[Carl]

What's the best way to build loops in line that's too big to get braid over?

FWIW, 50# Cortland braid barely fits on the belly of the WC 10/11/12. I've used both Juro's loops and Dan Blanton's, and found Dan's to deal with the guides better.

But I'm finding that the 10/11/12 too light if I leave out tip 2 and play Skagit style. I'm tempted to get the WC 11/12/13, but need to know how to loop it. What are you Skagit line builders doing?

 

[SSPey]

Here's what I've done for extra thick fly lines in order to use Blanton's loop.

Use wire strippers and remove the outside coating from 4" of fly line, exposing the core. Insert the exposed core up into braided loop as far as it will go. Continue a bit more and feed 1/2 - 3/4" of flyline into the braided loop until it will go no further. Nail knot the open end of the braided loop onto the flyline as usual. The braided loop material holds onto dacron core like gangbusters. Depending on your tastes, the loop may need slight stiffening.

good luck.

 

[speyrd]

loops

Am in the process of building a Skagit line myself and am using the core for the loops. Do this with all the lines that have a braided core. Made a couple of changes am adding a small piece of leader materal to stiffen the loop and am coating them with UV Knot Sense for protection.
Good luck,
Leroy.................

 

[pescaphile]

This works very well in fat or thin lines:

1. strip 4-5" of your fly line coating.
2. Unbraid, fray and trim the last 1 inch so the you'll be able to thread it through a needle
3. Using a needle vise, insert a needle into your flyline through the core, have the needle point exit through the flyline approximately 3/8 inch
4. Remove the needle vice and thread the end of the trimmed core thru the needle
5. Place the needle vice on the point end of the needle and draw the core in thru itself a la chinese finger puzzle to make a loop of desired size
6. super glue one small drop where the loop enters the line
7. closely trim the end exiting the line, add a smalll drop of super glue and pulll in tension to bring and remaining inside the line

I usually build up the portionof the core that will remain as the loop with tying thread first but ommited that here.

when done, coat with a light application of aquaseal.

I'll try to post a pic soon

 

[Lohi]

Hmmm... I get an Deja Vu feeling on this one

Actually, there was some discussion along these lines not so long ago. You will find it here .

 

[Carl]

Thanks to all for the ideas.

Actually Lohi, I read through all of that thread and material in the archives before posting. I much prefer braided loops to the other methods, hence the question.

 

[Lohi]

Carl, my post was aimed for pescaphile, as his method sounded somewhat familiar . Especially as he was going to go through the trouble of finding/taking some photos of his suggested approach (which in my mind is exactly the method for this problem, no objection ).

 

[flytyer]

Carl,

What I do with the heavy weight spey lines for loops is to simply double a 4 inch piece of 35# or 50# gudebrod braided mono over the fly line end.

I do it in this manner:

1) place the braided mono so that the it lays on both sides of the fly line.

2) adjust the loop so that it is about 3/8" in length.

3) nail knot the braided mono to the fly line with 10# or 12# leader material by using 3 nail knots and place the first one within 3/32" of the end of the fly line. (I use a Tie Fast nail knot tool to make this easier)

4) fray the ends of the braided mono and progressively trim them so the ends taper.

5) cover the nail knots and the line from just in front of the first nail knot (which is at the end of the line) with either Danville's flat-waxed nylon or UNI-Threads 3/0 thread until the cut ends of the braid are covered and then whip finish the thread by using a piece of thread that you cover with thread so that you can pull the end of the thread under the wraps, thus producing the whip finish.

6) cover the thread wraps and braided loop with Aquaseal that has some Cotol added to it and let it hang for about 3 hours to dry.

If you want a stiffer braided loop (I haven't found that to be necessary since the braided mono coated with Aquaseal has about the same flex as the fly line) push a short piece of 20# or 25 # Maxima inside the braid before knotting it to the fly line.

It takes nearly as long to make this type of loop as to write the explaination of how to do it. The thread over the braided loop and Aquaseal coating not only stiffens the braided loop, they smooth the loop connection so it fairly flies through the guides.

I've never had one of these loops fail. The multiple nail knots prevent the coating from being stripped off the fly line because the line will bunch up between them under severe tension or pressure and make it impossible for the coating to be stripped.