Rigs Lab · Gear & fly fishing rigs + leaders
The rig builder and library for fishing. Lay out every cut, knot and turn to scale, start from a photo of a formula in a book, on a website or in your notebook, then publish it for anglers everywhere to tie, clone, share, print and fish.
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Every section, knot and turn, drawn the way you tie it, with the cut list worked out for you.
Start from a photo
Snap a formula from a book, a website or your notebook and it comes back as a rig you can edit.
Test it in the tank
Watch it drift, sink and turn over before it ever touches the water.
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25 to 48 of 57 rigs
Gary Borger's leader formula built as an all-round 9-foot trout leader: 51" of .020" butt, 13" of .013", 26" of 2X (.009") and an 18" tip of 4X (.007"). Borger's idea is a heavy butt that carries the cast and a quick step down to the tippet, so the leader turns over the fly with energy to spare. It suits dry flies and nymphs on 4-6 wt rods.
Gary Borger's 10-foot dead-drift nymph leader, finished in 5X. It runs 51" of .020" butt, 13" of .013", 51" of 2X (.009") and a 6" tip of 5X (.006"), for 10' 1" in all. The long level 2X section lets a weighted nymph sink freely, and the finer tip suits small nymphs in clear, slow water on a 3-6 wt rod.
Gary Borger's 10-foot dead-drift nymph leader, finished in 4X. It runs 51" of .020" butt, 13" of .013", 51" of 2X (.009") and a 6" tip of 4X (.007"), for 10' 1" in all. The long level 2X section lets a weighted nymph sink freely instead of being pulled up by a taper, and the heavy butt still turns it over on a 3-6 wt rod.
A dry-dropper on a 9 foot tapered mono leader. It steps from 36 inches of .017" through .015", .013", 0X and 2X to 24 inches of 4X tippet tied to a size 10 to 14 foam or parachute dry. Off the dry's hook bend, 18 inches of 5X fluorocarbon hangs a size 16 to 22 bead-head nymph, so the whole rig runs about 10 and a half feet.
A 5-foot leader for sink-tip lines: 36" of 20 lb fluorocarbon joined with a triple surgeon's knot to 24" of 10 lb fluorocarbon. Short and dense, it keeps a streamer near the depth of the tip, with a little more distance from the line than a 4-foot leader for clearer water.
A 4-foot leader for sink-tip lines: 24" of 20 lb fluorocarbon joined with a triple surgeon's knot to 24" of 10 lb fluorocarbon. Short and dense, it keeps a streamer down at the depth of the tip, for big trout and other fish holding deep in current.
A 4-foot fine tippet section to rebuild a dry fly leader that has been cut back to 3X. It steps 12" of 3X fluorocarbon to 12" of 4X, then 24" of 6X at .005" to the fly, joined with triple surgeon's knots. It is for small dries and midges over selective trout on slow, clear water.
A 4-foot tippet section to rebuild a dry fly leader that has been cut back to 2X. It steps 12" of 2X fluorocarbon to 12" of 3X, then 24" of 4X at .007" to the fly, joined with triple surgeon's knots. It restores a fine, supple tip without buying a new leader.
A 32-foot tight-line nymphing leader for 3-5 wt rods. It runs 288" of 20 lb Maxima Chameleon at .017", steps through Maxima HV and Sunset Amnesia at .013" and Seaguar Gold Label at .011", then a 1X sighter and 36" of 4X fluorocarbon to a tungsten bead perdigon. The thin butt hangs off the rod tip without sag, so the drift stays direct from rod to fly.
A 9' 10" dry fly leader for light 3-4 wt rods. A 29" butt of .020" Maxima Clear steps down through .017", .015" and .012", then RIO Powerflex at .010", .008" and .007" to 5X at .006". The last two pieces, 8" and 22" of 5X, make a 30" tippet that lands small dries softly on quiet water.
A 10' 2" tapered trout leader that does a bit of everything on a 5-6 wt rod. A 48" butt of .022" Maxima Chameleon steps through .017", .015", .010" and .009" to a 14" tip of 4X at .007". It turns over a dry fly, a small nymph or a light streamer without a change of leader.
A long mono rig for tight-line euro nymphing. A 144" butt of 20 lb Maxima Chameleon (.017") is blood-knotted to a 36" Sunset Amnesia sighter (12 lb), then an 18" transition of 12 lb Cortland mono (.013"). That runs to a 2 mm tippet ring, then 48" of 5X fluorocarbon (.006") to a #16 tungsten bead Perdigon. The thin mono butt lets you hold the line off the water and watch the sighter for strikes, and the weighted fly gets itself down without shot or an indicator.
A 10-foot wet fly leader for light 3-5 wt rods. It tapers evenly from a .019" butt through seven steps to a 22" tip of 5X at .006". The length and fine tip let a soft-hackle or wet fly sink and swing naturally on clear water.
A simple indicator nymphing leader, 12' 11" long, for a 5-6 wt line. It starts with a 22" butt of .012" mono and 79" of 0X mono, then steps down through 20" of 3X fluorocarbon to 22" of 5X fluorocarbon. Below that is a 2 mm tippet ring and a final 12" of 5X to the fly. A 1/2" trapped-air indicator rides on the 0X, and a BB split shot sits just above the ring to get the nymph down.
Gary Borger's dead-drift dry fly leader in three sections: a stiff .013" butt, a short .010" step and a long .007" tippet, or .006" (5X) for smaller flies. Quick to tie, quick to repair on the water, and it turns a dry fly over without fuss.
Pascal Cognard's 18-foot euro nymphing leader: a long, even taper from 18 inches of .018 mono through .016, .014, .012 and 1X to a 20 inch 3X sighter of Cortland bi-color indicator mono, an 8 inch step of 5X and 79 inches of 6X. It turns over a weighted nymph on a 3-5 wt rod and keeps the fly in direct contact, with no indicator and no split shot. There's also a 7X variation; see the questions below.
A 13.5-foot euro nymphing leader that loops to the fly line. It steps down evenly through 42" each of .016", .014" and .012" mono into an 18" 3X (.008") sighter and 18" of 5X (.006") tippet. The even taper turns over a weighted nymph softly, and the fine tippet lets a small tungsten fly sink fast.
George Harvey's 9-foot wet fly leader: a short 10" butt of .017", then five 20" sections of .015", .013", .011", .009" and .008" (3X), for 9' 2" in all. The even taper turns over a wet fly or soft hackle and lets it sink just under the surface and swing across the current. It is a simple, proven leader for a single wet fly on a floating line.
A 17-foot leader for nymphing under an indicator at short range on a 3-5 wt. It steps down in 29" sections from .018" through .016", .014" and .012" to 1X (.010"), then a 23" 3X (.008") sighter and 40" of 5X (.006") tippet. A 1/2" trapped-air indicator rides on the 1X section, and a No. 4 split shot sits 10" above a size 16 bead-head nymph.
A 9-foot wet fly leader that steps down from a .019 inch butt in seven sections to 18 inches of 5X (.006 inch) tippet. The even taper turns over soft hackles and small traditional wet flies on 3-5 wt rods and lets them swing and drift with life in the current.
A 13-foot euro nymphing leader that loops to the fly line and fishes small, weighted nymphs on a tight line. It runs from 74" of .016" butt into 33" of .014" Sufix Elite, a 12" .011" transition, a 16" 3X (.008") sighter and 22" of 5X (.006") tippet. The fine tippet lets a size 16 tungsten nymph sink fast and drift naturally.
A 10' 5" nymphing leader built on the 60/20/20 idea: a long, stiff butt, a short taper and a fine tip. About 60 percent is butt, 49" of 30 lb and 25" of 20 lb Maxima Chameleon, 74" in all. About 20 percent is the taper, 12" each of .015" and .010" Maxima Ultragreen, 24" in all. The last 20 percent or so is the tip, 12" of 2X at .009" and 15" of 4X at .007", 27" in all. It turns over a single tungsten bead nymph and keeps contact with it in the drift.
A 26-foot mono nymphing leader for big trout in runs and pockets, fished tight-line with no indicator. A long .014" butt steps through .012" to a 1X sighter, then 36" of 3X fluorocarbon to a tungsten jig stonefly. The heavy fly does the sinking and the sighter shows the take, so the drift stays direct from rod tip to fly.
A straightforward 8 foot 5 inch streamer leader for 4-7 wt rods. It tapers from a .021 inch butt through four 15 inch sections, then 9 inches of .013 inch and 8 inches of 0X, to 24 inches of 2X tippet. The stout tip turns over buggers, sculpins and baitfish patterns and stands up to hard strips and strip-sets on trout.
