Freestone rigs

Rigs and leaders for freestone fishing, each with the cut list, the knots and their turns, and the tying time.

  • A 9 foot 2 inch leader for emergers and wet flies that tapers from a .017 inch butt in six sections to a 30 inch 4X (.007 inch) tippet. The even steps turn the fly over on 3-5 wt rods, and the long tippet lets an emerger ride in the surface film or a wet fly sink and swing without drag.

    Total length9' 2"
    TechniqueWet
    Knots6
    Time to tie4min
    BBy Barbless
  • A 24-foot nymphing leader for fishing tight-line on a 3-5 wt. It runs 112" of .016" butt, 35" each of .014" and .012", a 35" 1X (.010") sighter, 20" of 4X (.007") and 48" of 5X (.006") tippet to a size 16 tungsten-bead nymph. The long leader keeps the heavy fly line out of the drift, so the nymph sinks and drifts with little drag.

    Total length23' 9"
    TechniqueEuro
    Knots6
    Time to tie3.5min
    BBy Barbless