Best connection between salmon fly line and leader?

On Sat, 09 Apr 2005 23:21:40 +0100, Ian D
wrote:

On Sat, 09 Apr 2005 22:10:44 +0100, laxhill
wrote:



I make my own but also use tapered braided leaders. I have some up to
15' in length which enables 30' or more when the actual leader is
attached. If he is interested in tapering he will have to buy them -.
It is impossible to make your own continuous tapered braided leader
from braided backing. I am not aware either that you can buy braided
backing in differing sink rates but someone can correct me if I'm
wrong on that.

Although I'm not a fan of braided loop connectors I do like the
tapered braided leaders - not as long as those you mention though - I
think 9' is about the maximum I use.
If I want to fish a long leader I've found that I can get a much
better turn-over with these than by using tapered mono.

Have you ever tried the furled leaders? I had one or two made up a
couple of years ago but was a bit disappointed with them. They used
fairly stiff mono and seemed to have an inbuilt curl, but I've been
looking at some recently constructed from fly tying thread which look
very good so I might try a couple to see how they go.

Cheers
Ian D

No haven't tried them - I'm getting lazier in my doteage ;-) tend to
stick in my "comfort" zone as to methods, set up etc. Gone for a 10
hour season ticket this year so in the lazy days of summer I might
"tinker" a bit. At the moment it's just a case of drifting buzzers
round on the breeze and waiting for the string to go tight which
currently is extremely often..... The frogs and toads spawned with
profusion this year in Hollins Bay so the black taddie will get a work
out soon.
Keith

In article , laxhill
writes
Most of my fishing is from the bank and predominantly nymphing at long
range. I do indeed throw a mean line. How perceptive of you ;-)
Keith

Well I've been around a long time, - I didn't come UP on the DOWN train
as they say :-)
--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk

Thanks to all for your contributions.

Just for overall understanding, my current set up is a s follows:
On the trout front, I currently use a furled tapered leader (48') between
line and home
made knotted leader:
* on the line end it is currently attached with a loop to loop connection
but that connection is too stiff and certainly for line #4 & #5 not discrete
enough for my liking. Looking forward I sense I will be using a needle or
nail knot to attach furled leader to fly line. A friend of mine was pointing
out the risk of "sinking the floating fly line if the end of it is not
proparly sealed after the knot is made (as the water gradually percolates
and travel up the fly line making it sink with time. he seals the end with
heat to this effect or puts the tiniest drop of glue)
* on the leader end: the furled leader is terminated by a tiny ring and a
blood not is all thta is required to connect the leader.

For salmon, I am giving some thought to the idea of a piece of thick nylon
needle or nail
knotted to the fly line instead of a braided loop. Several of your comments
go in this direction.
At the end of it, a eight shaped knot has been suggetsed although, I would
tend to think a perfection loop would make sense.

Your idea, Ian, also sounds good but I struggle to see what and how bulky
the end result would look?

Thanks
Jerome

"Ian D" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 9 Apr 2005 12:06:22 +0100, "The Leaping Frog"
wrote:

For salmon / sea trout fishing, what connection would you recommend
between
fly line and leader to optimise solidity whilst ensuring optimum
transmission of energy between fly line and leader.?

I currently use a braided loop but would welcome suggestions?


I think this thing about transmission of energy is a bit overdone, at
least in relation to 'normal' sized salmon and sea trout flies. Most
people use a relatively strong/thick leader for this sort of fishing,
and the only times I've ever had any problems with turn-over is when
I've tried using too thin a leader for a largish fly, especially if
I've been using a long leader. I can't say that the actual method of
leader connection has ever been a factor.

Having said that I must admit that I'm fast coming to the conclusion
that braided loop connectors are the devil's work.
Handy admittedly, as they're easy to change should the need arise, but
I'm not sold on their reliability. Adding a drop of Superglue to the
joint gets over this, but only at the expense of negating all the
factors that make braided loops so useful in the first place.

My preferred option is to strip enough of the coating off the flyline
tip to enable a resonable size loop to be formed, then secure the loop
by stitching (using fly tying thread)overwhipping the stitched
section, and finishing off with a smear of Aquacure or similar.
Sounds harder than it actually is, and in my experience only has to be
done once for the life of the flyline.
I join leader to line by a loop to loop connection.

Cheers
Ian D

On Sun, 10 Apr 2005 15:35:42 +0100, "The Leaping Frog"
wrote:



Your idea, Ian, also sounds good but I struggle to see what and how bulky
the end result would look?


It's not bulky at all.
Stripping off the line coating reduces the diameter to an extent that
largely compensates for the addition of whipping thread. If you use
one of the fly tying threads that flatten in use the resulting splice
is hardly thicker than the original fly line tip (I use Kevlar thread,
which has the added advantage of being remarkably strong).
The Aquasure is merely a thin coating which serves to protect the
whipping, and seal the line against water ingress.

I've just looked at three flylines which have loops formed by: needle
knotting a length of 20lb BS mono to the tip; a braided loop secured
by a rubber sleeve; a spliced loop as described above.
The spliced loop is the least bulky of the three and feels the
smoothest when drawn through the fingers.
The braided loop is the worst. The needle knot is fairly bulky, but
was coated with Aquasure so felt quite smooth.

One thing does occur to me though. All this presupposes that the fly
line has a braided core. Be a bugger to start off and then find it was
one of the mono cored ones. :-)

Cheers
Ian D