Miramichi leaders formulas
Adding to the references that Michel gave you in his chronicle "Hand Made Leaders" I would like to give you the formulas that the salmon fly fishers on the Miramichi uses.

Just like Michel, in New Brunswick the majority of salmon fishermen favor the Maxima material... personnaly, the barril knot is the best that I have found to tie them.

What's interesting in the hand made leaders is that you can add some tippets to them when they have gone a bit short from changng flies. Evidently you need to be able to tie them on the river.

Here a 3 formulas that we use:

9 1/2 ft.s 6 lbs tippet

25 lbs          2 1/2 ft
20 lbs          2 ft
15 lbs          1 1/2 ft
10 lbs          1 ft
8 lbs           1 ft
6 lbs           1 1/2 ft

25 lbs          3 ft
20 lbs          2 1/2 ft
15 lbs          1 1/2 ft
10 lbs          1 ft
8 lbs           1 1/2 ft

25 lbs          3 ft
20 lbs          2 1/2 ft
15 lbs          2 ft
10 lbs          1 1/2 ft
8 lbs           1 ft
6 lbs           1 1/2 ft

To tie your leader to your line, I construct, starting with some 30lb braided mono material, a loop of 6-7 inches that I use to attach to the fly line. You will need a small tool to fabricate the loop. Given that we have a braided material, the more you pull on the fly line to tighter the loop section gets. It is then very solid. For added security I insert a small tube that I heat up a little (be careful not to burn your braided material) the tube and it shrinks on the line making it quite impossible to take out.

It is now very easy to attach your leader to your fly line. It's called loop to loop. This way you can utilize the same leader on your dry or sinking fly line. You also have to make a loop on the large end of your leader to be able to tie it to your fly line.
Nice project for these long winter months.

Tight lines

  Jacques Héroux
[email protected]