Has anyone ever tried tying a loop at the end of your tapered mono leader, and connecting your tippet with a loop to loop connection? I like how easy it is to change tippets on my furled leaders, but i don’t always like fishing them.
i use a double surgeons knot for tippet to leader connection but loop to loop is a good one also
tying loops in 6x tippets and leaders is just too fine a material and not for my eyes:D
i dont like furled leaders so i cant comment on those
Terry,
That’s the only connection I’ve used for the past 12 years since I was shown the Perfection Loop. Never had a failure at the connection.
Plus, I was shown how to tie on the fly with a Perfection Loop and that’s been a constant also. The only time that fails is a Pickerel on 5X!!!
Jim
I also use a double surgeons knot for tippet to leader connection as it is easy to tie and has a good knot strength. While I have used loop to loop connections for leader to tippit, I find that it tends to snag too much crud in the water at least in warm water fishing which I do quite a bit of. Just one man’s observation/opinion.
Jim Smith
Orvis has been offering tapered leaders with loops at both ends for years. The leaders include Bimini looped tippet sections as well.
http://www.jsflyfishing.com/cgi-bin/item/LL-295020-0000/search/Niche-Products-Mini-Tippet-Rings.html
Mark
No, how well do they work?
I used to use the LTL connection from leader to tippet however this year I dropped using it for a number of reasons. I tried the double surgeon’s knot too but have found tying my tippet in using my hemostat to be quick and easy and I’ve had no problems with the knot.
http://flyfisherman.com/videos/hemostatknots/index1.html
One comment on the video though - it’s wrong! If you listen to the guy he says to “tease the long tippet end thru the knot” which implies he grabs the tag end of the leader and the long tippet section with the hemostat. however in the video he grabs both tag ends. this results in a knot that sticks out at a 90degree angle to the line.
there’s also a clinch-knot version using hemostats but I haven’t tried that.
I have the rings on some of my furled leaders. I will say they are very convenient. I also have furled leaders with mono loops. The advantage of the ring is it’s easier to remove/replace tippet since the tippet doesn’t “bite” into the ring like it does with mono loop. Also, when you cut the tippet off you don’t need to worry about cutting the ring like you would with the mono loop.
The rings are so small they actually float in the surface tension without being treated. I didn’t think I would like them at first but I’ve grown to like them for many applications.
I have not tried the rings myself, but I have two friends that use them and like them very much. One of my friends even fashions droppers using the rings between leader sections and running the dropper off the rings.
If you do get some, put them on a safety pin to carry. Again, my friend says it’s much easier that way. They are really small.
Mark
I tie a tiny- and I mean very small- perfection loop in the end of the leader. I do it at home, with magnifiers and needle nose tweezers. I then use a standard knot to attach the tippet to the loop. I’m never shortening the main leader back to who-knows-what diameter, and there is no hinging of the connection. I don’t use loop-to-loop because on-stream loops tend to be big ol’ things. My way picks up no stream crud, and it’s easy to change tippets.
Chuck
Double surgeon’s knot for me. Easy to tie, etc. etc.
Everybody and his/her mother has tried this at one time or another. It does work.
I tie my own mono leaders and usually tie in a loop after the next to last LEADER section. Then I might tie on a 6" section of 2X and a tippet of 4X. Or, maybe 3X then 5X. Or 6" apiece of of 3X and 4X, then a tippet of 6X. By not putting the loop right before the tippet, I think I get a bit more flexibility.
If you’re using a store bought leader, that already probably has nearly 2’ (assuming a 9’ leader) already built in, adding an additional 2’ of tippet could throw off the balance and inhibit turnover. You might be better off cutting off 20" or so of the leader, tying a loop, and then looping on tippet from there. YMMV
What kind of knots do you use with the rings?
Thanks guys for the input. I am going to try it. One other thing I am going to try, is using backing instead of mono for my loop that i nail knot to my line. The mono seems to stiff for my liking.