Fly Fishing Pro Tips: How to Choose the Right Trout Leader Length

Walk into just about any fly shop, and you’ll see a whole wall stocked with trout leader options. 9 ft 5x, 7.5 ft 4x, 12ft 4x – for most new fly anglers, the labels are a collection of numbers that mean very little. The good news is, it’s not complicated. Do some thinking on the type of fishing you plan on doing, and you shouldn’t have trouble finding the right leader.

What is a Leader?

Fly fishing leaders are thin sections of monofilament or fluorocarbon designed to connect your fly line to your fly. Whether you choose mono or fluoro, it serves the same purpose – it allows you to turn your fly over during your cast and present it naturally on the water.

How to Choose the Right Leader Length

Depending on what you want your leader to do for you, you’ll likely find yourself trying a bunch of different leader lengths over the course of your fly fishing career. There might even be a time when you carry several different leaders in your pack, allowing you to be versatile in the type of fishing you want to do. Ultimately, like most fly fishing gear choices, it will come down to personal preference.

9 Foot Leader

A 9-foot leader is the most common choice for trout fishing. If you’re planning to fish a decent-sized river, and you’re planning to fish nymphs or dry flies, it’s often the way to go. It gives you enough length to cast long distances but is short enough to keep your casts controlled and accurate.

7.5 Foot Leader

There are two situations for which a 7.5-foot leader is a great choice: fishing small streams and streamer fishing.

On small streams, a shorter leader lets you turn your fly over faster and cast more accurately in tight spaces. Controlling your cast is all about the connection to your fly – when you can go short, go short.

If you’re fishing streamers, you’ll want a leader that can turn a heavy fly over quickly – the shorter the leader, the faster your fly turns over. The shorter length is also a big help during your retrieve, offering easier control and allowing you to feel strikes more easily.

12 Foot Leader

Fishing a 12 foot leader is less common than a 9 foot or 7.5 foot leader. Not every fly shop will have them in stock, but they can be very effective. If you’re fishing a river with deep pools and long runs, the added length can help get your flies down into the feeding zone and greatly improve your drifts.

What Does the “X” Mean?

Short answer: the “X” describes the diameter of the thinnest part of the leader – the smaller the number before the “X”, the thicker the diameter. If that still makes no sense, click here for a full breakdown on leader and tippet sizes.

Experiment

If you have a stream or river you fish often, try fishing it with leaders of different lengths – you’ll likely find that one feels more comfortable than the other. There’s no right or wrong approach; at the end of the day, all that matters is that it helps you catch fish.