Whats the big advantage of hand-tied?
TM: The butts on the knotted leaders are much heavier than those on the drawn leaders. So, if you try to put together a 15 to 18 foot drawn leader, they just won’t turn over. From my experience, the only way you can use that long of a leader very effectively is to have it hand-tied with the heavy stiff material in the butt. MD: Getting back to the lightweight rods, are there any other advantages to the 4-weight? TM: With the longer leader and a 4-weight you can get all the delicacy you need. But the big advantage of the 4-weight over lighter weight rods is that it will handle some wind. And anybody who’s been out here — wherever you’re fishing — knows you’re frequently faced with wind. The 4-weight will deliver the fly when it’s breezy or gusty when a 2- or 3-weight won’t. If it’s fairly windy, I would shorten a leader because you don’t need the delicacy and you can get it to straighten out and cast better. MD: Where does the 5-weight fit in your rod arsenal? TM: You can use a 5-weig
