Whitlock Zap-a-Gap knotless system?

[waynep]

Anyone here use it? I got to meet Dave and Emily this weekend. Very nice people. Bought his new book and he signed it, even drew a little fish picture as part of the autograph!

I attended a session Emily did talking about their Knotless Zap-a-Gap system. I bought he kit and DVD, and going to try it. I will admit that I was skeptical about it's strength. I did the first leader connection tonight and I cannot pull it out, and I pulled on it pretty darn hard, I felt the line stretching and quit pulling. My tippet will break long before this connection. Dave has said he has caught Tarpon and bill fish with this connection, so I decided to try it. It seems the key is roughing up the leader butt a little with sandpaper before gluing to increase the "grip" the glue has.

Anyone use this system?

[iaflyfisher]

I use both the knotless system and loop system that Dave has. Both work really well and neither have ever failed. It is very important to follow the instructions to get a good glue up.

The knotless connection works nice when one reels in a long leader and it doesn't get caught on the guides!

You will be happy it.

[wayneb]

I purchased his knotless system and DVD in January and really like it. It's hands down the smoothest connection system I've tried so far. I was pleasantly suprised by the number of different conections Dave demonstrates on the DVD, many I never thought of.

I agree with iaflyfisher, you have to follow the directions or it just doesn't hold as well, learned that one the hard way!

Wayne

[aged_sage]

My experience has been that the super glue crystallized after about a year and the butt end would pull out of the line. This short coming is apparently well known in some circles, e.g., woodworkers. Am restricted to the use of only one hand, or would elaborate. (Don't want to risk the 'third time' NOT being charmed!)

Cheers

[Lew]

I have a full-sink line with the glue connection that's been going strong for twelve years now, without change. I'm confident that it will go a lot longer still.

[cklenske]

I put in my first one about 5 years ago. It's still holding tight, with no sign of giving out.
CJ

[waynep]

I have my 4wt rod setup this way now. It seems to be holding tight. I pulled on the connections pretty hard, and they held nicely. I know the tippet is going to break way before the amount I pulled on them. I do really like the smoothness of the connections now.

Maybe my tailing loops won't catch on those connections!!

I also watched the entire DVD. Several nice to know connections shown in great detail.

Wayne

[flyguy66]

Wayne,

It works really well IF you rough up the leader butt and follow the instructions TO THE T. Zap-A-Gap is not typical superglue. Now, if you leave stuff with ZAG on it out in the hot car or in a shed in summertime for extended periods of time, etc. it will crystalize. Of course, so will your fly lines and mono leaders. So who cares about the ZAG? LOL But if you care for your equipment the way you're supposed to it won't happen. That's why some of these fellas are reporting several years of reliable use, while others will say it broke after about a year or so. Heat and UV degrade the fly line and mono leader just as much as they are bad for the ZAG. But ZAG is far more resilient than your run-o-the-mill superglue. It also forms a waterproof seal on things. And the chemical bonding that it does with natural materials is superior to superglue. With synthetics, it can be downright dangerous! (slight exaggeration, but the reaction is sometimes quite interesting).

[Clay]

While I know nothing of Dave's glue system I'm shocked that anyone would fish a leader or butt section for longer than a few months, much less a full year or longer. I suppose that one guy's 3 years of fishing is equal to another guy's month of fishing but leaders are cheap compared to all we spend on this hobby. Why not change your leader every month or every 3 to 5 outtings? Yes I change tippet often too, some days as many as 10 to 12 times per day. Nicked line and a lost large fish will make you figure out that it is a simple task to change tippet often.

Rick

[flyguy66]

I am with you, Rick. Every time you change a leader using the Whitlock Knotless Connection you have to clip a bit off the end of your fly line. Leaders are much cheaper than fly lines and it doesn't take long to change the way a line turns over a fly. That's why I gave it up pretty quickly after messing with it for awhile.