Does fly leader length include the big swivel?

[chowder]

When people talk about fly leader length does it include the length of the snap swivel or not? I have always assumed the snap swivel was part of the total length.

[A-TOM-MIK]

As a general rule of thumb when we say we are running a 22" leader we are measuring from the end of the loop, (which attaches to the connection on the attractor) to the head of the fly, however many anglers measure them in different ways.

In our Oswego group of charters this is pretty common, but when we talk to Big Fin Gene we always know he measures from the end of the loop to the end of the hooks, Gene runs around 26 to 28" leaders, which for the rest of us is a 22 to 24" leader.

I'm sure from port to port you will see variations in preferred leader lengths as well as how they are measured, very good question, I would say the most common practice though is measured from the head of the fly to the end of the loop.

Tom

[REELJERKS]

Great question Chowder. Clears up a question I never thought to ask.

Tom;

No wonder I have trouble with fly's, I measure mine from the loop to the end of the hooks.

Mark

[chowder]

Thanks Tom, the reason I ask is that I use a palomar knot to the snap swivel and move my flies around by taking off the snap swivel, and there are some differences in the snap swivel sizes used by the different companies. Seems to me we ought to just talk about the distance between the fly and the flasher not, the leader itself but now I know and I guess I have been running "shorter" leaders than most!