Line to Leader connection

[gibsygoldtop]

Are you nail knotting or loop to loop for your line to leader connection?

I was thinking about going to a nail knot, but aren't you just slowly chewing away at the length of the line with every leader change?

I know that the easiest thing to do is stay with the loop to loop, but more or less asking your preference and why? Thanks!

 

[Shaner]

From December thread

Nail knot vs loop to loop

Nail-knot vs Loop to Loop

 

[franklin]

gibsygoldtop wrote:
Are you nail knotting or loop to loop for your line to leader connection?

I was thinking about going to a nail knot, but aren't you just slowly chewing away at the length of the line with every leader change?

I know that the easiest thing to do is stay with the loop to loop, but more or less asking your preference and why? Thanks!

I use loop to loop on most lines. But one of my first lines I used the nail knot. Broke the leader on the stream so I tied a loop in the "stub" and had a nail knotted loop to loop system from then on.

 

[steveo27]

I like the loop to loop because its easier and faster.

If the fly line doesnt have a welded loop on it, I like to take a section of mono and nail knot it to the end of the fly line then tie a small perfect loop in the mono and use that as my loop to loop.

 

[HopBack]

With enough practice you can get a nail Knot tied in under 5 minutes. I find the nail Knot to be more streamline than the loop to loop but each has it's advantages. As far as shortening your fly line length....Your only cutting off at most a half inch each time you tie your fly line. So I don't think this is too much of a big deal.

 

[geebee]

I use a triple surgeons. no issues so far. make sure you wet the line before clinching closed.

 

[Shaner]

geebee I think your thinking leader to tippet?

 

[geebee]

Shaner wrote:
geebee I think your thinking leader to tippet?

you're right I am lol, sorry for any confusion.

all my fly lines and leaders are Rio which come pre-looped.

 

[krayfish2]

Chinese finger trap....aka braided loop connection. Don't use shrink tubing but put 5-6 evenly spaced nail knots with 3x flouro and then trim. Zap-a-gap if desired but I don't. Goes right through the guides and only had one fail but it had 5-6 years of hard fishing on it.

 

[shakey]

I use a loop to loop on most lines.

I taper the edge with a razor and whip finish over the loop, then nail polish.

 

[franklin]

HopBack wrote:
With enough practice you can get a nail Knot tied in under 5 minutes. I find the nail Knot to be more streamline than the loop to loop but each has it's advantages. As far as shortening your fly line length....Your only cutting off at most a half inch each time you tie your fly line. So I don't think this is too much of a big deal.

I do agree that depending on the leader and also the loop material it can be somewhat stiff in the connection area. I've put loops on some fly lines using limp mono that worked and I've also UV epoxied butt to butt. (It worked but not a field solution.)

 

[JG63]

The tip of a fly line is usually about 12 inches or so (check the geek specs on most manufacturers). Continued changing of leaders via a nail knot does indeed eat up the tip section and eventually gets into damaging the tapered portion. This will adversely affect the lines' performance. Follow the advice of the folks using the nail knot loop (I prefer the perfection loop on 20 or 25 pound amnesia) or the braided loop to conserve the tip portion of your fly line. Coat with knot sense or Pliobond if desired.

 

[dsmith1427]

FWIW, I nail knot 20-25 lb mono to the end with a perfection loop.

Don

 

[joebamboo]

Nail knot leader to fly line. Cut leader about 18 inches from tippet, tie in tippet ring and reattach the cut off tippet to that. You can then just add tippet to the ring when it gets too short.

 

[PatrickC]

It is super easy to weld your own loop into a fly line.

 

[CRB]

PatrickC wrote:
It is super easy to weld your own loop into a fly line.

Yes it is. I picked up the shrink tubing at Homedepot


https://vimeo.com/117008675


I've used the nail not to Amnesia for the past 10 years or s. Before that I used the Chinese finger-cuff braid had it fail on steelhead more than a few times and did away with it.

 

[PatrickC]

CRB wrote:

PatrickC wrote:
It is super easy to weld your own loop into a fly line.

Yes it is. I picked up the shrink tubing at Homedepot


https://vimeo.com/117008675


I've used the nail not to Amnesia for the past 10 years or s. Before that I used the Chinese finger-cuff braid had it fail on steelhead more than a few times and did away with it.

I was willing to tap out the tutorial, but I'm glad you posted the video. Brilliantly simple and to date, I've never had a weld fail.

 

[Char_Master]

I use loop to loop for all my lines. For most of my reels I just tie a loop on the end of the main line but for one I'll tie on a short section of 12-20# mono (heavy for abrasion resistance) with a nail knot then tie a ~6" long (when compressed) loop in it to connect the leader to, the mono also give a bit more stretch when you're using fluoro leaders and tippet like I usually do and it has helped me get out of many snags.

 

[gibsygoldtop]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm gonna stick with the Loop to Loop. I've been using the amnesia to make the loop off the fly line, so I'm not gonna try to fix what ain't broke.

 

[dgshannon2000]

Used to open the flyline with a needle and superglue the leader into the line never had a failure. Can't see that well any more.