maxima tapered leaders

[smokepoles]

Anyone use these? I was especially interested for my 3wt because of their smaller butt diameters with the smaller tippet sizes.

Who carries them outside of Cabela's?

Thanks in advance.
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[flygoddess]

Interesting, is there a problem with buying them from Cabela's?

Personally, I prefer Furled leaders and Fluorocarbon Tippet.
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[smokepoles]

No problem with Cabela's. I've bought a lot from them over the last 40+ years - from the time they were a small outfit out of a single location in Kearney. Just that it is a long ways from Cache Valley, and not worth shipping an small order of a couple leaders to try.

I tried furled leaders for an entire season. They were indeed nice to cast, but they just picked up to much dirt for my liking, required waxing each time, and were a coiled pain when got snagged in the brushy streams I fish.
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[flygoddess]

Totally understand. I am really liking these UNI-MONO leaders I am furling now. I noticed the thread ones were freezing, and at times stick to itself while changing flies, so I tried this Mono put out by UNI (same as the thread) and tried it Friday. Seems to cure that problem.

I haven't experienced the dirt thing and knock on wood, haven't caught a bush for a long time.

If you get this Max. I would love to hear a report.

If I do use mono leaders, I build my own out of Frog Hair, but I still use Fluorocarbon in the last section.
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[lunchbox]

Maxima is a very stiff material for its diameter. Im not much of a fan of it for most fly fishing applications such as dries and nymphs. Its just too stiff and hurts the drift. The advantage to Maxima is that it is ungodly strong. Maxima is my go-to for streamer fishing for big fish in nasty cover. The abrasion resistance is crazyy good. I also use it in november for peg bead fishing (alaska style). Just about every steelhead guide in BC uses maxima. Usually 10-12 # test for the hottest steelhead in the world. Anything heavier can snap a spey rod before the line breaks. I just buy spools of maxima and fish it as tippet off a 3-4 foot butt section. No real need for tapered leaders for that kind of fishing. I used to fish exclusively FFlex + for this stuff but 8 lb Maxima is stronger than 0X FFlex +. Not to mention way cheaper.

As far as leaders go, my favorite leaders are the Rio hand tied leaders. They have Maxima Chamelion butt sections (which is stiffer than other tapered leaders and still thinner), and hand tapered down to Rio Tippet. If you throw tailing loops with any consistency they might not be your cup of tea (lots of blood knots) but they last forever, turnover several feet of tippet, and punch into the wind better than any leader I have ever seen, IMO.
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