Really great PSA! Thank you for sharing. I've only used heavier "mono-rigs" myself, but I'll be testing micro leaders shortly. I will definitely be paying attention to this now. cheers.
Glad to share! It was certainly odd trying the micro-leader concept for at least a few outings, but I eventually warmed to it and enjoy using it when the opportunity presents itself. I have to say, since this video, I have incorporated a thicker euro fly line before my leader. This is 100% for feel - I was not a fan of gripping the Adams 4x mono line (seen in this video) with my bare hands, and was almost impossible to handle when using nitrile gloves (which I do often). With the thicker fly line always within the rod guides, I have something thicker to hold onto, and the pitfall of snapping is essentially eliminated with the thicker line. We've had so much wind here in CO recently, I haven't put my micro-leader on in too long - hopefully I will get an opportunity here soon and make another video! Thanks for the comment!
I don’t think tension snapped it. I believe the friction heat from the gloves and pulling it thru that gloved finger created a super heated spot that causes the line to snap. If you made that same move without the glove I guarantee you would not have broken that line.
Thanks for the video. I have two questions, if you don't mind. 1. I think your explanation of why the Adams line snapped is accurate. However, I regularly fish with other 4x lines as leaders and that doesn't happen to me. Could the Adams line be more susceptible to breakage than other lines of equivalent diameter? 2. Does the line itself function as a sighter or did you add a sighter (or use paint markers)? If so, could you describe your sighter setup? Again, thanks.
Those are good questions. I do not think it is the Adams line as much as my inexperience with the micro stuff. Because I'm used to thicker line, I've never had to discipline my stripping of the line. I haven't used 4x as line until now, it is a much smaller element that needs a lighter touch. I really think my added, "pinch," of the line was the main factor here; I now leave my line hand alone when I get a strike, and just let the rod hand and fingers do all the work. I try and get the fish on the reel too, less chance to snap/stretch the line. Seems to be working much better for me now, hopefully can help anyone else with the same issue. As far as my sighter, with the Adams white line seen in this video, I add sighter wax to the line. Quick and easy. Skafars seems to be the best for me, and is the brightest of the ones I own. Most of the time, I just choose one color to alternate with the white color of the line, and usually that's enough. I love that you can just wax up the leader to match whatever condition you're up against. And it wipes right off with a cloth, so can go back to just white if you like. Great questions. Hope this helps answer your questions, and thanks again for watching!
@@BigRyTheFlyGuy yea. These fine leaders are not surprisingly fragile. I have some sympathy for Adams as they seem to be coping a lot of flack. “I’ve never broke my 20lb maxima but this 5x Adams stuff is no good”! Your vid was an honest take. The semi-auto reels are great. Make line management really efficient once you get used to them. But I think your points about taking care are more important.
@@anthonyclark6118 Adams/micro leaders definitely took some getting used to, for me at least. I would just say, there is so much less tolerance for yanking/hard stripping than bigger lines, no surprise there. Today I exercise extra caution if I'm handling a micro line, like Adams. No sense in blaming the product when user-error is clearly the issue. Figured I'd put my experiences out there in the wild, so others new to these small leaders know they are not alone, and to not get discouraged. The benefits of a micro-leader are just too great to pass up - with some fairly easy fine-tuning, I believe this setup could work for anyone. Love the idea about the semi-auto reels - have never tried one but would love to test on the water eventually. I appreciate your comments, as I am sure others will agree!
@@BigRyTheFlyGuy my experience. The micro leader and very fine tippets are very much worth getting on top of. It’s not without frustration though! You go through a phase where that is all you want to fish. But it ‘settles out’ and you start going back to tried and true techniques or learning new ones. For me much of the last season or so has been about when, and when not to euro and within that micro. I think line management is the biggest challenge with micro…so double cudos to you!
Have you ever considered using a Euro nymph line and a leader of about 18 ft? That way, in most situations, the Euro nymph line will go about half way up the rod, so only your mono will extend through the tip to avoid sag. You wont have to tough your mono. You can adjust length, if needed
@greggeckberg6839 That's a great consideration. That is something that I have gone to since this video originally debuted. I now use ~15-18 ft of the Adams (my terminating 2 ft are meant as a sighter), connected to Euro fly line on the reel which is admittedly much easier to grasp and stronger than Adams mono. If I'm fishing in very close, I'll sometimes still be able to grab the Adam's line but it's rare and I also have gotten a lot more used to handling such small diameter leader material, breakage doesn't happen any more😉 These were from my initial couple outings with the thinner line and there is definitely a learning curve if you're used to handling the thicker lines. Hopefully this video helps a few troubleshoot a bit, that's what I had to do!
Edited my above response, initially gave the wrong leader formula for my new line. I use a heavyweight, a middleweight, and a lightweight leader, but all use between ~15-18 feet of leader material.
@@BigRyTheFlyGuy I find that ( For a 10 ft rod ) 13 ft of Cortland Tri color to a tippet ring works very well. Add 3-5 ft tippet and youll usually be right where you wanna be. Personally, I think Cortland Tri Color to be most visible. I like the pinkish/purple near the tippet ring, as I feel its the more visible color through the widest range of background/lighting. I also add a bloodknot at the last two colors with about 3/4 in tags to further aid in visibility. Yes, ultra thin takes time, but if you practice, you should be able reach out 20 ft. effectively. Hang in there.
@greggeckberg6839 All noted, thanks for sharing your setup! Thankfully, there are many options for us anglers, and your setup doesn't sound too far off from mine, with only a couple of slight exceptions. For me, since the Adams mono is already white and easily takes a color (black/white/pink Skafars is all I use, or markers work great too), I'll just use the last ~2 foot section from the long Adams leader that terminates at a tippet ring. Very easy to add and subtract colors as conditions change with this method. I used to add in tags too, but have all but removed those from my own setup. I personally didn't find they ever added any better/worse detection, at least enough to mitigate the extra knots they create. I am of the mind that the fewer the knots, the better. The way I run my setup now, there are just two total knots in my system (besides the tippet)...the one at the fly line and the one terminating at the end of the leader at the tippet ring. I believe there's beauty and practicality in this simplicity. I started years ago (like many) with the Troutbitten leader formulas, but only a year ago, I decided to move mostly to micro-leaders like you see here. Those Troubitten formulas all seem very heavy to me now, but I still use a couple of those formulas here and there when conditions call for it. I've been happily using these newer (smaller/lighter) leaders since (highlighted in many videos here on my channel) and slowly dialed in a system that works for me. That reminds me...I've been meaning to do a video on creating, "systems," as they apply to the angler, and these tidbits are exactly the conversation material I want to cover. I'll cover that in a future video and dive a bit deeper, to share some of the more useful approaches I have either come up with myself or borrowed from others. That's for another day 😉. Take care, my friend!
@@BigRyTheFlyGuy Yeah, Ive used everything out there. I think they all have merits and downfalls. I think theyre just different means to the same end. Actually, Ive done it long enough I feel I can use them all. Our very similar rig is what I used the entire second half of the season. The entire FIRST half was either a Hanak or Soldarini bi color French leader, 2 ft Tri Color to tippet ring. I didnt catch any more or less with either. I like the French for dry dropper, but I caught many with ours. Im not a fan of wax, though. Gave wax AND markers away to brother. I cant come of my Tri color with tags. Consider picking up, 'The Flyfishing Bible of Nymphing' by Dr.Paul Gaskell. I, personally, think its poorly written, but the book has some rigs, setups and tactics you never see here.
I just ordered the 4x leader butt and sighter material from Umpqua. Glad i came across this. Thank you!
Really great PSA! Thank you for sharing. I've only used heavier "mono-rigs" myself, but I'll be testing micro leaders shortly. I will definitely be paying attention to this now. cheers.
Glad to share! It was certainly odd trying the micro-leader concept for at least a few outings, but I eventually warmed to it and enjoy using it when the opportunity presents itself. I have to say, since this video, I have incorporated a thicker euro fly line before my leader. This is 100% for feel - I was not a fan of gripping the Adams 4x mono line (seen in this video) with my bare hands, and was almost impossible to handle when using nitrile gloves (which I do often). With the thicker fly line always within the rod guides, I have something thicker to hold onto, and the pitfall of snapping is essentially eliminated with the thicker line. We've had so much wind here in CO recently, I haven't put my micro-leader on in too long - hopefully I will get an opportunity here soon and make another video! Thanks for the comment!
Nice video (just found you) and very timely as I bought a spool of 1x Adams to try out
Very nice! Glad the video timed well for you, you'll have to share how that Adams works for you!
I don’t think tension snapped it. I believe the friction heat from the gloves and pulling it thru that gloved finger created a super heated spot that causes the line to snap. If you made that same move without the glove I guarantee you would not have broken that line.
Thanks for the video. I have two questions, if you don't mind. 1. I think your explanation of why the Adams line snapped is accurate. However, I regularly fish with other 4x lines as leaders and that doesn't happen to me. Could the Adams line be more susceptible to breakage than other lines of equivalent diameter? 2. Does the line itself function as a sighter or did you add a sighter (or use paint markers)? If so, could you describe your sighter setup? Again, thanks.
Those are good questions. I do not think it is the Adams line as much as my inexperience with the micro stuff. Because I'm used to thicker line, I've never had to discipline my stripping of the line. I haven't used 4x as line until now, it is a much smaller element that needs a lighter touch. I really think my added, "pinch," of the line was the main factor here; I now leave my line hand alone when I get a strike, and just let the rod hand and fingers do all the work. I try and get the fish on the reel too, less chance to snap/stretch the line. Seems to be working much better for me now, hopefully can help anyone else with the same issue. As far as my sighter, with the Adams white line seen in this video, I add sighter wax to the line. Quick and easy. Skafars seems to be the best for me, and is the brightest of the ones I own. Most of the time, I just choose one color to alternate with the white color of the line, and usually that's enough. I love that you can just wax up the leader to match whatever condition you're up against. And it wipes right off with a cloth, so can go back to just white if you like. Great questions. Hope this helps answer your questions, and thanks again for watching!
Great video. There’s a reason why Europeans use semi automatic reels with these fine leaders.
I haven't tried those but that could be a great option too!
@@BigRyTheFlyGuy yea. These fine leaders are not surprisingly fragile. I have some sympathy for Adams as they seem to be coping a lot of flack. “I’ve never broke my 20lb maxima but this 5x Adams stuff is no good”! Your vid was an honest take. The semi-auto reels are great. Make line management really efficient once you get used to them. But I think your points about taking care are more important.
@@anthonyclark6118 Adams/micro leaders definitely took some getting used to, for me at least. I would just say, there is so much less tolerance for yanking/hard stripping than bigger lines, no surprise there. Today I exercise extra caution if I'm handling a micro line, like Adams. No sense in blaming the product when user-error is clearly the issue. Figured I'd put my experiences out there in the wild, so others new to these small leaders know they are not alone, and to not get discouraged. The benefits of a micro-leader are just too great to pass up - with some fairly easy fine-tuning, I believe this setup could work for anyone. Love the idea about the semi-auto reels - have never tried one but would love to test on the water eventually. I appreciate your comments, as I am sure others will agree!
@@BigRyTheFlyGuy my experience. The micro leader and very fine tippets are very much worth getting on top of. It’s not without frustration though! You go through a phase where that is all you want to fish. But it ‘settles out’ and you start going back to tried and true techniques or learning new ones. For me much of the last season or so has been about when, and when not to euro and within that micro. I think line management is the biggest challenge with micro…so double cudos to you!
Thanks for not touching the fish
I’m sure those gloves didn’t help your cause either
@@smaccattack9228 Maybe so!
Have you ever considered using a Euro nymph line and a leader of about 18 ft? That way, in most situations, the Euro nymph line will go about half way up the rod, so only your mono will extend through the tip to avoid sag. You wont have to tough your mono. You can adjust length, if needed
@greggeckberg6839 That's a great consideration. That is something that I have gone to since this video originally debuted. I now use ~15-18 ft of the Adams (my terminating 2 ft are meant as a sighter), connected to Euro fly line on the reel which is admittedly much easier to grasp and stronger than Adams mono. If I'm fishing in very close, I'll sometimes still be able to grab the Adam's line but it's rare and I also have gotten a lot more used to handling such small diameter leader material, breakage doesn't happen any more😉 These were from my initial couple outings with the thinner line and there is definitely a learning curve if you're used to handling the thicker lines. Hopefully this video helps a few troubleshoot a bit, that's what I had to do!
Edited my above response, initially gave the wrong leader formula for my new line. I use a heavyweight, a middleweight, and a lightweight leader, but all use between ~15-18 feet of leader material.
@@BigRyTheFlyGuy I find that ( For a 10 ft rod ) 13 ft of Cortland Tri color to a tippet ring works very well. Add 3-5 ft tippet and youll usually be right where you wanna be. Personally, I think Cortland Tri Color to be most visible. I like the pinkish/purple near the tippet ring, as I feel its the more visible color through the widest range of background/lighting. I also add a bloodknot at the last two colors with about 3/4 in tags to further aid in visibility. Yes, ultra thin takes time, but if you practice, you should be able reach out 20 ft. effectively. Hang in there.
@greggeckberg6839 All noted, thanks for sharing your setup! Thankfully, there are many options for us anglers, and your setup doesn't sound too far off from mine, with only a couple of slight exceptions. For me, since the Adams mono is already white and easily takes a color (black/white/pink Skafars is all I use, or markers work great too), I'll just use the last ~2 foot section from the long Adams leader that terminates at a tippet ring. Very easy to add and subtract colors as conditions change with this method. I used to add in tags too, but have all but removed those from my own setup. I personally didn't find they ever added any better/worse detection, at least enough to mitigate the extra knots they create. I am of the mind that the fewer the knots, the better. The way I run my setup now, there are just two total knots in my system (besides the tippet)...the one at the fly line and the one terminating at the end of the leader at the tippet ring. I believe there's beauty and practicality in this simplicity. I started years ago (like many) with the Troutbitten leader formulas, but only a year ago, I decided to move mostly to micro-leaders like you see here. Those Troubitten formulas all seem very heavy to me now, but I still use a couple of those formulas here and there when conditions call for it. I've been happily using these newer (smaller/lighter) leaders since (highlighted in many videos here on my channel) and slowly dialed in a system that works for me. That reminds me...I've been meaning to do a video on creating, "systems," as they apply to the angler, and these tidbits are exactly the conversation material I want to cover. I'll cover that in a future video and dive a bit deeper, to share some of the more useful approaches I have either come up with myself or borrowed from others. That's for another day 😉. Take care, my friend!
@@BigRyTheFlyGuy Yeah, Ive used everything out there. I think they all have merits and downfalls. I think theyre just different means to the same end. Actually, Ive done it long enough I feel I can use them all. Our very similar rig is what I used the entire second half of the season. The entire FIRST half was either a Hanak or Soldarini bi color French leader, 2 ft Tri Color to tippet ring. I didnt catch any more or less with either. I like the French for dry dropper, but I caught many with ours. Im not a fan of wax, though. Gave wax AND markers away to brother. I cant come of my Tri color with tags. Consider picking up, 'The Flyfishing Bible of Nymphing' by Dr.Paul Gaskell. I, personally, think its poorly written, but the book has some rigs, setups and tactics you never see here.