Orvis Leaders & Tippets

Orvis leaders have revolutionized the fly fishing industry with state-of-the-art design and durability. Choose from a wide selection of types to suit your needs.

How to Choose Your Leader
1. Do I want knotted, knotless, or braided? Knotted leaders are constructed by tying four to six gradually descending diameters of mono together until you reach your tippet diameter, be it 3X, 4X, etc. Enthusiasts maintain that flies turn over better with knotted leaders. The Orvis knotless leaders are single strands of mono that taper from the butt section to the level tippet section. They have a heavier butt and exclusive taper that make them cast better than any other knotless leader in the world. However, after some fly changes, you will eventually be tying onto a thicker material as you work your way back up the leader. Braided leaders are very supple to reduce drag, absorb shocks, transfer energy efficiently, and allow you to change tippets very easily.

2. What length do I need? Determining the right length and size of your leader is very simple. The general rule of thumb is to use 15' to 18' leaders with dry flies on calm water, 12' leaders on slow moving streams where a fish can see the fly line on the surface, 9' leaders for dry fly and nymph fishing on faster water, and 7½' leaders for small stream fishing. Our 6' leaders are designed for use with sinking and sink-tip lines. We offer a complete selection of lengths and diameters all packaged in our new, environmentally friendly "seed packets. "