Here's a way to save a little money on your leaders, and at the same time cast better-- use furled leaders. Furled leaders have been around for generations, going all the way back to those made of horse hair in England. But only recently have a few warmwater fly fishers discovered them.

  I first tried furled leaders several years ago, and have since found them to be very effective for topwater smallmouthing and shallow water streamer fishing. Hand-woven with multi-strands of high quality nylon, modern furled leaders really deliver the power and will really "turn over" a popper. And with your leader delivering a little extra "oomph," it means your casts don't have to be perfect. This extra boost from your leader can be especially helpful if you aren't an expert caster, and it helps anyone casting in windy conditions. Instead of the fly and leader landing in a heap, they are more likely to straighten out with a furled leader, even if your casting stroke is a little weak. ;

  Even casting pros can benefit from furled leaders because of their durability. Store-bought tapered mono leaders cost several dollars apiece, and nicks, abrasion, kinks, knots and shortening can mean you go through many a season. However, the quality and longevity of furled leaders means you use far fewer. I've heard of some guys using just a single furled leader the entire season. Yours may not last quite that long, but will invariably last much longer than conventional leaders. Furled leaders seldom seem to develop knots or kinks, and because you add 2 or 3 feet of mono as a tippet to the braided section, all you have to do is replace this tippet when it becomes too short.

  Because the best furled leaders are carefully woven by hand, they cost more than factory-produced single-strand leaders. But don't get sidetracked by that little extra initial cost; consider the long term savings and benefit.

  Just like standard tapered leaders, furled ones come in various lengths and strengths. The ones I like most for smallmouth fishing are from Blue Sky Flyfishers, a small Wisconsin company. The are 6 feet long and rated "medium." You can order directly from the Blue Sky website. And you can also find them in select fly shops. However, many shops do not like to carry furled leaders because they last too long. They prefer to just carry standard leaders because customers go through so many of them in a season, resulting in more trips back to the fly shop. For more furled leader info go to: www.BlueSkyFly.com