[Grampa Spey]

After reading the replies where some of our very excellent and talented Spey Casters ended up chasing their Rio Scandinavian Shooting Heads, this article might be very timely.

Years ago, after losing a couple of really nice steelhead with the loops you attach, I went to the nail knot clippers and use Hal Jannsen's Leader Control to tie the smallest loop that I can with about 1 inch or less length from the end of the line. The short distance helps to avoid nicks and cuts on the Leader Control. I use Jannsen's 30 # for most of my lines and his 15# for the lighter lines for summer fish and trout.

Here is the web site for how to tie loops in case anyone is interested:

http://flyfishing.about.com/skills/erloops/

 

[juro]

Those look pretty good, but with all due respect to the author, it looks labor-intensive.

I developed the following technique about 15 years ago after having failures with store-bought loops:

http://www.flyfishingforum.com/expertise/steelhead/lines/tipsystem.htm

It takes about 10 minutes I'd say, maybe less once you get going on them (not counting drying time).

I still have sinktips where the loops are fine after the coatings have cracked apart on the line itself. I have one sinktip where a basalt rock cut the tip in half pulling out of a snag, but the loop never gave up.

I recently found out a very particular PNW angler is using the approach; I showed him the method about 12 years ago when he let me build them at the flyshop after my cat ate my lines the night before.

Your results may vary,
Juro

 

[Grampa Spey]

Juro, re your loop technique

Thanks for reposting your loop technique.

I have saved this from a previous post. One of these days, I will try it to see how it works.

 

[mattzoid]

I make my own loop connector out of braided nylon, 20 or 30 lb. and attach it to the line. Then attach flat waxed nylon on a bobbin, like you would start it on a hook. Holding the line on each end of where I want to wrap the connector loop, I spin the bobbin in the air, wrapping the braided nylon end on to the fly line. with a series of half hitches and whip finishes by hand, you have a clean, tight wrap. I then coat this with softex and I'm done. I've never had anything come apart on rocks, snags or enraged fish and it only takes a couple minutes.

Matt

 

[juro]

Sounds good Matt. The braid is key. Loops made of just the core of the line are pretty impossible to loosen up for tip changes after any tension is applied. Braided nylon de-compresses nicely.

Personally, I do prefer to have the core of the line running inside the braid through the loop's length, if that's something anyone cares about. The design let's you have a connection that is only as big as the loop itself, the extra inches of braid on the line are eliminated.

Another note - the loops made by Rio, Airflo, etc lately are so nice it's too bad there wasn't a way to make them at home!

 

[Rando]

loops

I have installed loops to the ends of lines using braided mono with the technique described by Juro. During use, the loop applied to the end of the floating line, where the leader attaches also with a loop, shows wear in a very short period of time. The outer coating of the flyline wears down to the core right behind where the loop is nail knotted together. Could this be caused by the hinging effect of the casting? I have had no problem with excessive wear of the loops where flylines are joined, such as sinktip to floater. I started attaching a short piece of 40 Lb. Maxima to the end of the flyline using a nail knot and attaching the leader with a blood knot to the Maxima. I guess you could use a loop to loop with a perfection loop instead of a blood knot. NOTE: On sinktips I attach the Maxima with an Albright Knot since a nail knot has a tendency to slip on these solid core line. This has eliminated the wearing of the outside coating of the end section of fly line. What I was wondering is, has anyone else experienced this and if it is seen as a problem how did you correct it. The tying of the blood knot isn't a big problem except when it is cold and the fingers don't work as they should.

 

[juro]

Interesting!

I have never seen that because I never use a loop to attach leader to a flyline. The loops between floating and sinking portions have not exihibited that wear for me, as you also mentioned.

My preferred leader attachment method is (1) the zap-a-gap splice, then (2) nail knot.

For practice lines I do nail knot mono with a perfection loop to allow me to change the grass or street leader to a fishing leader, hoping that the small butt loop segment has not been beat to a pulp on the pavement during demos.

But for fishing trips, I like to do a zap-a-gap splice best:

- strip .5-.75" of core
- sharpen the end of butt material w/ razor, sounds hard but it's easy
- work the butt inside the core and even into the flyline, bulge makes it evident where it is
- apply a drop of flexgap or zap-a-gap to the exposed core
- sometimes I color the core before gluing for add'l stealth

In the field I just use a nail knot directly to the leader. There are at least three ways to tie one while standing in the water without any tools, per the "Works for me" thread ongoing as we speak.

.02