I have some unwaxed polyester thread and looking to waterproof my leaders. The waxed thread seams to repell water very good, but didn’t care much for the process of waxing the new leader. I may have done it wrong, so detailed instructions on this would be great as well. I sprayed some with Sillicone Water-Guard, but not sure how often this should be applied. More than anything don’t want my leader to absorb to much water making it heavy. Please help me with this dilema!
I use Albolene during the winding of the lays, and retreat whenever I redress my line (silk). Seems to work for me.
R
Just a thought - If you make your own furled thread leaders, you could wax each leg before you twist them and allow them to furl together. It should make a tighter twist and tighter furl since the wax would act as a lubricatant too.
Just a thought and nothing more…
I waxed my leader afterwards by soaking them. How would I wax the legs before I furl my legs? The eax started to harden very quickly. Thanks Warren I look forward to learning this.
Brandon
moonlitflies,
I never use thread furled leaders. I only use Vanish Fluorocarbon Gold due to a furled leader from this material really sinks and takes my streamers and other sub-surface flies down deeper. As an experiment one day, I used bow string wax on both legs of the leader before twisting and then allowed it to furl. It is pretty simple and quick to run the bow string wax up and down both legs and then twisting and furling them. I used bow string wax because it will waterproof a bow string and I figured it might work on a furled leader. The leaders I made were made for a raffle so I do not know how they worked out. One could use the soft paste wax that is sold for waterproofing boots. It would be easy to rub it into the thread legs before twisting them. I also read somewhere that one person hung his thread furled leaders up and rubbed them with a rag that had varnish on it and then allowed the leaders to hang until dry.
If you try any of the above, please post your results here so others can give it a try.
Contact Kaboom1. He has developed a food safe floatant for thread leaders that works very well.
… Brandon, from a former Rigby resident.
Follow the link for a related discussion on floating and submerged furled leaders.
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/showthread.php?40056-Floating-versus-Submerged-Furled-Leaders
I fish moving water for trout, and we have probably fished a lot of the same stretches of water. If we haven’t, you are missing out on some fine fishing right there in your backyard.
I’ve been using thread furled leaders almost exclusively for about seven years and only “treated” one to make it float a couple times ( out of maybe 600-700 days using them ) for experimental purposes. I didn’t like the results so I kept on fishing thread furled leaders that submerge for everything except stripping streamers and fishing larger, weighted nymphs ( which can be done on thread leaders, but not as well as on heavier duty material, e.g. flouro or Rio Extreme Tippet ).
Have you tried fishing submerged leaders ?? Have you given that approach a fair chance ?? If not, you might want to do that before worrying about how to make your leaders float.
John
John Scott the reason I want to waterproof is more about not making my leaders heavy from absorbing a lot of water. For floating purpose would apply floatant. I am about C0 perceent dry or wet fishing, emergers.
Brandon -
Not waterproofing will not necessarily make your leaders heavy from absorbing a lot of water. The Danville 210 Flymaster Plus is one of those materials that does not absorb water. It will pick some up from being submerged, but all of that comes off on the pick up and back cast ( or roll cast, if that is what you do ).
Sounds like you haven’t tried what I’ve suggested. That’s fine. But if you haven’t tried it, you won’t be able to determine for yourself if it is something that would work for you, as it has for me on hundreds of outings.
John
John I actually have fished with my line just in the surface film on many occasions. Originally I used the Danville Flymaster thread to furl, but was able to get some Gutterman thread for a fraction of the cost. My friend who has used a leader of the Flymaster and a non waxed leader I made likes the characteristic of the waxed. Like you said the water comes off as you back cast. I have used a mono and a thread made of Flymaster, like the thread much more. What I am trying to do now is simply get my thread closer in characteristic to the Flymaster. I have no problem with it submerging slightly. I prefer small streams and a favorite fly of mine is the renegade, of which most of my fish are caught on the retrieve with my leader slightly submerged. South Fork is so heavily fished and I don’t like to fight for my peace and serenity of why I fly fish. Any suggestions on where I should try here. I am originally from Poky and moved here after I got married. Thanks for all the advice I try to learn as much as I can from everyone who is willing to give me advice and help here.
Thanks,
Brandon
moonlitflies,
Have you tried a furled leader made from Coats & Clarke 100% Nylon Quilting Thread? It comes in 2 different diameters ( .004 &.005) and 2 different colors ( clear & smoke). I have made up several of these for folks who fish mainly dry flies and they seem to like them plus they would not soak up any water and they make a really small diameter furled leader.
You can find this material at any store that sells sewing threads like Hobby Lobby, JoAnn’s and some Wal-Marts.
I use Silicone Water-Guard in a 13.125 ounce spray can with an orange top that says 50%…from wal mart. I just spray enough into a can and soak the leader overnight and hang out to dry. Been working for me. I tried to copy and paste a link here but didn’t work for me.
I don’t make my own, but I’ve acquired a few over the years from those who do. All the ones I have are made from thread, and what I do each year is treat them with floatant. Initially, with Water Shed. I picked up a really good floatant, made by the owner, at small fly shop in Waitsfield, VT last year. I treated the leaders I was using and it kept them floating the rest of the season. I’ve never treated any mono or fluorocarbon furled leaders with floatant. I use them mainly with my intermediate line.
I use clear polyester thread for a lot of my fly tying these days. Not sure it’s Coates and Clark brand but found in the same area in the craft stores. C&C also makes metallic thread, I have gold, silver, copper and pearl, that I use in fly tying for bodies and ribbing.