Tie own leaders

I'm interested in making my own leaders and wondering if anyone has used the Frog leader machine or something similar. Need help with blood knots.

There is a ton of good information out there on this. Here are two of my favorites. One is more complicated or should I say complete and the other is a nice basic primer on the subject. On the Blood knots themselves you can tie double surgeons knots or a nail knot to nail knot splice with a Tie fast tool as an option. If you really want blood knots, Dennison has a blood knot tool that you can find with a Google search.

http://globalflyfisher.com/fishbette...c/download.php

http://www.flyfishusa.com/tackle-tip...t-leaders.html

Haven't used Frog hair, many use Maxima for the butt and middle sections.

Rick

I edited to add a link to a Dennison tool: http://www.flyfishusa.com/accessories/knot-tiers.html.

You could also build some like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbcVaEe3RIs

I tie all my own and I find that a blood knot tool helps speed things up. It can be done without. I believe mine is a Dennison, it is mounted on a pedestal base to sit flat on a counter or desk. I use Maxima for Mono leader butts and midsections. I use Seagar for all Flouro leaders. All my tippet, is flouro.

Clay,

Interesting that someone revisited a very old technique for making cordage that was used by many farm boys of yesteryear. It's also the same method of making horsehair fly lines (without the doubling), using up to nine strands of horse hair.

Sorry about the hijack.

REE

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ron Eagle Elk

Clay,

Interesting that someone revisited a very old technique for making cordage that was used by many farm boys of yesteryear. It's also the same method of making horsehair fly lines (without the doubling), using up to nine strands of horse hair.

Sorry about the hijack.

REE

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Ron, Nothing new under the sun. :cool:

Donat, I see that I misunderstood your beginning to this thread. You didn't want to use Frog Hair as leader material you were asking about the Frog Hair blood knot tool. Hopefully someone here will have some experience with that one, I do not. Just wanted to get the thread and your answer headed the right way for you.

Rick

Me...LOL Yes I have the Frog Hair kit. Was making the leaders for a couple years till I discovered furled.
The tool is supper easy though. The rubber on the jaws holds good. You have three metal pegs, two have the jaws with rubber tube on them. They are on each end of a metal plate/bar.
Then a bigger peg in the middle. Clamp the leader material in each clamp facing opposite directions with a couple inches sticking out away. Long peg in the middle. Pull it out of the plate hole and twist. Then thread. Great little tool.

Something that really helps is to use 2-turn blood knots to join segments that are thicker than 1x. It doesn't matter if the knot is less than 100% strength. It just has to be stronger than the tippet. Using only 2 turns makes a less bulky knot that seats easier.

Blood knots are tied by muscle memory. Start with twine until you can tie one w/o looking at images or instructions. Work your way down the string to mono scale through the Xs. Don't expect to learn on 6x tippet. I wouldn't rely on a tool for blood knots. You need to be able to make painless changes on the fly when you fish.

Good luck and outrageous lies!

Dana