After much frustration, I came here to ask how do you guys attach your leader to your fly line? This is after 2 days of steelhead fishing and having those cortland heat shrink leader connectors fall off in the middle of fishing!!! I then obviously have no clue what to do, so I use up my fly line by making loops and what not to attach my leader to. Does anyone have any advice for me? I really dont like tying the nail knot, but if that is the best technique I may have to, but does anyone have any other methods of doing this? 7 weight weight forward line.
Put the braided loop connectors in a sack full of rocks and throw it just as far as you can. Preferabely in a deep lake. The most worthless piece of gear ever conceived.
Since you were already using a loop-to-loop connection system build your own permanent leader butt out of Amnesia mono. Nail knot one end to the fly line and put a small perfection loop at the other end creating a 6" permanent butt. If the knots are well tied these never fail. - Alternatively, nail knot your next leader directly to your fly line. Then when you are ready to replace that leader simply cut off most of the leader and create a permanent butt by putting a perfection loop on the end of the remaining leader and you’re back into your loop to loop system.
Lew has explained what I do.
I recommend that method…I have no faith in the shrink connectors.
I take 25 lb or so mono and attach it to the end of the fly line.
I don’t tie a nail-knot though, I tie what is the equivalent of a nail-less nail knot, and is very easy to tie, and can be tied on-stream…I can do it in about 30 seconds (it does take practice at fist, but just pay attention to the small details on the figure I will present and you’ll be fine). It is called the uni-knot splice (not the same as a regular uni-knot, btw) and is outlined as follows from Art Lee’s book “Fishing Dry Flies in Rivers and Streams” (or something along those lines):
After you tie the uni-knot splice to the fly line, leave about 8-10 inches of mono and tie a perfection loop on the end.
“If firearms cause crimes and kill people, all of the ones I have must be defective.”
[This message has been edited by Spud (edited 23 October 2005).]
Use the Castwell knot. Best thing since pinapple upside-down cake!
[url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/begin/knots/castwell.html:1920c]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/begin/knots/castwell.html[/url:1920c]
There’s almost nothin’ wrong with the first lie, it’s the weight of all the others holdin’ it up that gets ya’! - Tim
I love the braided connectors - but use the Rio, not the cortland, as they come with a sleeve that you don’t heat shrink, it just tightens up - and put a little zap a gap under it as you slide it into place.
Albright knot. A bit bulky, but will never pull out. You have to tighten with the tag end first, so you tighten the “downhill” side of the knot first.
Make sure you have a good knot between backing and fly line and at least 30 lb backing. Since you should be using 12 or 15 lb test tippet, if you get your fly line out the guides, you can lose it if your knots and line strength aren’t up to snuff. You think you’re upset about a leader pulling out, wait until you lose a fly line.
Don’t mess around with your gear for steelhead, they will bring your weaknesses to the surface immediately.
-John
Ps another reason why getting a guide is a good idea - they’ll show you how to tie the right knots and use the right gear.
[This message has been edited by ktokj (edited 23 October 2005).]
I am not a fan of the Cortland Loop Connectors. I’ve had a couple of failures with steelhead and salmon on, and that was too much. Instead, I use the Rio loop connectors and have had no problems. Every fly line I have has the Rio loops, including the lines for my two handers. For me, it’s the easiest way to go.
REE
[This message has been edited by NoahsBoyz (edited 23 October 2005).]