First off my experince flyfishing is limited at best but growing! I was a member here a few years ago but moved and am just recently returning to the fly.
I used the loop to loop conectors (leader to flyline)on my 9 weight salt water outfit to be able to change leaders quickly. What are your feelings about the lower weights like 5 or even 3 which I use the most on the small streams like Stone Mtn park, NC. Lots of cover so lots of chance for foulage (for me anyway) I have a tool that makes the nail not pretty easy but the switch for a specific nymph leader or delicate dry fly leader would be nice. I just never thought the connection between the two looked as ummm connected. lol What differences are there in casting and presentation with the lighter lines and this connection?
I have tried some searches first but guess I am not using the right terms.
Thanks and Ill be seeing some of you over in the flytying section soon.
This is just my opinion, but I don’t see any problem with the Loop connections. They are quick and easy and generally when you concider rod length and arm length stretched a 9’ shouldn’t be a worry going through the guides.
I don’t notice a big difference with the way they lay out, but I make my own leaders. Furled work great.
I fish 2wt to 6wt on the average with an 8wt for special needs.
On some of my lighter lines (mostly 3 and 4) I have connected the leader straight to the line with the SHIMAZAKI needle knot tool, but SYLK is some of my favorite and it has a core in the middle that won’t allowe the needle knot, so in that case I fold the line over and wrap with thread like rod wrappings. I can also make the loop as small as I want.
ahh got to love this place!, quicker answers than standing in line at the local shop. lol
I have tied one like the example you have and covered the threads witha touch of pliobond on the larger setup.
I found, in the box of stuff bought but never used, a woven type loop conector that you slip over the end of the flyline and use a touch of super glue. The loop is woven into the end and the rest is hollow. Have no idea how it well it will work but looks extra soft and would tighten to the leader well.
I also have a complete set o leader materials i picked up on sale and plan on giving that ahot as well.
There are not that many on this site that like the loop connectors. Most just use a piece of mono nail knotted to the end of their fly line and a loop tied in the other end of the mono. The length of the mono piece varies with each fisherman. The most that I have seen were from 4 inches to 8 inches. I use the loop connectors on everything from my 4 weight to the 7 weight. I do not use the shrink tubing that comes with the loop kit. In place of the shrink tubing I use a nail knot that is coated with Loon’s Knot sense. The Knot sense is just to give it a smooth coating which makes it go throught the rod guides better. I have had one loop connector come off when I used the shrink tubing and that is why that I now use the nail knot in the shrink tubings place. I like the loop connectors and have not noticed any problems with the casting and fishing. Just my 2 cents worth.
the mono idea sounds like a pretty good idea… guess I coul start with that and use the wore out leader I have there and go to the pond and see how it works.
thanks
My thought is that the woven loops create a stiff point in the leader turnover. I just don’t like 'em. Why not use your handy nailknot tool and put a 6" piece of mono on in the same diameter as your preferred leader, make a perfection(or surgeons) knot, and presto you’ve got the same changeable loop but without the hinging.
Loop-to-loop is fine. Don’t use gimicks, tie your own on the line and leader. In lighter weights your leader will be longer than your rod. Keep the loops tidy or they could catch in the guides. They could catch on ‘stuff’ in the stream when a fish is pulling or catch a few strands of grass. Some other knots may be slimmer but not as ‘switchable’. Always a trade-off for any choice you make. I use a loop in the leader and a small knot in the end of the fly line. It holds, is changeable, but not really smooth in the guides.
While you were gone to the Mich. fish in I posted how I made your knot a little smoother…it makes it less changeable but I figure that won’t come up for a long time plus I can just leave a portion of the leader butt on and make a loop if I want.
sounds like the mono (6-8 inches) to fly line with nail knot with a tight perfection loop at the end (with a touch of plio-bond) Il start with what left of the leader I annilated last week thats allready attached. The top 18 inches or so are still in great shape lol.
Spoiled by open lake fishing then heading for small mountain streams was a humbling experience. I’ll save that funny story for later (when I start thinking its funny). Thank goodness for those fly swaps I did a few years ago before I got out of it for a while.
Its not like I cant clip her off if I dont like it, I apprecite all the info to help me give it the best shot.
Thanks
Johnny
Not quite…the little tag end bothered me so I left a little more …cut it on a taper and folded it back onto the fly line …then superglued the tag to fly line …that gave a smoother ramp to the knot …and though I know you’ve never had a failure …it made me feel secure in that no way would that tag work loose.
The mono loops are the way to go. I’ve used the nylon, slip-on ones, but I haven’t found them to be to durable. They’re ok for the smaller stuff, but for bigger, stronger fish, definitely not. I don’t care for the way they turn over either. They seem to soft.
I agree. After losing two setups ( and the steelhead that were on the other end) with the slip on loop and shrink tube, I pitched the idea and now use the nail knot/perfection loop on ALL equipment. No problems for almost five years now. Oh, I make my mono loops 4-6" long.
Joe, sorry to do this but, just got to say, for me, the nail-knot is not strong enough for big fish. I know you have not had a failure in five years, the guide I was discussing this with liked it too, swore by it, and we both watched as a jack pulled his leader off the end of his fly line as we were talking. He swore it was the first time. He also never used it again. A guide can’t have that happen to a client.I like the knot for going in and out of the rod, but for strength, I will use others. The nail-knot, if tied too loose will slip off, if tied too tight will cut into the coating of the line and can strip the coating right off the end. For me, I like a loop of something, anything, going around something, anything, else.
First of all…what kind of target fish are we talking about??? I suspect a square knot would work for panfish,and for trophy fish you’d better get more sophisticated.
And speaking of guides… I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been with a guide who used a simple clinch knot ,or even improved,fly to tippet…and then tried to say it was what I did when the big one got away…maybe it was but mostly I tie my own now…
I must say IMHO at this point the line to mono butt…when using either loop or a knot to knot is hard to beat…but if you must go line to loop the “Castwell Knot” seems to have a consensus…
I just use a nail knot to a tapered 5x leader, and adjust tippet as needed, but mostly I go after smaller fish. For heavier rigs, I make a loop out of the end of the fly line, wrapped like above, and then with heat shrink stuff over that. Then I usually make a perfection loop in the leader and connect loop to loop.
thanks for the reply, i see what you guys are saying. I normally use a nail knot into a tapered leader, but you guys put a loop on the end of the mono after a few inches and then do a loop to loop connection with your leaders. I wasn’t sure i was understanding right.
