Braided line to leader connectors

[whatfly]

Odd as it sounds, this is exactly what is supposed to happen, sagefisher. The nail knot merely secures the braided loop and it is the 'Chinese-finger-puzzle' effect that keeps it on, and like a puzzle, it is easy to take off in the right manner.

While I most just use heavy, stiff, mono in a butt section with loop-to-loop connections, I use the braided loop for shooting heads and large game situations and the system works just fine. Dan Blanton's site, that someone else cited, describes precisely how it is best done.

[fishbum]

If I have to nail knot the darned stuff on to keep it on I might just as well nail knot the leader in the first place and dispense with the braided junk. And yes, I do know how to install the braided loops properly. They are not for me.

Jerry

[tigfly]

I don't like the braided loops because of a few failures. I use the Castwell knot on six wt and smaller and an albright on anything larger. I do have some lines with the welded loops and have not had problems with those... yet.

[Beaver]

I braided loop all my saltwater lines together (shooting head, running line and backing) ala Blanton style. Never had a problem in 4 years. Caught anything between a 6" perch to a 3 foot shark. Ok, maybe it was a 3" perch. Never liked the heat shrink tubing. Not only does it not hold but it clicks as it goes through the guides.

[tailingloop]

For those who nail knot a butt section to fly line, this works for some applications.

I was on a fly fishing charter targeting yellowfin tuna many years ago. Several of the other anglers on the trip insisted their nail knot connections were sufficient. This was their first Bluewater experience. Every single one of those anglers had the same experience. Those connections stripped right off the end if the line leaving some of the exposed core.

I have been using the same connections described on Dan Blanton's site, and the similar connection described on Trey Combs Bluewater Fly Fishing book for 20 years now and never had a failure of a braided loop that I made myself. I have replaced a couple that were damaged by coral, or barnacles also caused complete
Failure of the leader, but the damaged braid still held.


The loops are secured to the flyline with a trap nail knot at the end of the braid where the line enters and the knot then coated with a bit of pliobond. This coating only serves to protect the knot a it and help it go through the guides. I have had fly lines break before the loop. The glued single catch loops available from most commercial sources are prone to failure in the glued sections which do not flex well. The use of tubing is problematic too - a line under tension stretches and when it does its cross section decreases - so the tubing may loosen.

Many of today's flylines have excellent strong loops built into the line but I still use braided loops when I need to replace these.