fly line/leader junction hangs up as it passes through smallest guide?

[k-bob]

OK, most people won't care about this one, but just "in case" .... I fish for brookies with short rods that I break down and put in a light rod/reel case to carry to streams and between pools. (When the climbing or brush is rough, it saves a lot of time to have your hands free -- without carrying an expensive pair of fragile 3 foot sticks!) Putting the rod back in the case and slinging it over the shoulder to hike works great, but when I took it out and got ready to fish the fly line/leader junction would often hang up at the smallest guide. And you don't want to pull too hard on the tip of a light fly rod.

At first I though it was the connected loops of fly line and leader that caught the guide, but it was actually the knot in the loop at then of the leader which held on the guide. (This knot in the leader reaches the guide first, and the actual loop/leader junction usually goes right through once the knot goes by.) I was using plain orvis leaders, but I have found that Rio flourocrabon leaders have much smaller knots. yes, the line is finer, but since the Rio leaders are in clear plastic envelopes, you find the ones with the smallest knots -- they aren't the same. Plus, comparing the little knots in leaders is a good way to convince fly shop owners that you really are a deep ender...

 

[k-bob]

btw, Cabelas makes good cheap fly rod/reel cases in a lot of sizes. Scientific anglers makes less sturdy but lighter cases; they are so much lighter that i acually like them better.

If you can't find the size you want it, s. a. has only a few sizes, it is pretty easy to cut them with a hacksaw to any oddball length you want, replace the cap on the end, and add a shoulder strap. A cut case may not look 100% factory, but a broken fly rod I fell doesn't look too good either!

 

[shakey]

IF this is a concern,i guess the answer is to connect your leader with a nail knot and cover the knot with a football of superglue .

 

[k-bob]

thanks I do want to fix this so I can: hike, unpack, fish, pack; hike, unpack, fish, pack...

 

[MKern]

I fish brookie stream way to fast to break the rod down and put in the case.

Brookie rod should be your cheapest rod you own: it's going to get dropped , chipped, hung-up on brush, etc.

I'm just careful while "speed hiking" and fishing. where the rod tip goes, I go.

 

[pcray1231]

I agree with MKern. I generally don't carry a rod case streamside, and the one in the car takes the reel too, so I can leave the rod strung up. But I do run into this issue when fishing sometimes.

I make a conscious effort to keep my leader slightly shorter than my rod so that I don't reel that knot past the eye when I move from hole to hole. I fail at my own game a lot, since I set it up that way and then figure out that I want to add more tippet or something.

I use a nail knot. When tied well, its usually alright through the guides, but it still hangs occasionally. The football of superglue works, though I rarely do it.

A little trick for walking to avoid reeling it past that point is, instead of going straight from the end of the rod to the hook holder, wrap it around the base of the reel once or twice first. Then at the next hole the fly line is already out the tip.

 

[live2fish]

I have the same problem with the nail knot being caught on the tip. The best knot I've used so far is a modified nail knot where you thread the leader through the fly line, then tie the knot. While reading the replies wondered how a piece of shrink tubing would work at keeping that connection from getting caught?

 

[MKern]

pcray mentioned what I forgot.

Take the line around the reel before you hook it on the hook keeper, and for brookie streams, I usually put it on the first stripper guide. When I take it all of the way to the guide, it seems to be the perfect length for fishing, so I don't have to fuss at the next "fishy" spot and possibly spook fish.

If you are still unsure about walking with a complete rod, just leave the line strung up, but separate at eh ferrule. Then you just have to reconnect and your ready to go.

 

[k-bob]

Hi I like the nail knot idea, but I don't always want to use one. Leaders with a smaller knot on the pre-tied loop make a big difference the chance that the knot will snag on the last guide. Some time when you are in a fly shop, compare the size of that knot on different leaders: 1) the knot is much smaller, 1/3 the size or less, on say a 7x Rio flouro leader verses some standard 7x leaders, and 2) surprisingly, since those Rio leaders are sold in clear plastic, look at the size of knots on the same leaders, say a few "identical" 9ft 7x flouo leaders. The knots are not the same... I had imagined that these things were machine made and pretty much standard. Smaller knots greatly reduces the hang ups.

here's the kind of case I use for say a 3 pc 6 ft rod:

http://www.amazon.com/Scientific-Anglers-Fly-Reel-Cases/dp/B002SCHZ9M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1267183128&sr=8-1

the case is very light. you can add a shoulder strap. If you will do a hard hour hike to a stream, it really helps to carry the rod over your back for hands-free hiking without fragile expensive sticks in your hand. When I am going to climb, ride, or bushwhack for half an hour or more to get to a stream, it is faster and safer with rod in the case over your back. Once you start fishing, if the steam has pool after pool for continuous fishing, just leave the case over your shoulder and carry the rod... case is so light you forget about it. If there are climbs between pools, or to get further up there faster, you can pop the rod in, climb hands free, and pop it back out at the next good pool. You save a lot more time than you lose if you will hike in say 45 minutes (1.5 hours roundtrip) And it is afer to have your hands available, and have the rod behind you if you do fall.

I once fell on a taken down 2 pc rod while hiking fast carrying the rod sections in my hands. I broke the rod just above the reel seat I didn't gouge me, but it could have The broken end looked like something that guy Francis Begbie in Trainspotting would want to use ina bar fight! In a hard climb, better to have free hands, and the rod behind you.

The PC ray idea of "leader shorther than rod" helps if you aren't takingthe rod down, but it doesn't work for taking a rod down to put it in a case

see you

 

[k-bob]

"Brookie rod should be your cheapest rod you own: it's going to get dropped , chipped, hung-up on brush, etc."

Yeah, I expect to break things, but I like tying different rods. The brookie rods I use are either not too expensive - cabelas TQR 6' 5 weight, about $100; I just got a crazy $135 dorber 6', 3 weight, 3 pc to carry in scientific anglers case (the 6 foot dorber has 11 oversize guides versus 7 or 8 on other sixfooters!) - or they are warranteed (6 ft, 4 weight superfine).

I just bought a white river classic ultralight 5'8" 4 weight 3 piece for $50 on ebay.... it will go in the case on some hard strips, too..

 

[afishinado]

I'm happy with this rod for being portable as well as casting and fishing well. It comes with a 14" rod case that fits in a backpack or can be slung over your shoulder. Mine is a 4wt 7-piece the converts from 7' to 6'.

http://store.beekflies.com/marchbrown4.html

 

[k-bob]

afish Nice Some of the best brookie streams are steep plunge-pool-plunge, big rocks down center, rhodo walls on sides, etc // places. Fish a hole, climb to another one, fish again, etc

That rod might fit as a three piece six footer in the $25 sci anglers case linked above - with the reel, leader, and fly on it. I add shoulder straps to those cases, they are light.

I put the rod in the case and hike w/ a pair of trekking poles. You can do a long hike much faster with two trekking poles versus two fly rod sections in your hands.

 

[bam]

I think the best move would be to just snip off any large knot on your leaders and tie your own. Simply double over the butt of the leader and tie a small overhand knot. You'll only lose a couple inches off the total length of your leaders...

 

[harry]

A little Loon Knot Sense on the knot works fine..

Description of the Loon UV Knot Sense - Accessories:
Smoothes and strengthens your knots immediately. Lightly coat those newly tied nail knots and never get caught in your guides again. Great for repairing damaged flies.
PRODUCT TIP: Apply all UV curable products in full shade or inside, then let the application cure in full, direct sunlight. These products will not cure through a window

 

[osprey]

This might help some , to get through some of the "jungle" areas i wind in everything till the fly catches in the tip guide , break the rod down , holding both sections in one hand and pointing the rod in the direction you are going to go , exactly where you are going to go , you gotta force yourself to slow down and pick your path , like it was said before in this thread , go where the rod tip goes. GOOD FISHIN'

 

[bikerfish]

Osprey! where ya been? good to see ya back!! I agree, go where the rod goes. takes practice, but soon it will be second nature.

 

[Buggy]

A friend showed me a trick to fix this problem 8 yrs ago.

1) Take a larger diameter needle and insert into the fly line about an 1/8” or so to hollow out the tip.
2) Rough up the butt section tip of the leader with fine grit sandpaper or scrape with knife or razor blade.
3) Put a drop of gel type superglue on the butt section of leader.
4) Remove needle from fly line and insert glued butt section.
5) Press the glued area firmly together for a few minutes.

I was skeptical that the leader would pull out but it has never pulled out. My friend uses this on all his rods and fights steelhead on it about 10 trips a year