By: Bud Larsen

“The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span, the hours spent fishing.”
-Babylonian Proverb-

“Nor the time spent thinking or reading about fishing either.”
-Uncle Bud-

Three years ago I was handed a sample of TyGer Leader and after running it through a few tests, I gave away my crimping pliers, a box of lead and copper sleeves, and reported: “This leader is the finest thing since sliced bread.” My faith in this relatively new product has not wavered one iota since then.

Ask me if I miss puncture wounds using the old wire leader.

So, it is an honor for me to be allowed to report to you as a new member of the growing TyGer Team.

Market you? Sure, but rest assured that I’m going to cover more than just field uses for this fine product in future reports … I just want to get you and yours out there fishing!

Your Uncle Bud does not profess, or lay claim to expertise in a particular fishery. Yes, I do have a world record catfish under my belt, but that was pure … “right place at the right time” and I hasten to add under a damn fine guide’s wing.

Nope, was not using TyGer Leader either at the time. Mine was a record flathead cat, and I will tell you this, I won’t fish for cat’s again without using TyGer Leader after having seen what a blue cat can do with his jaw. I mean, chop up #60 line like it was a Tootsie Roll that had been sitting in the sun too long.

I’m not going to preach to you about being able to catch more fish with this leader. I will however, attempt to prove via future reports that you’ll keep more fish you catch with TyGer Leader. This is not an easy path for me either because fishermen are set in their ways of what works for them.

My market as a reporter (oops, label me a columnist because I’m going to “story” you into becoming a user of TyGer Leader), is going to be to the majority … bank and dock fishermen.

We are dazzled daily with photos and articles that portray people fishing out of boats, but those folks are the minority. I envy them, but that envy is short lived when I think of the flexibility I have in getting to different fisheries throughout our great country and the equally awesome fisheries of our Canadian neighbors to the north and our brothers down south.

Getting people to use leader can be a daunting task. I know, because when I was first told to tie TyGer Leader to my top water bass plug, I broke out in laughter. Are you nuts! Nothing goes between your line and that plug … no swivel, no lead, what part of nothing don’t you understand?

Well, yours truly was going broke buying plugs lost to abrasion and down right stupidity … “Hey, Uncle Bud … you’re supposed to put that plug at the base of the rock, not behind it.” Got so bad a couple of years ago that I had to offer rewards for Hula Poppers I had left in trees.

You see, here I sit in the Idaho Panhandle, the Val Halle if you will, of trout fishing … and I’m a spiny ray nut. Give me bass, blue gill, and crappie any day of the week. Now, I will brag about my expertise with a long pole and TyGer Leader going after blue gill. I’m down right deadly when it comes to blue gill.

Bream? My brothers in South Carolina and Florida talk about Bream all the time. What is a Bream? Can’t those guys use two words like the rest of us?

I promise not to preach to you about what to use when you fish. No, I won’t be telling you how to fish because fishing is like sex … you have to get plenty of hands on experience to see what works best. Trial and error, and all that. It will come to you without me harping about a blue eyed, purple tailed, hinged in the middle lure that you just have to add to your tackle box.

Future reports (if this one makes it on line) will be short, specific, and include appropriate photographs. I’ll do my best to cover as much ground about TyGer Leader applications as I can. Being a goal oriented guy by nature I have set a goal of catching my first Northern Pike via ice fishing.

In the interim, I will have to wear a paper bag over my head until our local ice scenario shapes up for some serious (and safe) ice fishing.

Love a challenge so email me at: tyger@tygerleader.com, and let’s talk fishing with TyGer Leader.

Tight lines to all!