by JayS52 » Sat Mar 07, 2009 10:21 pm
[quote="beachlessbeachbum"]Shock leader...That's a new term I hadn't heard before. I tie my own leaders but I'm not sure if the shock leader is tied before the tippet. I searched the web but couldn't find much helpful info abut it.
Sorry to be such a pain but I want to make sure I fish with the right stuff.
Thanks a lot!
Martin[/quote]
Hey Triple B,
A shock leader is a concept if I recall correctly originally designed by the early pioneers of SWFF like Apte, Tabory and Curcione. Essentially, it is a heavy tippet designed to absorb the tension created by the voilent headshakes saltwater gamefish so often exhibit. While this was certainly a great concept to heighten the breaking strength on an IGFA leader, the real value of the shock isn't what the design was. Many species of saltwater gamefish have either pronounced penetrating teeth or thousands of small "gripping" teeth, much like you would see on a Bass. Some of these species, specifically Snook, Tarpon, Ladyfish and to a minimal extent, Striped Bass have highly abrasive mouths. If you don't have this heavier leader in front of your fly, the fish can wear through your connection and ultimately bust you off. It is also valuable to prevent cutoffs from smaller mackerel species and bluefish under 5lbs or so. If you are in a more turbid environment, a hard mason style mono would provide a cheap and effective solution. If you are in cleaner water and sink rate is a factor, high quality hard flourocarbon such as seaguar is in order.