Braided line to leader connectors

[sagefisher]

Not wanting to Hi-Jack okflyfishers thread, I thought I would post a new one. His question about line to leader connectors reminded me of my experiences with the braided line to leader connectors. About 16 years ago I was getting ready to go salmon fishing up in Canada and I went to the local fly shop to get a new line. They asked me if I wanted a braided leader to line connector installed. I figured, why not, so they put one on.

When I was up fishing and catching lots of salmon, I had just brought in and released a Coho and checked the leader near the fly and noticed the salmons teeth had damaged it, so I decided to put on another leader/fly that I had already rigged up. I cut off the fly and started to undo the loops from the line to the leader when the braided line connector simply fell off in my hand.

That ended my trusting those things and I immediately went back to the short heavy leader/loop combination that I nail knotted to the line (actually for large fish I wrap two nail knots to the line rather than just one, but for trout I just do one nail knot).

Then last year I was trout fishing with a buddy in Montana and he had gotten his leader caught on something on the drift boat and cut it up a bit so I just suggested he swing the line over to me and I would put on a new leader. That is when I noticed he had the braided line to leader connector on his line. I started telling him about my experience up in Canada when his braided line to leader connector simply fell off in my hand. I couldn't have timed that better even if I had tried.

So, he now has a nail knotted short butt section on his line.

I know some people use the braided connectors and are very happy with them but I just can not have any faith in them anymore.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[tedshuck]

Larry,

Sounds like these loops were not installed properly. There is an excellent article on Dan Blanton's website on how to install braided loops that will not fail. http://www.danblanton.com/blog/getting-looped/

I have been using Dan's method for about 15 years now and have never had a failure.

Regards,
Ted

[Preston Singletary]

I have always preferred using a short leader butt of heavy monofilament with a perfection loop, nail-knotted to the fly line for the line-to-leader connection, but in the past, when I built my own steelhead lines, I used braided monofilament loops to connect different types of lines. I always finished the loop installation with a couple of nail knots over the butt of the loop and the fly line. I never felt it was necessary to use any kind of adhesive. The connection was stout enough that the line itself would break before the loop would fail.

[rainbowchaser]

I was in the process of putting braided loops on all of my flylines as they needed new butt sections in the early eighties when I was fishing one of them on the little south branch of the Pere Marquette river early one spring. I was working my way downstream with a weighted wet fly when I felt a strong tug and then the line went slack like one of my knots had failed. The entire leader was gone. I got home and tested the leader connection on another line and it too pulled off as the heat shrink wrap failed. I took them off of my other rods and haven't used one since

[Philly]

I've been using the braided loops for many years and never have had one come lose. The ones I use, I think they're Orvis, have a small piece of orange tubing on the stem just below the loop. I clip the fly line to a point. Thread it up the stem till it touches the loop. Then I use a very light coat of Goop or a clear flexible cement on the portion where the braid and fly line are in contact, slide the small piece of tubing down to the end of the braid. Let it set and dry.

[tedshuck]

[snip] I got home and tested the leader connection on another line and it too pulled off as the heat shrink wrap failed.

The heat shrink tubing is a weak point. If you use a nail knot at the end of the braid, with a bit of pliobond on it to secure it, you should never have this problem. Don't put a nail knot at the loop end as this will negate the "chinese finger trap" function of the braid on the fly line.

Ted

[Silver Creek]

Throw the heat shrink connector away.

Whip finish the end with some tying thread and then coat the entire section of the connector with Pliobond. I have never had one fail.

[Preston Singletary]

As I said above, I've never felt it was necessary to use any kind of adhesive (Pliobond, Aquaseal Shoe Goo, etc.). I would never rely on the "Chinese finger trap function"; try it some time without any adhesive. In short, it doesn't work.

[tedshuck]

The "Chinese finger trap" does work. Try putting about 6 inches of braid over the end of a fly line. Grip it lightly at the end of the braid, 6 inches from the end of the fly line, then try to pull the braid off the fly line. By gripping it lightly at the end, you make the braid compress around the fly line and grip it tightly along the entire length. This is the purpose of the nail knot at that end. If you put a nail knot at the other end, near the end of the fly line, you are really only gripping the fly line with that nail knot. The only adhesive that I recommend is on the nail knot at the end of the braid to make sure that the knot stays put.

Ted

[fritz]

Heat shrink tubes are useless. Nail knot on the fly line end ONLY (not the looped end) of the braided loop and apply a drop of super glue. Also, clean the fly line end thoroughly before attaching the braided loop and super glue. Should have no problems. Best of luck