Airflo’s Polyleader lineup has a length and sink rate to accommodate a multitude of species including trout, steelhead, salmon, bass, pike, and bonefish applications. For streamer junkies and novices alike, Airflo Polyleaders provide versatile options for the angler that likes to streamers at varying depths. As well as for dry fly fishing the Airflo Light Trout Polyleaders can be ideal for controlling dry flies in tight casting windows. Airflo’s Polyleader’s are extremely versatile for many different fishing scenarios. The leaders seem to last a lot longer than your typical monofilament leader on the market.
Why Use Airflo Polyleaders?
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I’m personally not a huge streamer fisherman and as a result, don’t typically have a sink tip or full sink line on me. Enter Airflo Polyleaders. The versatility provided by adding a sinking Polyleader to a floating fly line is rather impressive.
Polyleaders can be attached to any floating fly line with a loop-to-loop connection for quick change outs. Once you’ve attached a Polyleader to your fly line, simply attach your leader or length of tippet off of the Polyleader and you’ll be ready to fish streamers at varying depths. Best of all, polyleaders are relatively cheap and can be purchased for $10-$25 depending on the model.
Polyleaders come in lengths varying from 4’ for bass and pike and up to 14’ for salmon and steelhead applications. Airflo Polyleaders also come in a variety of sink densities depending on the species you plan to target. With so many options available, you’ll definitely want to try a few different length and weight combinations to find the best setup for you.
The only downside to note is that some interchangeable sinking leaders can be really clunky to cast with major hinge points occurring at the loop-to-loop connection. While some hinging did take place with the Airflo Polyleaders, the ability to target fish at various depths far outweighs this minor drawback. If you’re looking for a dedicated streamer setup, you may be better off with a full sinking line but the versatility provided by Polyleaders is unmatched for floating fly lines.
Trout Polyleaders
Trout and Light Trout polyleaders are available in 3 different lengths: 5’, 8’ and 10’. Within each different length offering there are 7 different density profiles, ranging from clear floating leaders to extra fast sinking leaders. I have been fishing the 5’ models in a variety of densities for the past few weeks and can’t say enough about them. By simply adjusting which leader I’m using, I can drastically alter the depth of my flies in the water column.
The Light Trout polyleaders are specifically designed for use on light lines with delicate tippets. Your go-to when stalking fish with dry flies or dry dropper setups. The 5′ length floating polyleader is perfect for your hopper dropper setup.
You can purchase Trout Polyleaders here.
Salmon and Steelhead Polyleaders
In addition to the versatile line of trout focus Polyleaders, Airflo has also designed a selection of Polyleaders for salmon and steelhead applications. These Polyleaders come in a wide range of lengths including: 5’, 8’, 10’, and 14’ for maximum versatility. These salmon and steelhead Polyleaders come in 24lb test except for the 10’xs model that is a 40lb test version for targeting trophy fish.
Like the trout Polyleaders, the salmon and steelhead Polyleaders come in 7 different densities ranging from Clear Floating to Extra Fast Sink. This is the most expansive offering of any Polyleader lineup and there’s sure to be an option to improve your presentation when targeting salmon and steelhead with single and two handed rods. You can purchase them here.
Two-hand enthusiasts exclusively use the Salmon/Steelhead Polyleaders Clear Floating, Clear Hover, and Clear Intermediate for chasing summer steelhead on the swung fly.
Bass and Pike Polyleaders
Getting your flies to the correct depth is important regardless of the species you target. Airflo makes Polyleaders that are designed for targeting bass and pike. These leaders come in 24lb test and in a length of 4’. The are 4 options to choose from ranging from Clear Floating to Extra Fast Sink. These options will allow you to cover top-water when the bite is hot but also dredge deep when you need to. You can purchase them here.
Bonefish Polyleaders
If you’ve been eyeing up a saltwater flats trip to target Bonefish, Airflo has a Polyleader for you. The bonefish specific Polyleaders from Airflo come in 7’ lengths in 24lb test. Density options include Clear Floating and Clear Intermediate Leaders to help ensure the perfect presentation to spooky fish. Pick up a few of these leaders before your next outing and you won’t be sorry. You can purchase them here.
Finding the Right Airflo Polyleaders
Airflo Polyleaders are a great way for anglers to precisely target fish in a multitude of water depths. If you’re fishing a dedicated streamer rig, a full sinking fly line is still probably the way to go. With that being said, if you like the versatility of floating lines and also like to throw streamers, you’d be foolish not to pick up a few Airflo Polyleaders to help get your flies into the zone. I’d recommend picking several length and density combinations to see what works best for you.
Be sure to check out Airflo on Instagram at @airflofishing.
Article by Evan Garda, he is on the Content Team here at Fly Lords. He can be found chasing trout throughout the west with his trusty fly rod. Check out his adventures at @evangarda.
This is a not-quite-complete guide. It would really have been a service to your readers if you’d have included the grain weight of each model. They vary a considerable amount, and one may work marvelously on your outfit while another won’t work well at all.