I recently got a Fly rod/reel to fish for LMB.  The guy at the store told me it wasn't necessary to use a tapered leader and tippet, just to use a couple yards of 16lb test monofilament.  His reasoning was that the tapered leader was not necessary since the flies for LMB are relatively large.  The guy seemed very knowledgeable, and i did this and it worked.  I was wondering if anyone else does this, or has tried this, and if their is any noticeable difference between using just monofilament and the conventional setup.  

I do the same thing but instead of 16 I do a yard of 20 pound floro and a yard of 12 pound floro.  Works great and man cant beat fishing LMB of that setup.  What weight line and rod do you use?  There is also a book called Fly Fishing for Largemouth Bass by Lefty Kher that had a lot of great information from a legend.  He also recommended against a tapered leader saying there was no need.

Vic

i just use a length of 6lb test mono for my leader (cuz i use some panfish flies too). i dont have any kind of tapered tippet or leader.

Yup, when throwing those big deer hair poppers and streamers a tippet is not necessary. I get by with just a 6-8ft. leader of 14lb mono or 12lb fluoro for streamers.

When growing up my dad let me use his fly fishing stuff sometimes, and all he used was 3 to 4 feet of 10# mono for a leader.

We usually used the panfish poppers about the size of a pencil eraser.

One of the biggest bass I ever caught as a kid was on a 7' 6 weight fly rod, level floating line and a 6 lb mono leader tied directly to a big yellow popper. Bass came up, gently inhaled, and I hooked it in the tongue. Thought my rod was going to break.

I bought my rod, reel, line, and a few flies for $25 hard-earned dollars at the Rod & Gun Club at Ft. Eustis, VA when I was a kid.  I wore that sucker out.   I ought to try it again.  Nothing like honker bluegills on a fly rod.

One of my favorite things is smallmouth on the fly.  What an addiction!

Try a search, you'll find that there have been lots of flyfishing threads in the past year or so.

I use a tapered leader as a matter of course but I finish it with a couple of feet of 8 lb mono for a bite tippet.  That way I'm not using up my $4 leader every time I tie on something new.  

I have a 9ft rod, with 9wt line.  Orvis was having a big sale.  I had no intention on buying a setup when i went in there.  

Orvis rods are great, I own/have owned many.

Man, you are gunning for bear with a 9wt. That is a striper/tarpon/redfish rod....Will work for bass, but it will kill you...will be like fishing big swimbaits ... I use a 3wt more than anything, sometimes a 5 and rarely my 8wt for LMB....I catch more fish on orvis #6 sneaky petes in chartruese than any other lure i own.