Ways to repair cut fly line?

[evw659]

So I accidentally cut my fly line in two about 10 feet from my leader yesterday with my pliers while unhooking a fish. I'm thinking about buying new line, but my line is in pretty good shape otherwise and Im trying to avoid dropping $70. I've read about people using shrink tubing combined with superglue to repair this. Has anybody tried this or has repaired a cut flyline a different way?

Thanks

 

[NewSal]

Is it a weight forward?

 

[duckfoot]

I don't understand. Why you can't use the other 150' of fly line if you just tie on a new leader?

 

[NewSal]

duckfoot wrote:
I don't understand. Why you can't use the other 150' of fly line if you just tie on a new leader?

Fly lines are tapered for a reason...?

If its a double taper just reverse the line and use the other end, but Im sure you already know this.

If its a weight forward Im not sure, would like to know though

 

[evw659]

It's wf so I can't just flip it and use the other end.
I continued fishing yesterday after it was cut. I just blood knotted it. Continued catching fish on dries, but he knot sinks pretty bad, so mending is difficult and you have lots of problems. Also, when I'll be nymphing the knot will be right in my guides which will get annoying I'm sure.
I'm thinking about just applying some uv knot sense type stuff to th3 blood knot to smooth out the knot and seeing how things go. I'll be out again tomorrow.

 

[MKern]

Looks like you might have to get a new line.

You might be able to expose the core a little from each side and knot it together and then coat in a water-proof adhesive.

 

[NewSal]

MKern wrote:
Looks like you might have to get a new line.

You might be able to expose the core a little from each side and knot it together and then coat in a water-proof adhesive.

That's a good idea, even if not a adhesive a heat-shrink type cover. I'm sure this will happen to me sometime so Ill have to try it when the time comes.

 

[NewSal]

Found something that looks promising... try it out...

http://www.sexyloops.com/articles/smoothconnections.shtml

 

[evw659]

Salvelinus, thanks for the link. I'm gonna try that first methof w/ utc thread and knot sense and see how it goes.

 

[NewSal]

Yeah looks like both ways would work pretty decent, the second way actually looks easier and wouldn't create a "stiff" section of thread but it looks like both would be better then making a knot.

good luck man, post back with results and how it works

 

[duckfoot]

I feel left out that I don't have a picture holding a fish.

I see what the issue is now. I would recommend what MKern said, strip the end like you would electrical wire and water-proof the core. I'd imagine it'd float just fine with a leader tied with a nail knot.

EDIT: Looking at that link, the second method is akin to properly splicing a braided rope. That's a useful skill on a boat!

 

[albatross]

Let me know how this works. I recently stepped on a line and exposed the core. It was ticking through my guides, and of course wicking water in to the core. Since the line was a WF, I felt I had no choice but to replace the line after trying to mend with adhesives. I did learn the value of a DT in the process though.

 

[evw659]

Okay so I just finished it up. Stripped off about 3/4" on each piece of flyline, layed the cores on top of one another and the wrapped with tying thread by hand. Ended up crazy gluing the whole thing which probably wasn't the best approach, but that was all I could find. Tensile strenght is solid, hope it stays that way. When the superglue dries completely, I'm gonna put aquaseal on the whole threaded section to keep the whole core from getting wet. Thanks for all advice guys, I was close to just gluing the blood knot I had. Glad I didn't.

 

[steveo27]

Pick up Loon UV Knotsense or something similar to seal it / build it back up. I use it when repairing damaged ends on fly lines and it works great

 

[NewSal]

Have you had the chance to fish with the repair yet?

 

[evw659]

I Threw dries and nymphs yesterday for 3 or 4 hours. For nymphing it doesn't really make a difference compared to before it was cut. Goes through the guides pretty smoothly. As far as dries go, it does try to sink a little, but mucilin (hydrophobic wax/paste) helps. I didn't throw any really long casts, but I was casting how I would otherwise for 20-35 footers. I'll have to fish a couple more times to better access the drawbacks of the fix, but I would call it a successful fix, at least for now.Thanks again for the advice guys.

 

[bigslackwater]

I imagine a blood knot with fly line had to be huge!!! I'm glad you gave up on that idea.

Did you try the line without the repair (10' short with leader attached)? In my opinion this might be better than working with a repair. If it's a weight forward it might just work like a more aggressive weight forward. I'd mess with it and build a longer leader with some heavy Maxima as the butt end. This might compensate for the loss of the front taper.

 

[evw659]

I haven't tried fishing it by nail knotting my leader to where the flyline broke. I have a feeling that dry fly presentations could be compromised by removing the front taper. Compensating for this by using heavy mono on a longer leader could h3lp, but I'm not sure.
Here is what the repaired section looks like.

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