Printable View
i know i have read a thread about this before, but searching turned up about a zillion pages, so i am going the easy route. any suggestions on how to repair a small nick in the first three inches of a fly line. i like the factory loop, and don't want to cut it off unless i have to.
dpenrod:
I don't know if it is the best way, but unfortunately for me I like cleats on my wading shoes and as a result have stepped on my fly line more than a few times resulting in everything from nicks to COMPLETELY SEVERED fly lines. :(
For the nicks & cuts, I have found that Loon UV Knot Sense works great. If you don't already have it, buy the kit with the little UV light, it comes in handy.
I put a little dab on the cut and cure it with either sunlight or the UV light. It works FAST and best of all, the small tube of glue and light is small enough to carry around with you for field repairs of everything from fly lines to waders.
I carry mine with me all the time and have used it MANY times!
Good luck!
I have seen intructions for making your own welded loops using a heat gun and some heat shrink tubing. The heat shink tubing is used to compress the joint in the fly line while the heat gun melts and fuses the plastic coating on the line. The tubing is removed once the weld has cooled, resulting in a smooth welded loop just like the factory one. This method can also be used to make a splice, so I think it would work to repair a small nick.
Here is an text file that explains the proccess in detail, a google search should turn up some pictures or videos of the procedure as well...
http://www.speypages.com/speyclave/a...3&d=1216087818
I am also guilty of using studs on my felts, better to cut a few lines than end up to my neck in the river.
The UV Knot Sense method works great. However, you didn't say what size line you were trying to repair. For trout, no problem using the UV.
If you are going after really BIG fish, I would cut it off and either use the heat gun method or tie on a short heavy piece of mono. That is what I do.
I have noticed that the factory loop starts to look sort of cut up from use, with all those leaders going on it and pulling. That is when I cut it off and use a nail knot to attach the mono. The UV Knot Sense works really great there too, it coats the nail knot making it smooth, just in case it goes into the first guide of the rod.
Larry :D ---sagefisher---
save this as a bookmark/favorite for repairing a fly line
http://www.ukswff.co.uk/Tips_Flyline_Repair.shtml
save this as a bookmark/favorite for making a welded loop
http://www.scandicangler.com/?mod=article&aID=36701
or just cut it off after the nick. your only losing 3 inches out of 90 ft.
An FYI in regards to using shrink tubing for either repairs or loops. I have done both and still do, but I've have noticed a few drawbacks:
1. If you use too much heat, you can cook the core of the line or melt the coating so much that it gets hard. If the coating discolors and turns brown when you shrink the tubing, you applied too much heat.
2. Misdirected heat will BURN the coating. I don't like using a lighter and use a butane soldering iron instead, putting the shrink tube NEXT to the catalytic element to shrink it.
3. I have found that the coating melts and fuses WAY better when the line is new and squeaky clean. The several attempts I have made to replace a loop on a well used line with ground in dirt have been less than satisfactory. The coating just doesn't want to melt and fuse the way it does when the line is new no matter how many times I clean it, even with a 3M pad and cleaning solutions.
YMMV
To clean the end for remaking a loop on a dirty fly line use a little nail varnish remover or acetone on a cotton pad, this softens the surface a little as it cleans and when heating it to fuse together, makes it a lot easier and more reliable.
Lines get brittle when they lose the plasticiser that is incorporated in the making of them to give suppleness, some of the commercial line treatments will replace this but not all.
Do NOT use Methyl Ethyl Ketone (a plastic gluing preparation solution) - this will disolve the line completely.
As it is only 3 inches you would be better to remake the loop instead of trying to repair the nick.
TLs
Albannach:
Thanks for acetone the tip. I'll try it next time!