POWER TAPER CALCULATOR

If you already know what weight of shooting head you prefer, enter it into the weight column. The calculator will then respond with the lengths of different heads at the weight you have entered. By the same token, if you enter a length into the calculator it will respond by telling you the weights of different head when cut to that length. The calculator works in metric (metres, centimeters, grammes) but will also work in feet and grains for those more used to imperial measurement. N / A means that we do not recommend that weight/length combination because the taper of the head will be destroyed or we do not make the line in that weight/length.

We believe it is important not to limit ourselves to the AFTM classification when using the POWER TAPER. In many situations it is desirable to have a longer or shorter shooting head. Which means that you might want to buy a #9/10 wt head and customize it for a #8/9 rod.

A shorter head is in many contexts, more user friendly than a longer one. For example, when you fish where there is vegetation behind or have limited opportunities to wade. A shorter head is also easier to handle.

EXAMPLE OF CALCULATOR  IN ACTION

Let's say you have a Lecie 13'7 # 9 / 10, we suggest that 34-36 grams is the appropriate weight for this rod. 35 grammes is your choice – enter this amount. You want a Power Taper Float/Sink1 and see that it is 12 meters long at this weight in a #9/10 head. The calculator also tells you, however, that a #10/11 float/sink 1 at 35 grammes is only 10.9 meters long. You now have a choice between a long head (perfect for presentation and fishing in ideal swims with plenty of room) or a shorter head (which may be a better option in swims where casting is difficult due to bank side vegetation or lack of opportunity to wade) .

When cutting shooting heads, we always recommend that you cut it a little longer than you think you need to and try it out first. You can then make small modifications to the head.
In the table below, SH stands for Single Hand (single handed) and DH for Double Hand (two-handed). There is nothing to stop you from using a single-handed head on a two-handed rod or vice versa. Your preferred length and weight determine what to buy.

LENGTHS AND WEIGHTS PRIOR TO CUTTING

TYPE	SH 7/8	SH 8/9	DH 8/9	DH 9/10	DH 10/11	DH 11/12
TRIPLE-D (3D) POWER TAPER - FLOAT/SINK (PT) DDC CONNECT (DDC)	11,5m-24g	11,5m-27g	13,5m-35g	13,5m-40g	13,5m-45g	13,5m-51g

* Remember to weigh up the DDC Connect with the tip when you weigh for cutting. The table shows figures including tip. Note also that a 6 / 7 tip weighs a few grams more than the others in the DDC.

HOW LONG SHOULD THE SHOOTING HEAD BE?

In most fishing situations for the majority of anglers, a shooting head matched to the rating of the rod is right: in other words, a #9/10 power taper head on a #9/10 rod. Yet, there are exceptions. Expert casters prefer a longer head while less experienced casters and anglers fishing on rivers with less than perfect casting conditions may prefer a shorter, heavier head. In the chart, the lowest weight recommendation works well if you want to create a long head by, for example, using an #8/9 head on a #9/10 rod. Because the #8/9 line is lighter, it will have to be cut longer to give you the same weight as a #9/10 line. If you have less experience with shooting heads or you want to make a short, heavy line, you will probably go for the second of the displayed weights: you might use a 10#11 head for a #9/10 rod, for example. A compromise position is to choose a weight between the extremes, ie: 34-36 grammes, choose 35 grammes and use a shooting head rated to match your rod, ie: #9/10 line to #9/10 rod. Experienced casters and those who travel around a lot to fish will carry heads in different weight/length ratios to meet differing situations.

It is important to adapt the length of the head for the fishing situation.  Do you have good wading conditions or is the wading restricted, with most fishing done by casting off the bank? In the latter case, a shorter head is very handy. A short and heavy head is easier to lift out of the water, which also makes it easier to change angle when casting and it handles larger flies easier. For this we recommend a head of 10 to 11.5 m for two-handed rods and 9-10m for single-handed. If you have the luxury of more space or prefer the improved presentation of a longer head, a head of 11.5 to 13.5 m for two-handed and 10.5 to 11.5 m for single-handed is our recommendation. Note that all lengths here are recommendations.

 

RECCOMENDED HEADWEIGHTS

Rod	Headwt	Rod	Headwt	Rod	Headwt
Reaction 906	13-15	LeCIE 126910	30-33	LPXe-11089	19-22
Reaction 1006	13-15	LeCIE 132910	34-36	LPXe-12678	24-27
Reaction 1007	15-17	LeCIE 13778	26-28	LPXe-12689	29-33
Reaction 1008	17-19	LeCIE 13789	30-33	LPXe-1389	30-33
Reaction 1009	19-21	LeCIE 137910	34-36	LPXe-14910	34-36
Reaction 13778	23-27	LeCIE 1371011	38-41	LPXe-151011	38-42
Reaction 13789	28-32	LeCIE 14889	30-33	LPXe-161011	40-45
Reaction 137910	33-37	LeCIE 148910	35-38	ACT4 908	17-19
Reaction 148910	33-37	LeCIE 1481011	42-44	ACT4 909	21-23
Reaction 1481011	38-42	LeCIE 1591011	42-44	ACT4 967	15-17
LeCIE 967 F	15-17	LPXe-967	15-17	ACT4 968	17-19
LeCIE 107 F	15-17	LPXe 968	17-20	ACT4 1007	15-17
LeCIE 108 F	17-20	LPXe-1007	16-19	ACT4 1008	17-19
LeCIE 12667	20-22	LPXe-1008	18-21	ACT4 12689	30-33
LeCIE 12678	22-24	LPXe-11067	14-17	ACT4 137910	34-36
LeCIE 12689	29-31	LPXe-11078	16-19	ACT4 1491011	38-42

HOW TO DO IT

Your objective is to create a shooting head that casts well when around a half to one metre is left hanging outside the rod tip.

Measure the total length of your shooting Head out of the box (the box has a measurement printed on it but you should do a manual check). Mark your desired length according to the chart, with a marker pen. Add half a meter (eighteen inches) just to be on the safe side. Always cut from the back end. (the thickest part). Cut the line and loop it. At this stage the loop does not have to be completely sealed and finished – it should be secure for testing, though. Tie the shooting head directly to your shooting line. Test it on the water: it should feel easy to cast both at distance and at angled spey casts. It is pretty easy to determine if it feels right or not by casting. Because you have started with a head that is longer than you will probably end up with, it will probably not cast well if it is totally outside the rod tip. Try casts with varying amounts of the head inside the shooting head to get a rough idea of how much it needs to be cut back further. The part of the shooting head that has to be pulled inside the tip guide to make good casts is surplus to requirement and should be cut. By cutting small portions off the line you will get rid of this surplus line until you reach a position where you can cast with the head outside the rod tip and it works beautifully. Don’t cut too much at once. It is better to shorten it by 10-15cm (4 – 6inches) at a time time until you hit it perfect. When rod and line balance well and you feel comfortable casting the rig, you have found the correct length. You can now create and whip/shrink tube a really nice permanent loop on the end of the head. Important! When you cast and customize your head, remember to have between a half and one meter of the shooting line outside the rod tip when casting. This is called “overhang” and is the key to creating tight, narrow loops.

RELATED PRODUCTS & INFORMATION

Roman Moser Loops - Connecting, head, shooting line and leader. Shooting lines - Between head and backing. Zap-A-Gap - Glue to strengthen connections. Polyleader - Leaders with diffrent densities. Power Strike - Leaders.