Hinging Leader?

[Utah David]

I just got a SYLK Floating DT3 line. Previously I had a DT3 Floating Wonderline. I have a 9 foot tapered monofilament leader with a perfection loop tied in the butt-end, and I attached it to the Wonderline (which came with a loop connector tied on) loop-to-loop. With the new SYLK line having no such connector, I decided to give "Castwell's Knot" a try since my leader already had the loop needed. By the way, I don't remember "what" tapered leader it is, (manufacturer etc.) only that it ends in 6X and I add 6X tippet to it as needed.

So I go out and cast my new line to see how it works, and... My casting loop looks (and feels) good. (tight loop, no tailing etc.) but when it gets to the leader it seems to stop unrolling and simply "hangs there" until it drops, bringing the leader/tippet/fly with it. It's as though someone put up a glass wall I can't see, but is always right where my line-to-leader connection is. Forward cast, back cast, doesn't matter.

With the Wonderline, the leader completely turned over with no problem. Since the SYLK line is quite a bit more supple (and thinner) than the Wonderline, I'm wondering...

Is this a case of "hinging" and I need a more supple butt end to my leader for the SYLK line?

or

Is this some "fault" in my casting which was previously hidden to me, and is now very evident with the SYLK line?

or

Is Castwell's Knot the culprit and I should use a nail knot or some other more complicated and cumbersome connection?

or

Is this a characteristic of SYLK lines and I need to learn how to use them?

Any ideas/recommendations will be appreciated, and thanks for the help.

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---David

[LadyFisher]

David, we don't use the furled leaders as we prefer off the shelf tapered leaders...we had no problem with turnover with the Sylk line using them. I can't seem to make furled leaders behave, perhaps it is our ever-present wind here which causes them to 'hit the wall'?

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LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL

[Utah David]

LF,

Maybe I'm using the wrong "terminology". But what I have is an off-the-shelf Cortland, SA, Orvis (i don't know what/who) tapered mono leader. But I don't even know what a furled leader is! So maybe that's what I have. But it is "off-the-shelf", is a single piece of mono, that tapers from a "thick" butt end, down to what is supposedly 6X. At least that is what the packaging called it. (If my memory serves anyway.)



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---David

Not having experience with that line I can only guess from your description that it's the knot or the connection.

Allan

[RG/AR]

It sounds as though you have a mismatch in stiffness between your flyline and leader. I know there are folks who will tell you various formulae and other ways to match leader and flyline, but I was told a method long ago that has always worked for me. Hold about 6" of leader butt and flyline extending out between your thumb and finger. When they both sag with the same arc, you have the correct diameter and stiffness of leader butt.

I think what you are experiencing is the "Tail Wagging the Dog!" The Tapered Leader has more stiffness than the fly line.

I use "Sylk" Fly Line on my 7 Weight South Bend. I also make my own Knotted Tapered Leaders and Furled Leaders.

Off the Shelf" Tapered Leaders, normally have a Butt Diameter of either 0.023, or 0.021 inch diameter. The stiffness of the leader depends on the material used.

The "Off the Shelf" Tapered Leader, are designed for the normal PVC Fly Line, and the stiffness of the Fly Line.

Furled Tapered Leaders are not as stiff as the "Off the Shelf" Tapered Leaders, yet there seems to be no difficulty casting them (except into the wind) with the normal PVC Fly Line. I think that is because the stiffness is still in the Fly Line, not the Tapered Leader

Note: I dip my furled leaders into a can of spar varnish, to saturate them, then hang them out to dry. This seems to impart some backbone to the furled leader for casting.

I believe that you need to try buying a very long "Off the Shelf" Tapered Leader and cutoff some of th Butt End, to create a new Butt End that is smaller diameter (less stiffness). This should be more compatable with the nature of the "Sylk" Fly Line.

I know from experience making my own Tapered Leaders, I use different diameters for the Butt End of my creations, for the different weight fly lines I use. With my background knowledge of Material Design and Static and Dynamic Energy Transfer, I think the difference between the fly lines stiffness (less) and the tapered leaders stiffness (greater) is where the dynamic energy of the cast is hitting the brick wall.

~ Parnelli

Down in the meadow in a little bitty pool
Swam three little fishies and a mama fishie too
"Swim" said the mama fishie, "Swim if you can"
And they swam and they swam all over the dam




[This message has been edited by Steven H. McGarthwaite (edited 23 June 2005).]

Utah...
This may be your problem...If you are adding more tippet to an already made lader tapered to 6x, it may be that you have made a leader with too long of a tippett. Leaders (at least most of them) are made with a good length of tippett and adding more 6x to the 6x of the leader in my experience will cause the action you describe. If your butt section approached 60% of the total length you will not have that problem. If you want an extra long tippett and there are times when I use one, You may be able to correct the problem by adding BUTT SECTION as well. Try it...works for me.

Ol' Bill