you just made.
    4. Wet it and pull the standing line so the wraps snug down against the eye. Trim the tag.
    The improved clinch knot, step by step

When and how to fish it

Use it in pocket water, riffles and short runs where you can stand close. Cast the jig upstream, lift the rod so the line and most of the mono stay off the water, and lead the fly downstream at about the speed of the current. Watch the sighter and set on any pause, twitch or sideways move. Change the bead size of the fly to match the depth before changing anything else.

Rebuild the 5X fluorocarbon off the tippet ring when it gets short, so the bi-color sighter never ends up in the water and the main leader keeps its length.

Common questions

  • Why three sighter colors?

    Neon red, neon green and the bi-color piece each show up against different water and light, so some part of the sighter is always easy to track while you watch for the take.

  • Why 480 inches of 20 lb Chameleon?

    It is the casting line for the rig. Mono sags far less than fly line, so it keeps you in contact with the fly on a short line, and the stiff butt still turns the rig over.

  • Do I need split shot or an indicator?

    No. The tungsten jig carries the weight and the sighter shows the take. If the fly is not touching bottom, tie on a heavier bead.

  • How long should the tippet be?

    The build has 36 inches of 5X fluorocarbon. Go longer in deeper runs and shorter in shallow pockets so the sighter stays just above the water.

  • Why two tippet rings?

    The 4 mm ring lets you replace the 12 inch bi-color piece without cutting the red and green sighter. The 2 mm ring below it takes the 5X tippet, so retying the tippet never shortens the sighter.

Rainbow TroutBrown TroutCutthroat TroutBrook TroutNymphEuroSmall streamFreestone

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