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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1 to 24 of 30 rigs
I built this rig to get a weighted hex fly down to the lake bottom where trout are waiting for natural hex emergers to rise up the water column. It uses a slip bobber to suspend the fly 12 to 24 inches above the bottom in 15 to 35 feet of water, letting me fish without casting while the fish camp in place before they start moving up to chase the hatch.
A 9-foot (108 inch) streamer leader for floating lines. It runs 48 inches of 25 lb mono (.021"), 36 inches of 16 lb mono (.016") and 24 inches of 10 lb fluorocarbon tippet (.011"). The extra length keeps the fly line away from wary fish in clear or slow water, and the stout butt still turns over a streamer.
An 8-foot dry fly leader built on the simple 50-25-25 rule: half the length in a stiff butt, a quarter in the middle and a quarter in tippet. It steps from 48 inches of 30 lb mono to 24 inches of 20 lb and 24 inches of 10 lb, joined with double uni knots. The heavy tippet and short, punchy taper make it a leader for big dries such as hoppers, stoneflies and foam bugs.
A 5' 6" (66 inch) all-fluorocarbon leader for fishing small chironomids and nymphs on a sinking or intermediate line in clear lakes. It runs 18 inches of 20 lb Seaguar Blue Label (.016"), 24 inches of 10 lb fluoro (.011"), a #12 barrel swivel and 24 inches of 5X (.006") fluoro tippet. A short leader lets the line set the depth, and the finer tippet helps with wary fish.
A 5' 6" (66 inch) all-fluorocarbon leader for fishing chironomids and small nymphs on a sinking or intermediate line in lakes. It runs 18 inches of 20 lb Seaguar Blue Label (.016"), 24 inches of 10 lb fluoro (.011"), a #12 barrel swivel and 24 inches of 4X (.007") fluoro tippet. A short leader lets the line set the depth, so the fly fishes right where the line tip is.
A 16-foot all-fluorocarbon leader for sight-fishing carp on shallow flats. It steps down from 24" of 40 lb (.023") through 12" of 30 lb (.020"), 36" each of 20 lb (.016"), 15 lb (.014") and 10 lb (.011"), to 48" of 8 lb tippet (.010"). The length keeps the fly line well away from wary fish, and the fluoro sinks a size 8 weighted carp fly quickly to the bottom.
An 8-foot (96 inch) three-piece dry fly leader built from the 25-15-10 formula: 36 inches of 25 lb mono, 36 inches of 15 lb and 24 inches of 10 lb. It is quick to tie from three spools and turns over big, wind-resistant dries such as hoppers, stoneflies, large foam flies and bass bugs.
A 6.5-foot (77 inch) stillwater leader for sinking and intermediate lines on a 4-6 wt. It steps from 29 inches of 0X through 20 inches of 1X and 16 inches of 2X to 12 inches of 3X, a short, gentle taper that sinks with the line. The fly fishes at the depth the line sets, which is the point of a sinking line.
An 11-foot leader built on the half-again formula: each section is half the length of the one above it. It runs 60 inches of 30 lb mono, 30 inches of 20 lb and 15 inches of 15 lb, then a 27 inch tippet of 12 lb. The long, heavy butt carries the cast's energy down to the fly, so it turns over weighted and wind-resistant flies for flats and warm-water fishing.
A 10.5-foot mono stillwater leader built for an intermediate sinking line. It steps from a 43 inch butt of .011" down through 35 inches of .010" and 28 inches of .009" to a 20 inch tippet of 3X, .008", joined with triple surgeon's knots. The length keeps the fly line's splash away from the fly, and the slow-sinking line carries the fly down to cruising trout.
A 7-foot bass bug leader after Steve Rajeff's formula: five sections of mono stepping from a .028" butt to a .014" tippet, joined with blood knots. The long, heavy butt and short taper carry wind-resistant poppers and hair bugs and turn them over on a 6-8 wt line. It is built for casting bugs tight to cover, not for delicacy.
Gary Borger's 7.5-foot leader for flies you move, finished in 3X: 51" of .020" butt, 13" of .013", and 26" of 3X (.008") tippet. The short, stout design keeps the line straight to the fly, so stripped and swung wet flies and nymphs stay under control and takes are felt. It casts well on 4-7 wt rods.
Gary Borger's 7.5-foot leader for flies you move: 51" of .020" butt, 13" of .013", and 26" of 2X (.009") tippet. The short, stout design keeps the line straight to the fly, so stripped and swung wet flies and nymphs stay under control and takes are felt. It casts well on 4-7 wt rods and turns over weighted flies.
A 9 foot 6 inch carp leader for an 8 weight rod. It runs 48 inches of 30 lb Maxima Clear, then 24 inches of 20 lb, 12 inches of 15 lb and 6 inches of 12 lb Maxima Clear, ending in 24 inches of 0X fluorocarbon. The heavy butt turns over a weighted carp fly in wind, and the stout tip holds big fish around weeds and snags.
A 9 foot 6 inch carp leader for a 6 weight rod. It runs 48 inches of 20 lb Maxima Clear, then 24 inches of 15 lb, 12 inches of 12 lb and 6 inches of 8 lb (1X) Maxima Clear, ending in 24 inches of 2X fluorocarbon. The long, stout taper turns over a weighted carp fly and lays it down far enough from the fish to keep it calm.
A 5-foot trout streamer leader for full sinking lines: 24" of 0X fluorocarbon at .011" joined with a triple surgeon's knot to 36" of 2X fluorocarbon at .009". Short and dense, it keeps a streamer down near the depth of the line for trout holding deep in lakes, pools and big runs.
A 15.5-foot stillwater indicator rig for hanging a small chironomid near the bottom of a clear lake. An 18" butt of 20 lb Seaguar Blue Label leads into 120" of 10 lb (2X, .009") Blue Label, a #12 barrel swivel and 48" of 5X (.006") fluorocarbon to a size 16 tungsten-bead chironomid. A 7/8" release indicator rides near the top, and a No. 4 split shot sits just above the swivel.
A 15.5-foot stillwater indicator rig for hanging a chironomid near the bottom of a lake. An 18" butt of 20 lb Seaguar Blue Label leads into 120" of 10 lb (2X, .009") Blue Label, a #12 barrel swivel and 48" of 4X (.007") fluorocarbon to a size 14 tungsten-bead chironomid. A 7/8" release indicator rides near the top, and a No. 4 split shot sits just above the swivel.
A 10-foot leader for big bass on 6-8 wt rods, a touch finer than the 0X version. A 50" butt of .022", .021" and .019" mono drives into a 43" middle of .013", then 27" of 1X tippet at .010". It turns over bass bugs and streamers and suits clearer water and more cautious fish.
A 10-foot leader for big bass on 6-8 wt rods. A 50" butt of .022", .021" and .019" mono drives into a 43" middle of .014", then 27" of 0X tippet at .011". It turns over bass bugs and streamers and has the strength to pull a big fish out of cover.
A three-piece streamer leader that steps from 30 lb to 20 lb to 10 lb Trilene Big Game, the 3-2-1 in its name. It runs 10 feet: a 72 inch butt, a 24 inch midsection and a 24 inch tippet, joined with triple surgeon's knots. Stiff, simple and quick to tie, it is built to turn over streamers and stand up to fish that grab hard.
A 14-foot leader built for clear, calm lakes where trout can see far. The long, fine taper from .015" butt down to 5X (.006") lets you cast smaller flies with less disturbance and set the hook cleanly in stillwater. Use this when you need distance, stealth, and a natural presentation in lakes where the fish are selective. There's also a 6X variation; see the questions below.
An 18' 6" leader for fishing a single fly on a floating line in stillwater. It starts with a 30" butt of .017" and 28" of .013", then steps down through 1X, 2X, 3X and 4X sections to 82" of 5X (.006") tippet. The heavier butt carries the cast off a 4-6 wt line, and the long fine tip lets small flies land softly and sink naturally in calm water.
A 13-foot streamer leader for small baitfish patterns on a 6 wt. It runs in three pieces: 22" of .018" butt, a long 111" middle of .012" and 22" of 2X (.009") fluorocarbon tippet. The long middle lets the fly swim and drop away from the fly line, and the 2X tip holds up to hard strips and strikes.
