The're benefits to making your own, buying commercial or using a
commercial taper as the butt and mid section of your leader and tying
your own tippets on. I mention this last option as many of us do it
routinely and a few even go that extra step and tie a loop in the end of
your midesction and loop our tippets on, thereby getting a year more or
less out of each tapered leader that we buy. If you choose this loop to
looping of tippet to midesection a caution is in order.
Since the material will be getting close to the lb test of your
tippet material in the midsection, use a knot that tests close to 100%
for your loop. That loop is the Bimini or a Doubled Surgeon's Loop or a
loop made with a four times through Overhand Loop. Use the same loop
for the tippet and you'll lose very little strength in this connection.
If you choose the Perfection Loop, you'll be diminishing the leader
strength as this knot tests out at 80-85% or less most of the time.
If you are interested in an indepth treatment of making your own,
benefits and detriments, check out my web article on leaders in my
webpages. In it there are a number of illustrated knots as well as the
Leader Calc and other formula producing links.
Just go to my webpages below, then to the Flyfishing Tips and
Instruction link following the first pagraph and then down to my
index/link to leaders and knots.
Good Fishing
Chuck S
http://community.webtv.net/fishing-folks/ChucksEastCentral
