I read this piece from the very helpful Hooked 4 Life Spey Series and thought how many years we have shortened our leaders to be in line with the end of a heavy sinking line. The flossing of fish has always been suspected with fish. The leaders of spey rods are definitely growing in length to accommodate the tubes, and the dynamic of the spey casts. Hooked 4 Life has excellent, thoughtful info, much of which is relevant to NW two handers.    

angle-spey-swing

http://www.flyfishusa.com/newsletter/021504/ (diagram source; suggestive of angle not length)

“All of this to say that I now firmly believe that it is essential for good steelhead presentation for the fly to run well below the level of the lowest section of your fly line and that the fly line should never come close to the level of the fish. Sinking, straight-line presentations using short leaders, cannot meet this requirement.”

“…I have improved my hookup rate significantly since going to longer leaders on my sinking lines.  The use of thin fluorocarbon leaders and fast sink rate flies, ensures that I do not have the line near the bottom and the fly near the top.”       http://www.hooked4life.ca/glsteelhead/Presentation_Issues.html