Fluorocarbon leaders and tippet
- This topic has 39 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated Aug 10, 2006 at 3:11 am by
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Anyone use the Duncan loop, aka uni-knot, with flouro? I know the board is high on the davy,but old habits die hard.
I use basically three knots with Fluoro. The Albright for leaders, Kreh (nonslip) loop for streamers and the trylene knot for poppers. I’ve never tried the Davy knot, but it does look interesting. I’ve had trouble with uni knots and blood knots with fluoro, but I don’t use them much, so it might be operator error.
One of the problems I have always had with fluoro is cold weather knot strength. No scientific data to back me up but, it just seems that there is a difference in extreme conditions. Most of my problems were seen when making surgeon loops, or attaching fluoro to mono with surgeon knots. Double, Triple didn’t seem to make a difference. Someone on this board suggested the tiny metal rings that Feather Craft sells and uses on their furled leaders. The ring goes on the end of the leader and you attach your tippet to the ring with whatever knot you desire. I tried them…problem solved. I use the Davy knot for the attachment at both ends of the tippet and have found it to be the strongest knot for fluoro. No more loops for me. Also, I have taken to using Orvis Mirage exclusively. You can get it on the bigger 100m spools and it is a bit cheaper than buying the small spools. I go through a ton of 3, 4 and 5X every year. Considering the cost of all the other gear we use it is worth it to me to spend a little more on something as important to me as tippet. I don’t know if it makes that much of a difference but, it gives me confidence and the feeling that I might have a tiny edge and that is reason enough for me spend some cash 🙂
I just don’t think that is true regarding failures with fluoro and the clinch knot. I’ve been using fluoro tippet 5X to 7X for several years now and the clinch is the only knot I use. I’ve had very very few failures. In fact I don’t even remember the last one.
I also have had no problems with a double surgeons loop and attachment to a mono leader. Regarding the cold – I had some problems with brittleness and breaking in the cold when I was using cabela’s fluoro. But then I switched to RIO and have had zero problems since even in very cold weather.
Greg
Just speaking from experience here. No problems with the clinch knot and fluoro or attaching fluoro to mono with a double surgeons loop on my part on rainbows and browns up to 9 lbs over the last 3 years.
Greg
If you were going to have a problem it would certainly show up with a 9lb fish. I personally have double and triple surgeon loops and clinch knots bust at an alarming rate with any fluoro that I have tried. I went to the Davy knot and rings last year and everything smoothed out. Different experiences under different conditions.
I just tried floro tippet for the first time a couple of days ago and i liked it. I was using size 22 midges on 5x floro and having great luck. I really liked how it helped sink the nymphs much more quickly. I also got a really good deal on a bunch of floro tipet and leaders at sierratradingpost.com last week. leaders were $3 and tippet was like $2
I just read a thread on the VFS board, posted by John Wilson, and about some of the things he picked up while in Portugal at the flyfishing championships–that some of the competitors boiled their leaders to increase the elasticity. Anyone here tried that; I’d never heard of it.
Also, I’m trying to find the tying instructions for the One knot. I read about it and used it a few years ago. It is an extremely easy knot to tie, has 100% breaking strength, doesn’t require adjusting the number of wraps to the size of material used, and works with mono and fluoro. I had tried to convert to it, but the clinch knot is so ingrained in my mind I had lost track.
Bryan
Caught several dozen fish late Fri on my 1wt using my cheap .005 fluro and a 22 midge. :-*
And if I didn’t have to work, I’d have outfished you.
Get back to work, you don’t have time to be on here fantasizing. BTW I’m headed to Cumby Sun with Bill Price. You wana pull the Tracker up?
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