[Peteo]

So I am taking a two hander (and a single hander as well ) to hawaii and will be giving it a go on the flats for bonefish and whatever else I can hook (I have a guide set up for one of the first days then I will be on my own). The reel I will be using on my two hander has like 300 yards of gelspun on it. Not wanting to strip off all that expensive gelspun I have attached 100 yds of dacron backing to that so I don't have to deal with possible cut fingers every time a fish takes me into my backing. I used surgeon's loops in both lines and did a loop to loop connection. Will the gel spun cut the 30 lb dacron?

 

[flytyer]

Yes. It will cut it when under enough tension. The best, easy to tie knots for joining Dacron and Gelspun, or Gelspun and mono, are a Nail Knot or UNI-Knot (also known as the "Nailess Nail Knot"). You simply lay them side-by-side with a nice long overlap to tie the knots, then tie a Nail Knot in the Delspun making sure the Dacron is entrapped in it, and another Nail Knot in the Dacron making sure the Gelspun is entrapped in it. After this, grab the Dacron in one hand and the Gelspun in the other and pull them tightly together. This forms a very nice, compact knot that will not slip nor will the Gelspun cut the Dacron (or mono). The reason is the two materials have the knot formed in itself and it is the resulting jamming of both Nail Knots against each other that keeps them together. Simple, easy, and fast was to do it.

This same technique is great for joining very different diameters of mono that will not come apart at the knot. For instance, I often use it to join a 30# or 25# Maxima to 12# or 10# Maxima directly without a loop or stepping down diameters when fishing with sinktips. Never had one fail at a knot doing it this way.

 

[Peteo]

Thanks! I did a little search and that double nail knot was what I had found, but it's good to hear from someone who has used it.

 

[sazan]

Doubling GSP noticeable increases the strength of the connecting knot:

http://www.speypages.com/speyclave/showthread.php?t=24924&page=2

You can go even further; when two uni knots are within 0.5" apply a small drop on of flexible Lictite between them and a little on the knots, wait 1 minute and tighten gently and pull to lines firmly after 15-20 minutes:

http://www.speypages.com/speyclave/showthread.php?t=159521&highlight=loctite

This glue is much harder then Aqueseal but still flexible and the coating on the Dacron will prevent GSP from cutting into it.