fly fishing leaders

Question
Okay i am a very new fly fishermen I need some advice on how long a fly leader needs to be and on a good fly to use for fishing in yosemite on the merced.
Can i use regular fishing line as my leader?
and are elk hair caddis good on the merced cuz i also have so brown mayflies will they work good?
please write back

  nick

Answer
Nick,

One of my first places I learned to fly fish was the Merced in Yosemite back in 1980. There are very large cased caddis on that river so a large Elk Hair Caddis can prove valuable, in sizes 8-12.

If you are using fly fishing line and gear, I advise using a tapered leader, not just straight fishing line. The reason being, presentation of the fly is critical to enticing the trout to take. And to increase your chances of a good presentation, a tapered leader is best.  For a size 8-12 dry fly, you'll likely use a 4x or 5x tippet.  If you have no tapered leaders with you, you can make a simple version if you have 8lb., 6lb and 4lb mono material.

From the fly line, tie on about 6 feet of 8lb, 3 feet of 6lb and 2 feet of 4lb.  That can get you by in a pinch.

Good luck catching those trout in the Merced.

Mike