Shock Leaders - What are hey and why use them ?

We have been asked several times on this site, "Why use a shock leader", some have even wrote and said "They are a waste of money"

The truth is, without one, you risk the possibility of killing either yourself, a fellow fisherman or a passer by.

Several years ago, I can remember reading an article about a fishing weight breaking off and killing a child in a pram who was being pushed along a pier.

Without a shock leader the strain on the main line when casting is  many times greater than the line strength. If the line breaks, your weight becomes a 5oz bullet shooting through the air, indiscriminately, the consequences speak for themselves.

Remember every fisherman has a legal duty of care to ensure their actions are safe, if you fail to take that duty of care, then you could easily be facing a compensation claim.Working out the size of a shock leader is simple. The rule of thumb is 10lb per 1 ozs of casting lead so if you use 5ozs of lead the minimum shock leader should be 50lb.

The shock leader should be long enough to go from the reel to the tip of the rod and back down to the butt, plus 5 turns on the reel. it should be connected to the main line with either a "The Quick Shore Leader Knot" or the "Full Shore Leader Knot" , or alternatively "The Rufus Knot" although I have never tried this particular knot myself.