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Furling Boards & Methods
There is a very large number of Furlers here. Lets see some of the inovations to furling you've come up with.
I've done away with the push pins, thanks to Warren, and have a small cup hook at the 10% take up point and use a paperclip to remove the twisted legs and hang them to furl.
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
I am a Kathy Scott purist. Therefore I follow her video religiously and will not stray from her teachings. :lol: Actually, I am new at this furling thing and hope to take ways some excellent tips from all of you master furlers out there.
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Jack
I am just putting the finishing touches on my new powered board. I will post some pictures when the finish dries.
Brad
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
I have picked up a hair braider, for twisting the furles. Only wish I could find one that spins a little faster.
[img]http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z...1/IMG_1726.jpg[/img]
Spins both legs in same direction at the same time. Then will spin them both in the other direction to furle leader.
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Where to start....
Ron...you can take the braider apart...e.i. remove the handle and then power it with a drill...check Jim Williams web site for details.
Jack, as I told you before I like using the old metal shower curtain holders.
Rather than use the 10% rule ...which certainly works...if you would like the best possible you twist to just before tailing.
For those that use a drill I would speak against using a battery powered one....it is possible as the battery runs down to get a variable rate of twist on each leg....I use a corded variable speed drill.
There is sometimes a problem with communication so in these discussions definitions are helpful...for example be aware of the difference between twisting and furling....
I don't think I'll ever go to the powered furling...I'm a pretty casual furler so time isn't a big deal and I like the "naturalness " of Kathy's hanging method....to paraphrase something Warren once told me....
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Jack,
"There is a very large number of furlers here". I must be missing something here or at least admit I'm out of the loop on this topic. WHY would someone BE a "furler"? as opposed to simply being a user of the product? The implication of being a "furler" is that you make hundreds of them. Why do you need hundreds of them? Why, again, does anyone who gets one from compliments of your kindness suddenly wants to make their own, hundreds of em?. Unless one sells them, how many can one possibly need? I have seen a demo by Brad ( Kaboom) of the process and lemme tell ya, I'll buy one ( furled leader) before I go through the contortions of setting up the thigamagig to make one. WHAT am I missing??
Mark
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Mark, Do you tie your own flies?...make yor own rods?
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Ducksterman,
I acknowledge your jab :D . No I don't tie or build my own but accept those two activities as different from furling. In furling there seems to be a disproportionate amount of effort compared to value and utility of the item. I do understand however, that one can be compelled to "build your own" no matter what the end product or for whatever reason. In other words, whatever floats your canoe. Please DO NOT read any negative connotation into my post as NONE is intended. I'm am merely curious and therefore my question.
Mark
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Marko
For me, the journey is as satisfying as the destination. Making the ?thigamagig? as you call it is part of that journey. Fishing with them is the destination.
I guess that is why I build rods, tie flies, brew my own beer with a brewery I built, re model my home, etc.
Does this make sense to anyone but me?
Brad
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Mark, :) :)
I knew what I said could be taken a number of ways...a jab being one of them but knowing you I figured we would be ok...actually I didn't mean it as a jab but just questions... wanted to stimulate dialog..certainly I take no negativity from your reply....if someone ties ,etc. they would understand and if not ...we are into the...whatever floats your canoe thing...which is as it should be. 8)
I'm not sure it is disproportionate .. I built 2 jigs with stuff I had laying around...nothing fancy and was easier than gathering fly tying tools...I can make a leader faster than a lot of flies but will grant you a few leaders can last a long time...
Anyway what I was thinking when reading your post was.... from a pure practicality standpoint what you said was true of fly tying,rod building or leader making.
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Kaboom...obviously it makes sense ....and I believe you said it better than me.
Now we have digressed enough....Jack wants some of the inovations to furling....
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Marco,
It's all part of the sport, just like taking pictures :lol: I got Kathy's DVD, built a board and have tried about 30 so far. I've fished one or two successfully, but have yet produced one I want to show anybody. It's just the challenge of doing someting new. Maybe Jack will share some secrets with me. See you in MI next summer.
John
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Thanks to off-shore manufacturing and fly tying in 3rd world countries, it is infinitely less costly to buy flies and rods than to build them. Marco is correct in his assessment. But for me, it's the personal satisfaction I get from having caught the fish on the rod I built and the fly I tied and placed on the leader that Brad or Jack gave to me. We all share in this satisfaction of having done something worthwhile with our minds and our hands, fully utilizing the gifts God gave to us. To have the gift and not use it is worse than not having the gift at all. Since I don't want to upset God, I'll keep tying and rod building and coercing furled leaders from Brad & jack as long as I can.
Joe
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
I guess I thought/think that 15 furled leaders would last me the rest of my life. Would I need to build a furling machine or perhaps beg that many from y'all . I have heard Jack Hise, Ducksterman et al are "good" for one or two with almost no begging :)
Mark
PS: BTW, my "assessment" is ONLY of furled leaders and not of rods or flies.
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
"Since I don't want to upset God, I'll keep tying and rod building and coercing furled leaders from Brad & jack as long as I can."
Now that is what I call logical logic :lol: :lol: :lol:
Jack, You may need to start a new thread ....this one may be lost :shock: :shock: :shock:
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
....this one may be lost :D
For which I am most heartily sorry.
Mark
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Nope, don't be....interesting discussion...Jack of all people will understand and he can start a new one....
To bring up something else....I wonder if a BB .."Furling Leaders" on FAOL would be constructive....it's a topic not covered here...I suspect it's the direction Jack was going....
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Duckster:
when I sober up tomorrow I may find a response!! A furled leader fourum may be just the ticket!!
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Jack... :lol: :lol: :lol: ...I've been sipping all night :D
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Where do I start.....
I started with purchasing Kathy's DVD and that was the best move I made. Her DVD makes understanding how to make a furled leader very easy and also will help you understand what the internet articles are talking about when you read them on making furled leaders. I have made some changes to her instructions only because I wanted a longer furled leader. Her instructions for the board will make you a furled leader about 5 foot long which works great. I just wanted my furled leaders to be 7 foot long, so, I increased the distances between the board pegs. Kathy's distances between pegs are 18", 24", 24" and mine are 28", 33", 33" and that will get me a leader about 7 foot long to which I add about 5 to 6 feet of fluorocarbon tippet material. I replaced peg #1 and #5 with two large cup hooks which I have opened the hook up and I have another large cup hook opened up at the 10% mark. Once the legs are twisted to the 10% mark I install a paper clip in the loops to use to hang it up to allow the legs to furl together. I hunted around until I found a lead ball about the size of a ping pong ball and it weighed in at 3 ounces and I installed a small cup hook in it to hang on the tippet end of the leader for the furling process. The weight being round will allow it to spin "true" with no wobble. You really have to look close to see if it is still spinning or has stopped. I am going to change the cup hook in the lead ball to a very small hook that will fit into the very small round metal rings that I now use at the tippet end instead of the Shorb loop. I really like the small metal rings. I still make a Shorb loop at the butt end of the furled leader. My board is a 1"X6"X8' board. The 1"x6" gives me more room between the legs on the board. I have cut the board into at the center and on the back side I have installed a brass hinge and on the top side I have installed a latch that will lock and hold the board in the open position and when unlatched will allow me to fold the board up for transporting. The latch I use is the same latch that is on a double hung window that hold the top window and the bottom window together and locked.
I make many furled leaders because I like to experiment with different material to see how they work for furled leaders plus I carry many furled leaders with me on the water and give them to other fly fishers. I also tie my own flies and give them away too. Giving away furled leaders and flies on the river sure helps to "break the ice" with a total stranger and make new fly fishing friends. I also like using furled leaders for bartering with others and the trades of furled leaders for something they have makes a stronger deal than using money.
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Quote:
Originally Posted by RonS81
I have picked up a hair braider, for twisting the furles. Only wish I could find one that spins a little faster.
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z...1/IMG_1726.jpg
Spins both legs in same direction at the same time. Then will spin them both in the other direction to furle leader.
Hope this helps - This is what I use for demonstrations at clubs.
Variable speed with a flexible arm which is very light, it's sensitivity for furling is excellent as I can feel the tension application rather than the weight of the tool.
You're on the right track though, simultaneous twisting is the way to go for a tighter and more evenly formed leader. Go one better and convert it to electricity and you'll be zipping them up in no time.
http://www.furledleaders.co.uk/picts...es/furler1.jpg
http://www.furledleaders.co.uk/picts...es/furler2.jpg
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
Jack,
"There is a very large number of furlers here". I must be missing something here or at least admit I'm out of the loop on this topic. WHY would someone BE a "furler"? as opposed to simply being a user of the product? The implication of being a "furler" is that you make hundreds of them. Why do you need hundreds of them? Why, again, does anyone who gets one from compliments of your kindness suddenly wants to make their own, hundreds of em?. Unless one sells them, how many can one possibly need? I have seen a demo by Brad ( Kaboom) of the process and lemme tell ya, I'll buy one ( furled leader) before I go through the contortions of setting up the thigamagig to make one. WHAT am I missing??
Mark
I have done mine VERY economically and simply. I have invested in (1) 8' 2x4, 3 cuphooks, (1) 1/4" dowell, 1 paperclip and 3 drywall screws. So the materials including the thread for my first 2 leaders are less than 1 purchased furled leader. (I already have a corded drill, so I don't count that into expenses.) It took me about 30 minutes to build my entire setup. I currently have my board set up to build 5-7 foot leaders, and it works wonderfully. So I twist up leaders for most of my friends, and they only cost me about 50 cents apiece now. Granted, I don't do my leaders nearly as calculated/complicated as many of the other furlers here, but they look and perform wonderfully.
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I love it! My favorite part about furled leaders (next to using them, of course) is how adapatble they are. I know of people with titanium automatic furling machines now, and a rancher who has down-sized the same old cast iron rope maker his ancestors used to make tiny furled leaders. Trout, bass, tarpon - to me its like tying flies, lots of freedom.
I do agree, though... what do you do with all the darn things? - grin!
I make them because its restful. I love them because they are so grassroots, so much "American democracy".
I make cane, too - that's a little less restful
Kat
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Good Morning Kat!
I believe Warren made his first leader by driving fiinish nails part way into his deck railing!! He had just received Kathy's DVD and couldn't wait to build his board!
You can build a board for the cost of about 3 tapered mono leaders and I know that most carry more than that. A furled leader may out last mono leaders by months and only requires changing the tippet to meet different conditions. A Uni 6/0 thread leader costs about 20 cents and a flourocarbon about a buck!
I like the hair braider idea. I've got to get me one of those!!
I get a lot of pm's about furled leaders and am happy to share them. I've even got a couple made from Glow in the Dark thread out there!
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Hey, Jack :-) Hope all is well!
I've been using finishing nails in a baord for some of the custom requests, but David drilled a long line of peg holes in a 12' long 1X6 so I can vary the loop sizes on spey leaders. Takes two people to manage the thing, and we use the upper deck outside.
Kat
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Shall we get into various formulas for different lengths and loop combinations????....still confusing to me...
So far I've just do Kathy's step down formula...keeping those proportions....but I know folks vary theirs depending on type of fishing , etc.
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
This is a really good thread but it's driving me nuts.
I am checking the mailbox twice a day hoping my DVD from Kathy gets here so I can get started furling. I'm ready to go but need that DVD.
The best tip I can give anyone is to check out Jim Williams website at http://furledleaders.proboards26.com/index.cgi? There is a ton of stuff on there. Be sure to check out Jims how-to-make-a-furled-leader and how-to-make-twin-walled-leader-loops.
Does anybody know where to order some small, tiny latchhooks/knitpickers what ever you callums? All I can find locally are the larger rug hooks which don?t look nearly small enough.
Tip: Those hair twisty thingys are avaliable on several ebay auctions
As for why I want to furl my own leaders. If need and profitability were the governing factors, almost none of us would ever tie flies, build rods, furl leaders, have more than one rod or reel, or even go fishing in the first place. Pound per pound the fish I catch are the most expensive food I eat.
I just like to spend money thats why.
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Quote:
Does anybody know where to order some small, tiny latchhooks/knitpickers what ever you callums?
I was told Joanns fabrics had them. while your there buy some heavy nylon apolstry (sic) thread to make your first ones out of, its cheep and doesnt break easily.
Eric
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Gnu Be;
Dritz Knit picker #26615, $1.39. If someone has to order one for you. Or go to Dritz. com and see if they ship to Canada.
It can be done with a piece of heavy mono or light wire and I've done it with a small crochet hook. Just be carefull not to hook any strands when pulling the loop through.
The round 3 oz. weight discribed by Warren does spin very true. I found 3 oz. football shaped sinkers at a flea market that do almost as well.
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Hi all,
Any body that needs a 'Picker' then I'd be more than happy to obtain for you over here.
We're totally spoilt for choice from ultra fine small pickers to large ones. All the specialist Carp and coarse anglers use them, talk about 'death by choice' .... so much so you'll probably get to choose a colour, metallic option might even be available with touch screen satalite navigation aswell :lol:
Cost would be nothing but retail (What ever I pay for it) and postage, size wouldn't be a postage issue I'm sure, nothing but an airmail envelope no doubt.
I'd be happy to take some pictures and show you a variety of options.
I'd obtain them from my local angling retailer - just thought I'd post this up in case any of you struggle to obtain yourselves.
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
ducksterman, furledleader,
I did canabalize my hair braider. Thanks for the tip. :D
I have to agree I have more leaders than I'll use. I enjoy the fact that I can make them and also enjoy catching fish on leaders, flys, and rods that I make.
It's not for economic reason. Ask my wife. I do like trying different materials and sizes.
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Good to see you here Jim.
Marco- I've made furled leaders for a couple years now. I might make 10 of them, go fishing and usually see a couple people that want to know what I'm using. I tell them, and give them one. If I see them fishing again they usually ask if I have another they can have. I give them another. I also give them my email and then they will buy a couple or turn them on to their friends. It's a pay it forward thing. Some guy turned me on to them and I'm just returning the favor in my own way.
\
I know this thread is about boards and methods sorry to hijack it.
2"x6"x 8' board, 3/8" dowels placed in different locations for different lengths. DeWalt cordless 18v to turn them, and a pyramid lead fishing weight to furl them.
Kathy's formula and also Parnelli's formulas.
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"The round 3 oz. weight discribed by Warren does spin very true. I found 3 oz. football shaped sinkers at a flea market that do almost as well."...and I've got some pyramid ones from years ago....
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Just to keep the discussions going....PEGS...
I think peg sizes make a difference...
Many of the first suggestions ..at least that I saw ...suggested 1/2".....large ones leave a large loop and therefore slack eventually
Slick ones help the material slide off..
I find a finish nail head is harder to slip off of if you twist to maximum...
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Duckster;
Mine are 3/4 and I tend to agree that 1/2" may be better. I just picked up a small drill press and am thinking about Kat's post about her husband Dave drilling a series of holes for the posts. You could number the holes for each peg. Say 1 - 12 and record the numbers to save the formula.
I just made one on my new board and it was a struggle! Had to go back and polish the pegs with 0000 steel wool.
So far the best board color I've found is black as it shows up the clear mono/flourocarbon best.
I've got the hang of installing tippet rings and will build all mine with them from now on.
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Hi all,
With reference to the mention about applying tip rings....
A tip for you:
For longevitity of your leader and reduced ring hinge, apply the tippet ring last
- Construct your leader in full as normal.
- Thread the leader tip through the tip ring
- Take butt section of leader and put through small tip loop
- Pull and secure
This is all best done and made easier if you use your picker.... you'll not be dissappointed with the result.
As per middle picture below
http://www.furledleaders.co.uk/picts...-ring-loop.jpg
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Hi,
Jim, I agree with you completely - when I do add tip end rings, I like doing it last for that extra security.
The pegs I like, for my finger size, are 1/4". Granted, I hold the spool in the palm of my hand, and let the thread feed out between my ring and middl fingers. Pegs that small wouldn't work as well, I suspect, for people who use a fly tying bobbin for their thread.
A friend of mine doesn't use the push pin method (I use it since I hang my leaders while they spin)), so instead of pressing a pin into his board after spinning the first leg, he has sharpened a peg and inserted it at a forward slant. After spinning the first leg, he slides its end loop over that peg. After he spins the second leg, he snafgs both end loop with a hook affixed to a clothes pin, and hangs the leader with that. Simple.
btw, I just switched to a new cordless lithium battery drill... much lighter.
Kat
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
I found tippet rings at
http://www.jsflyfishing.com/cgi-bin/ite ... Rings.html
I hope these are the right size cause I ordered some. :?
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Jack
O my new board I milled 1/4" slots almost full length for the pegs. The pegs are captured to the board with carriage bults inserted from the bottom, In th bottom of the peg I imbedded a 1/4" nut. It is a simple task to un screw the peg a bit and slide it to any position that I want. I will post pictures ASAP.
Brad
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Re: Furling Boards & Methods
Quote:
Originally Posted by ducksterman
Shall we get into various formulas for different lengths and loop combinations????....still confusing to me...
So far I've just do Kathy's step down formula...keeping those proportions....but I know folks vary theirs depending on type of fishing , etc.
I'll ask again....
You folks that have these adjustable jigs....How do you decide where to put the pegs for various leaders?