no-knot eyelets

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message

The best way to attach leader to line is a well-tied nail
knot but if you gotta have a gadget Eagle Claw makes a
plastic doodad that some people like.

Is that the mesh thing that looks like a cable pulling sleeve? I never
could get those to work for me. Either I couldn't get them on or I could
them on, but they would slide right off.


Nope: you are describing a braided slip on loop connector (Chinese Fingers).
These do work well if properly installed (I prefer a nail knot to secure
them rather than the heat shrink tubing though), and in truth, I have
migrated back to a nail knotted loop of mono instead.

What Ken is describing is called a leader link, and it has many proponents
among ROFFians. Personally, I don't trust them, but lots of folks do, so I
guess it's all a matter of personal choice.

The device Benjamin described looks like a miniature "eye-bolt" with barbs
on it instead of threads. I tried some years ago, and Ken is exactly right -
they are nearly impossible to install. They also cause the fly line to hinge
at the buried end of the connector, and I have experienced line breakage as
a result. Worse yet, they add weight to the end of your line - a bad thing
if you are fishing dries.

HTH,

Jim Ray