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Airflo's new loop to loop connectors

3K views 10 replies 4 participants last post by  Moose 
#1 ·
Had a Long Delta 9/10 that was fraying at the loop on the main line and since it had a 5 year warranty I sent it back to Rajeff sports. They're service was great and had my new line back quickly.

Problem is, this new line stinks!

I am not one to quickly blame a problem on the equipment and usually give the benefit of the doubt, thinking more time needs to be spent working with it. In this case it's clearly a poor design.

The old line had soft, clear loops of some kind of plasticized material that transferred energy well but apparently did not hold up well (mine was about to break at 9 months old and only modest use). The new line has some very strong looking loops, but it looks as though the loop material has been doubled over itself and the area on the line just ahead of the loop (same place the braid sleeve would sit on the line with a braided loop) is very, very thick. This translates into a loss of energy that will not turn over a tip, not even the floater, and the loop area kicks like hell in the air as the line is rolling out. I don't believe the line can transfer energy through the first fat section, then the thinner loops, then the second fat section, then the line of the tip.

When you make the forward cast the line rolls out and as soon as the energy of the outgoing cast hits the loops there's a violent kick and the tip collapses. I have been throwing the old line on my CND Skagit and was throwing a super prawn on the type 3 sink tip with the old line. With a circle spey the line would pick up the tip and throw it with authority 80-90 feet easily and turn the entire thing over beautifully. Now it feels like the loop area is acting as weight at the end of the main line and the line struggles to work with this and the weight if a tip and fly behind it. Too bad, because this was an awesome combo before. Wishing I had my old line back. Should have just spliced a loop on myself. Still waiting for Rajeff sports to reply to this problem.

Anyone else using the new looped Airflo's? They have green stripes built into the loops.
 
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#4 ·
Same as Loop Adapted...

I posted a thread about the Loop Adapted lines which share the same problem! I was told that Airflo make the Adapted lines for Loop, hence the poor quality of the material and those damn thick loops... A real pitty because they are well balanced and the idea was good.
The Custom heads are made by Scientific Anglers and they have no integrated loops; the material is far better too!
I can't understand why Loop keep on distributing those Adapted heads... Scierra have copied their system but improved it: the Scierra heads look real nice and the integrated loops are very well designed. With such a competition Loop had better react quickly or they'll lose customers. The Loop Customs seem to be excellent quality lines but they are quite expensive...more than the Scierra heads with integrated loops. A real pitty indeed...
Has anyone tried the Scierra heads on a Loop two-hander?
 
#5 ·
Charlie...

Definitely don't shy away from the Airflo lines, just stay away from the new multi tip lines with the green stripes on the loops. Airflo Delta and long Delta lines have awesome tapers and are silky slick. I prefer them over all other spey lines, and I have a mess of lines. They are extremely easy casting lines and I don't mean to give the lines themselves a bad name. It's just too bad that the multi tip versions have, through improvement, become worse. :confused:
 
#6 ·
True, Peter

I decided to jump on it and try to snatch up a couple of Airflo muli tips lines (with the old loops) I'd been wanting but hadn't gotten around to buying yet. One was easy to get, the other required a dozen inquiries to find. It seems there are some shops with the old lines still in stock, but many are into the new ones already. If you want one, you'd better act quickly.
 
#8 ·
It seems some of you guys may already own a crapload of tips so the need to buy new ones may be mute. Plus it is really easy to make your own tips on the cheap.

I guess it all comes down to how much work you are willing to put in rather than just paying cash. I go back and forth between the two.

-sean
 
#9 ·
Sean, you are right up to a point

I really don't have a lot of multi tip lines, but I do have a set from 6/7 to 9/10 in succession, the majority being Airflo. I have played with other tips, the custom cut, T-14, mix-matching lines and tips. The fact is, for me, A 7/8 multi tip line, for example, turns over best with the tips designed for that weight line. If I have a 8/9 Delta with tips and want a long delta I buy the floater and cut it, using the Delta tips. I also will use Rio heads (cut floaters) with Airflo tips, or vice verce, if the grain weights match up. But what I have found that does not work well (although to be fair, it does work, but is not smooth) would be to use, say, a 9/10 line with 6/7 tips because that's all I had. Been there, done that. Bought the right tool for the job. With large mass lines you can easily turn over the long lengths of T-14, like with a cut back 8/9 SA short head and 14 feet of T-14. Try doing that with a 7 weight line.

Bottom line is, you're standing in the river with a rod and casting a line with a sink tip and the line rolls out turning over the tip all the way to the fly, out over the water. It looks and feels a good as casting the full floater. That's why!
 
#10 ·
Well you can also buy cheap 7wt SA shooting heads and chop them up which make the best casting tips I have ever tried. You are not stuck with t14 for tips. I just do not like being limited to 15' tips as I do not think you really need them that long in most situations. I like to stay around 8-12' for all my tip fishing.

We can all agree on one thing. The tips must be in balance and the lines with tips are already balanced so they have that going for them.

-sean
 
#11 ·
Makes sense to me Sean. That would be the most practical way to go. I guess I'm just becoming a line nut. Like peter I use the poly leaders for shallow or low flow work because I can run them right off the end of the floating fly line. Cutting shooting heads would probably fill the gap between poly leaders and 15 foot tips very nicely.
 
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