Line to leader connection

[Delarock]

Anyone use those braided loops that attach to the end of your fly line to connect your leader?

Anyone have any suggestions besides the old nail knot/needle knot? Maybe splice a loop?

[AaronJasper]

for line to leader connection i like the good old nail not. i used to cut the welded tip off the fly lines. i love them now. torrey made me try it. thay float great!!! the tip of the line does not sink. i like it especially on the rio nymph line. go with a line withthe welded loop!!!

[rckrego]

i use the braided loop-to-loop connectors. they work great. still trying to get them to stop fraying.

[AaronJasper]

the other problem besides fraying is that they collect dirt like crazy. i have actually looked at clients loops and sometimes they are even the color brown. when i started fly fishing i used to have a braided loop. my fly line used to sink all of the time. what a shame that i didnt learn that it wasnt my fault that they were sinking until 15 years later. go with the nail knot... at least you can put fly floatant on it to keep it up ;D
like i said earlier try the welded loop... its even better.

[FK]

I have been using the Loop to Loop connection for many years. It is very convient to change leaders from longer fine dry fly types to shorter nymph or streamer leaders when on the river.

I agree the braided loops have many disadvantages, here is the old Lefty Kreh type of fly line loop, just use a Perfection knot in your leader butt section and quick change when desired.

http://www.barflyfish.com/whipping_a_loop.htm

Today most of the fly line companies have changed to loop ends on the lines, Rio and S.A. have this feature.

Regards,
FK

[Brookie]

I just nail knot a piece of Amnesia between 7 to 12 inches long to the end of my flyline. At the tag end of the Amnesia, i throw in a perfection loop. Then when I tie a leader on, I put a loop on the butt section of it and just go loop to loop with the Amnesia, making leader changes fast and easy. Once it's pulled tight, there's really no issues with it hanging up as it goes through my tip top guide.

Also, the Amnesia makes a decent indicator if your nymphing.

Brookie

[Nymphmeister]

Not a fan of braided loops on my fly line for all the same reasons Aaron mentionned, plus I don't trust them, heard a few "big fish lost because the loop failed" stories. Never had that happen with a piece of mono nail-knotted to my line, with a perfection loop in the end. If you don't like the loop, then knot a 2 foot section of mono, and then cut a little less then 2 feet from your leader butt and blood know them together. You could also try the one Dave Whitlock is always singing praises of, the Zap-a-Gap splice. I've never tried it, but he claims to have fished it all over the world without a single failure.

[FK]

I have had several Whitlock Krazy Glue splices fail, I do not trust them or any glue splice over a nail knot or looped fly line with a nail knot.

Some of the saltwater FF like the 50 lb Cortland braided loops they make themselves, not the commercial loops. See Dan Blanton's site for details on the construction.

http://www.danblanton.com/gettinglooped.html

Note that Blanton uses a nail knot to secure the braided loop to the fly line, the glue is only to protect the nail knot from abrasion. The commercial loops sometimes are not double trapped and will fail easily. The heat shrink tubing connection is also weak, I have seen many fail.

Regards,
FK

[YODA]

[quote author=Delirock link=topic=200.msg1437#msg1437 date=1173131702]
Anyone use those braided loops that attach to the end of your fly line to connect your leader?

Anyone have any suggestions besides the old nail knot/needle knot? Maybe splice a loop?


[/quote]

Glue splice is the best connection you can use..

Been using it for years and so have many Delaware regulars that I know..100% never had a problem...

Knots and loops suck (sorry) hold water and dirt and you can feel it in your cast...Used em for years well until 93..

I can guarantee you one thing if you splice the way I do ,if you held your fly line and I pulled the leader your line would break before the splice would give!

[SlowNDeep]

C'mon Yoda,

Please tell us how to make the splice THE WAY YOU DO IT.

Seriously, I'd like to see it. I can test it in the front yard; see if one of my kids can bust me off, better yet, I'll tie on to the dogs leash and say "Where's the Kitty", thats a great test!