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line twist problems
i've been having some problems with my flyline being twisted when I strip it for casting and definite loop indications left in it when lying on the water.
i assume that the twisting occurs during strippin a streamer or fly quickly and the loop 'shadows' comes from being stored on the fly reel. (i had just pulled all of it off the reel, cleaned and untwisted it before my trip Sat but all the problems came back. )
i could lay out a long length of line on the water and reel it back in to get rid of the twist for a while, loop 'shadows' remained. The line is not very old (8#)
Three questions:
1. is this a correct assumption?
2. if I'm warmwater fishing is there a significant
issue with putting a small swivel on the end of my
furled leader and using a 2 ft tippet?
3. is it normal practice to store the line off the reel on
a 6 to 8 in storage spool after cleaning it?
Thanks for any insight.
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when i've had that problem it's due to the streamer i'm using being tied in such a way that it inadvertently spins and then spins the line.
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zz
I would not use a swivel on the end of my leader. Dave is correct in that it usually the streamer that can cause line twist. And if you are abel to cast the whole line like the Grand poo bah suggests, that will take care of getting the twist out of your line. If not, here is something else you might try.
Some place where you havd adequate room, pull all the line off your reel to the point where the backing is attached. Lay the line out straight on the floor or ground. Starting at the backing run the line through your thumb and index finer walking forward until you get to the end of your fly line. You can actually see the twist work its way forward. Do this several times or until the twist is no longer there.
Don't tell the Grand poo bah, but since I am unable to cast my entire line, that is the method that I use.
Oh and no it isn't necessary that you take the line off your reel and store it on spool between outings. However, you may want to consider doing so during the off season.
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If you are using a wooly bugger try tying them on a jig hook and you'll never go back to standard hook again.
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We have one clear intermediate shooting head that does twist. It too retains it's coils. Could this be a reason? It is the only line that does that for us.
Some of our bugs will tend to twist the line more than others for us too.....especially gurglers.
.....lee s.
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Thanks, those were quick replies
I have tried the thing with laying the line out and running my fingers over it , works good. I didn't think about casting it out like JC says ( if I can cast that far) . I did strip it out oon the water , row away and reel it in.
swivels are evil , huh? what about making tube fly ties for this and I have just stared 1/40 oz jig head ties for a bunny bugger pattern. Haven't quite got the palmering of the cross cut strip down yet.
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I commonly fish foam flies with rubber legs for sunfish and bass and find that these are very prone to spinning mid flight as well. Just another suspect.
On windy days, you can hold your rod tip high and let out as much line as will blow in the wind to let your line untwist. This won't get all the kinks out of 60' of line by any means, but it helps. Getting up on a high spot (bank/boulder) helps too.
When fishing with heavier gear (5wt plus) a very small swivel can sure help. The ones that are the size of a watermelon seed are plenty strong, and won't add much weight. I have found this is one of the best ways to prevent spoonflies from causing line/leader twisting problems.
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ZZ,
You've been given several good ways to get the twist out of your line.
To get the 'coils' or 'reel memory' out, just stretch the line.
The best way to accomplish this, of course, is make your first cast to a large fish. Hook the fish, let it run out your line, then tighten up and let the fish stretch the line for you.
For the rest of us, there are several methods to accomplish the same result without requiring help from the fish.
I have a carpeted deck in my boat. What I do is strip out enough line that I can place my foot on a portion of it and then pull straight up to 'stretch' the line. I repeat this process until I've stretched the amount I can cast.
If I'm not in the boat, I pull the line off the reel in sections that I can stretch between my outstretched hands, and repeat until I've streched a casts worth of it.
Do this at the beginning of EVERY fishing outing, and your line will behave better. Takes a few minutes, but it's worth the effort.
I've always had to do this, with ANY fly line. I thought everyone did this as a matter of course. I have noticed that the clear lines are 'worse' for coiling than the other lines.
Good Luck!
Buddy
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Buddy: i've always streched my leader, but never thought about streching the line, good tip and worth a try.
Big Cliff: I'm using a 9ft 8# cannon: I have put on a small swivel about the size of a 14/16 hook.
this has been a great help, i'm much in you debt.
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Clear lines are worse because they have a mono core... most floating or even sinking lines have a braided core.