Leader lengths for beach fishing.

[scissorbill]

I know conditions and equipment dictate one's set-ups but there are general rules of thumb ( though it may depend on who's thumb).

Although I have done a little beach fishing for cutthroat and coho in the past I was just wondering what is the general consensus on leader lengths when beach/surf fishing.

And when tying your taper, 30lb butt - 25-20-..... Do you set it up any differently than you would for a river due to the more persistant wind.

I'll be using a single hand 8wt, for the most part, with an 8wt rio versitip ( i got primarily for rivers)
So would you set-up the leaders differently on the sink and float tips?

[TieFlier]

I can't say that what I do is correct or the preferred method. When I use a floating line only my leader is in the 10-12' range and usually comprises of 12lb - 10lb - 8lb, sometimes I get away with just 12 and 10. When I use a sinking tip my leader is usually 6-8' and 10lb. Casting wise I didn't seem to have too much of an issue with either set-up, even in some moderate winds. Some of the older and more seasoned guys I have met use two handed rods and or shooting heads. This helps them get real distance with minimal effort.

[btree]

For my dry line, I used to just use the usual 9' tapered leaders with another 2-3' of tippet added, but recently I've gone a bit longer to a 12' tapered leader with the same 2-3' of tippet added on. I tend to go with a heavy-ish tapered leader, usually 12 -15lb and the smallest tippet I used is 8lb fluro, but I usually go with 10lb fluro.

I dont find that I get any more or fewer fish with a slightly longer leader, but if the wind isn't too intense, I find it lands the fly more delicately which I think I like...but the trade off is much more complicated and frequent wind knots when I try to go for too much, which I certainly do not enjoy. The other reason I've gone to the longer leader is that it balances better with my new 10ft rod which helps out a lot when you're waded out nipples deep.

All that being said, with pinks and cutties, often it's better to be ankles deep and have good timing and presentation... either way, my recent conversion to flurocarbon over the last few years has made a world of difference with all but my dry fly fishing.

For sink tips and slime lines, I tend to just go with ~6' of fluro, usually 10lb.

An 8wt should be more than enough to get through wind, but I might consider getting away from the versitip and get a more "pure" casting line.

But the biggest thing with dealing with wind is two fold (and has little to do with leaders) - 1) technique and 2) knowing when to just give up and leave the beach. Some times that wind is just too much, and no technique or experience will get the line out. But on all but those days, I've heard, and occasionally seen, that the correct timing of a double haul with a quick rod appropriately lined can overcome a headwind or two. With a tail wind, try a roll cast and aim high! It should sail, especially if you can figure out the timing on a double haul on that roll cast.

I havent' done any experimenting with butt sections other than those that are part of tapered leaders. Like I said, moderately heavy tapered leaders seem to help so i guess the logic follows with homemade tapered leaders.

Good luck! I try to take only 2-3 false casts, try out single and double hauling and stay within my limits and keep cutting the knots out of my leader and re-tying tippet