Leader Wire Alternatives Compared

When making up a wire leader, your choice of leader wire type is worth careful thought. After all, wire leaders of any kind are something of a necessary evil, as compared to mono leaders they're more visible to fish and more awkward to connect to other components of your gear.

But fish equipped with a set of sharp teeth will make short work of nylon leaders, so wire is required for these critters - but which type of leader wire is the best one to use? Read on ...

Wire leaders are made up from either ...

• Single-strand wire, orMulti-strand wire

Generally speaking, single-strand wire will have the greatest resistance to being bitten through and will be of smaller diameter (and therefore less visible) than multi-strand wire of an equivalent breaking strain.

But single-strand wire is prone to kinking, which can lead to general disappointment all round.

On the other hand, multi-strand wire (cable) is more flexible and much less prone to kinking - but it is thicker and consequently more visible than single-strand leader wire of equivalent breaking strain.

So here they all are, and for a summary of the pros and cons of each leader type take a look at the table at the foot of the page ...

Single-Strand Wire

This type of leader can be formed in the following materials:~

Piano Wire

One of the earliest types of leader wire, this tinned or galvanised carbon steel material is not used much these days, mainly because of its poor corrosion resistance.

Stainless Wire

Stainless Steel Leader Wire
more details...

An improvement over piano wire, both in terms of flexibility and resistance to corrosion, and it's inexpensive.

Make connections to hooks lures and swivels with a Haywire Twist and to nylon monofilament mainline with an Albright Knot.

Monel Wire

more details ...

This nickel-copper alloy provides maximum corrosion resistance in saltwater and is more flexible than stainless wire, which makes it ideal for wire trolling lines, as well as leaders.

Make connections to hooks lures and swivels with a Haywire Twist and to nylon monofilament mainline with an Albright Knot.

Titanium Wire

more details ...

The most flexible, kink resistant and corrosion proof of all single-strand wire leaderss - but it's a bit pricey!

Titanium wire's stretch and flexibility enables it to be knotted at connections, rather than twisted.

Make connections to hooks lures and swivels with a simple clinch knot and to nylon monofilament mainline with an Albright Knot.

Multi-Strand Wire

There are two methods of forming multi-strand wire leaders, both of which are made up in stainless-steel wire strands:~

Nylon-Coated Multi-Strand Wire

more details ...

This is inexpensive, pliable and pleasant to use and is made up of 7 strands of wire twisted together.

Make all connections with Crimps.

Un-Coated Multi-Strand Cable

more details ...

This is the most bite proof of all wire leaders, but it's also the most visible.

It's constructed by twisting 7 of the 7 strand wires around each other, and hence is known as either 7x7, or 49 strand cable.

Make all connections with Crimps.

The various properties of these wire leaders is summarised in the following table.

Leader Wire Comparison Table