New fly line connections

dc410

dc410

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Joined
Mar 14, 2012
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Location
Lancaster, PA
I just purchased a new Rio Gold WF5W line for my 5 weight outfit yesterday. It kind of seems about half silly to spend $90 on a new fly line and as soon as you pull it out of the box the first thing I go for is the nippers to cut the manufactured welded loops off of both ends of the new line but that is exactly what I always do. The welded loops are great until they decide to fail (usually on a really good fish) and they eventually will fail. I have much more confidence in a cleanly tied nail knot connection between my backing and fly line as well as a nail knot between the fly line and a 25 lb. Maxima Chameleon mono loop connector on the terminal end of the fly line. I usually treat these knots with Loon UV knot sense. The treated nail knots will also go both ways through the guides much cleaner than any loop to loop connection with a fly line ever would as well.
 
Hey DC you must be psychic. I was going to begin a new topic asking what folks are using for Leader to Line connections. I don't care for loop to loop and the the tail ends of my nail knots often snag my leaders.
 
Baron wrote:
Hey DC you must be psychic. I was going to begin a new topic asking what folks are using for Leader to Line connections. I don't care for loop to loop and the the tail ends of my nail knots often snag my leaders.
Click to expand...

Baron,

Tie a real clean nail knot and trim your tag ends close on your fly line and your mono loop connector. Treat the nail knot with UV knot sense and cure it with your UV light (it should look like a little footballl) when cured. If it still hangs up in your guides ... just get better at it. IMO this is the best leader to fly line connection out there. Tight lines!!
 
Me either.
I catch some pretty stout WW fish with welded loops.
Never had a fail.
 
I do the same as dc410. I can't stand welded loops. A coated nail knot goes through guides much better imo. I guess the only difference is I don't put a loop in my chameleon either, I just go blood knots all the way to the fly (the last knot is a cinch knot). I hate knotless leaders too, and have been tying my own knotted leaders for ad long as I can remember.
 
I use the welded loops and do a loop to loop. I, too, have never had a failure. Even if I buy a line with no loop, I tie a perfection loop in the fly line and do a loop to loop.

I like the loop to loop.
 
I stick with the welded loop for a year or two and then might cut it off and nail knot a leader to the end of the line. I can’t bring myself to cut the loop off a brand new line. Never had a loop fail on me. My only complaint about them is depending on leader length the loop can get stuck in your tip top when trying to land a fish. The nail knot with some knot sense does pass through easier.
 
I don't have access to UV and am wondering if anyone has used e6000.

Often when using longer leaders, such as 9' and 2-3' to tippet on a 7.5' rod, I am constantly forgetting and pull the knot through the TipTop. Even the nicest nail knot won't go back out without manipulation.
 
>>I don't have access to UV and am wondering if anyone has used e6000.>>

If you mean a UV light, one isn't absolutely necessary to do this. All you need is enough direct sun to cure the knot-sense or instant wader repair stuff (same thing).

You can also use a very light coating of either Goop or Aquaseal and position it so it doesn't cure lopsided. But just enough to smooth the connection

Before all this UV stuff, we used to use Pliobond. I'm not sure if it is still being made, but it worked fine.

Point is, there are a lot of options that don't involve a UV light.
 
Rarely use a leader long enough whereby the loop-to-loop through the guides is an issue. Never had a loop break as well.
 
I like nail knot right to fly line. My leaders are often 18 ft long and I like a smooth connection. I do have some that are set up with welded loops and never had one break.
 
Always use loop to loop in freshwater and saltwater and never had a problem.
Also I still use Pliobond and just bought a new bottle last week.
 
If you haven't had a welded loop fail, you either don't fish a ton, are really lucky, or buy better fly lines than I do.

The failures for me typically take place below the weld. I've had this happen mostly on Rio (Gold and Trout) but also on Orvis. I've never lost a fish due to a broken weld as I typically notice the damage before it's fully broken. At that point, I use a bobbin and tie a new loop on the end of the fly line. Need to seal the end of the fly line with something or it will start to sink. Or don't and use it for a sink tip.

Loops are convenient but they are prone to cracking/breaking.
 
Millsertime wrote:
If you haven't had a welded loop fail, you either don't fish a ton, are really lucky, or buy better fly lines than I do.

The failures for me typically take place below the weld. I've had this happen mostly on Rio (Gold and Trout) but also on Orvis. I've never lost a fish due to a broken weld as I typically notice the damage before it's fully broken. At that point, I use a bobbin and tie a new loop on the end of the fly line. Need to seal the end of the fly line with something or it will start to sink. Or don't and use it for a sink tip.

Loops are convenient but they are prone to cracking/breaking.
Click to expand...

I fish almost every day (not an exaggeration), buy cheap fly lines, so, I guess I am lucky, because I have never had one fail.

The benefit of using cheap lines is that I change them out every 2 years or so. But, in hard, hard use in 2 years on a fly line and using them A LOT, I have never had one fail. I like the welded loop.
 
I was on the water last night using a Rio Classic Lumilux DT4 that is AT LEAST 15 years old...

OK, I don't use this this line 100 days a year, but the line is 15 years old...

...and the welded loop is just fine...

Back when Theodore Gordon & I were chasing brookies in Analomink, we had line coating cracking issues with nail knots all the time...

...this isn't an issue anymore?

FWIW - I've repaired and replaced line loops using heat shrink tubing to melt and "re-weld" the coating or you can just leave it on.
 
Never had a line coating cracking issue with nail knots. I used to think a nail knot helped turn the leader over better but now when I grab someone's rod with a loop to loop connection, my only issue is that it doesn't go in and out of the guides as easy as a nail knot.

Come to think of it the Albright knot on my fly line to backing goes in and out of the guides easier than a loop to loop fly line to leader knot. Several times a year, Albright knot go through the guides while I'm fishing (fighting a fish or casting).
 
I fish a lot and I am lucky :-?
 
I like welded loops at both ends of the fly line. I too have used the heat gun + heat shrink tubing to weld loops when needed.
 
Been doing this for decades and started with nail knots. Could do them in my sleep. Then I fell in love with loop-loop connections. Never had one fail. Liked the quick change out of leaders.

Last fall I started doing the Euronymphing thing more seriously with 6x tippet and the loop-loop just didn't work, so I went with the Super Glue connection on the advice of a friend. (tried a nail knot and the results were horrible after a long layoff) Now that is my favorite for nymphing and light lines/shorter rods. My 9' wt, bass outfits and saltwater outfits still use loop-loop, but the smoothest connection through the guides for me is the super glue connection. Faster and easier than nail knots and I haven't had one fail.
 
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