It was very early into my time as a fly fisherman that I realized that buying machine-made, extruded leaders (typically labeled as "knotless tapered") leaders was a big fat waste of money. Especially as a beginner, given the increased frequency of lost flies, wind knots and the all-too-frequent rat's nests, leaders get chewed up quickly. At anywhere form around $10 to $20 per two-pack of leaders, this starts to add up fast. And, while I've known fishermen who can make a two pack of leaders…
