Thers gotta be a guide or 2 out there that have someone else tie there leaders. Especially on those commercial Cowlitz and Skagit charter boats.
They go thru so many leaders that it cant be possible to fish every day and still be able to tie enough leaders! Especially with how many are gone thru. Whats the going rate if there is one or what do you pay? I would suspect theres a couple retirement homes near the Cow that supplement there living tying leaders.

What would you pay a couple 13 year old girls that were very good at it? Tying knots that is!

Bob D

[ 11-15-2001: Message edited by: Bob D ]

If, and it's a BIG if, you could emotionally let go of the responsibility of tying your own leaders I would venture to guess that a dime per tie would be about right. And since one tie (or more) per minute is very achievable that could make them about $6 an hour. And since you are talking about paying someone under-the-table that's not bad at all.

A tie or more a minute very achievable?
We are talking tying hooks here and not slip-knots right?..
Man, that`s the reason people don`t let any one else tie thier hooks...Or maybe I`m just slow...

[ 11-15-2001: Message edited by: rainycity ]

[ 11-15-2001: Message edited by: rainycity ]

Hey Dave,

I think this is the wrong forum for talking about doing things under the table with 13 yr. old girls.

But, since we're on the subject, I haven't seen the Redneck post in a while. I would suggest those of you with young daughters check your dining rooms.....IMMEDIATELY!!!!

DJ, your reference to the emotional aspect of tying leaders brings on a interesting piont. Tying leaders to me is one of those things that are part of my ritual or might I say religious beliefs (pun intended). Feeling any good knot cynch up tight with minimum line fatique
gives you, I and I'm sure many others out there the confidence in that should the tie fail it would most likely fail due to unforeseen site circumstances.
To me it's one more of those obsessive things that I torment myself with and would like to thank you DJ for easing my mind in knowing that I'm not alone here.
I was quite flattered a few years back in my partner Chummsnaggers approval of my rigs, in fact
he liked them so much he tried to coaxe me into being his leader whore. It's all good thought we worked out a noncommital arrangement based on availability or stock on hand. I tie solid drift gear and he loads me up with jigs that in my mind posses craftsmanship and quality characteristics that I feel gives me that leading edge.

At DJ's expectation speed I'm thinking that together we could build a leader manufacturing empire. On that note I would now like to solicit product needed to craft our new line of Edge Gear
leader products.

FJ...out.

At 31 years of age I'm certainly younger than some of the shuffle-set that frequent these boards so maybe I am a bit quicker in my hook-tying times, but at the same time the relatively smaller hands of a young female would likely be able to tie those hooks faster than I can.

When I sit down to tie hooks I know for a fact that as I get a rhythm down my speed increases without a loss of quality.

Now that you mention it, I haven't seen my 13-year old daughter in awhile....oh wait. They weren't able to prove it was mine, so neveryoumind.

Hey I tie leaders and I usualy charge about 25 bucks for 50 leaders so if thats any help and yes the leaders the best of the best anyways I have to go to work
Dances Out

It is a very sentimental thing to me! I have great faith in my own abilitys! But I go thru alot of leaders and am trying to find a way to get em cheap using the best gear so my lunches are free and nights at the motels in between trips is not filled with leader tying and melting ice in my drink because I cant drink it fast enough to keep it from watering down. This is as big a problem as the ties to tying leaders by one self!LOL
I just cant see how those guys on the Cow can go thru double hook leaders that fast and not have someone else tying!
How many leaders does a guide on the SW wash rivers go thru a season?

Bob D

I have a guide buddy that gets his tied by a guy in Nevada. He gets about 3000 a year. At, I beleve, about 12 cents apiece. He said it was done by machine. I've caught a lot of fish on his rigs and not one has failed me yet.I know if they were not any good he wouldn't use them.

The guides I know have them tied for them. When a guy is taking out 3 people, he goes through a lot of rigs, and these dudes are already putting in long hours on the river. They probably don't feel like staying up late tying leaders when they have to be up at the crack of dawn the next day.

It's kinda like the mechanic who doesn't like to work on his own car. When fishing is a job, I'm sure there are aspects of it that lose their appeal after a while.

One guide in particular I know has a Lawn & Leaf sized garbage bag full of pipe insulation wraps all full of leaders. I asked if that was his year's supply, and he laughed. Damn that boy's clients go through leaders!

Bob I could make you the pre tied hooks and leaders if you want.
Just lave your email after you reply again and we can talk.

FISH ON!!!

When I was guiding, (saltwater, double hook leaders) I tied 1000 4/0 30 lbs. leaders. Every spring usually while watching a basketball game I would tie between 40-50 per game. I liked to have this done before I arrived in May at the resort so that I didn't have to tie at night after a 10 hour day on the water. I can only speak for myself and most of the other 24 guides I worked with, but most of us would not let others tie our leaders, just personal preference.

When in college I worked for a farmer who allowed us to do everything but irrigate, that was his job. Why?? Because if thats not properly done then the farm goes belly up. As a guide and yes I spend some time on the Cowlitz I tie my own. I know that many have them tied for them and I have heard .25 per. I just finished tying 100 Springer leaders tonight...its a ritual, its part of the job you do it while your putting up your eggs from the day.

Guiding isn't work until you have done it...

Peace,

Gill

What a goofy thread...

But it does remind me of the top contractor here on the island, who recently moved into a doublewide he had put up on his lot.

...kinda like a groups of vegetarian-rights marchers being trampled to death by a stampede, innit?

Myself, I have a couple hours in the car before the ferry even gets to the mainland, and never run out of leaders...