just the tip – replacing sink tip portion of line
- This topic has 9 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated Aug 30, 2012 at 6:37 pm by
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http://society6.com/grainfarmer Fly Fishing and Landscape open edition Photography prints.
http://grainfarmer.vsco.co/ iPhone photos
http://instagram.com/chad_simcox InstagramChad –
Sure man. You’ve got several options here. You can cut the line at the running line and make a welded loop system. The easiest way to do that would be to cut right at the color change, then get a level piece of, say, 7 weight floating fly line. Cut about 6″ of the fly line and cut both ends on a bias so they taper to a fine point. Then get some clear heat shrink tubing. Double over the floating line and push the two sliced ends into one end of the tubing, then run the blunt end of the running line you just cut into the other end. You want the running line to be between the two looped ends while you heat with a hairdryer or better yet a cheap woman’s hair iron. That’ll
Thanks for the heads up Tim and thanks Zach for the insight.
Not in this situation for this line, but out of curiosity, how well do the loop connectors go through the guides? Both casting or coming in when you’ve got a fish on. Do they catch or slow the momentum of the line?
http://society6.com/grainfarmer Fly Fishing and Landscape open edition Photography prints.
http://grainfarmer.vsco.co/ iPhone photos
http://instagram.com/chad_simcox InstagramWhat Tim said.
Keep in mind too that most loop to loops are being used in eight weight and up rods, especially two handers, which do tend to have the largest guides. Nevertheless they tick along and can also hang on the retrieve if you don’t make allowance for the knot coming through by momentarily dipping the rod so that junction is in the guides (it can hang on the tip top).
Generally speaking you’re going to throw a shooting head a little differently from a regular line, too. The best technique is to clear the head itself so that the tip top is sitting on just the first few inches of running line (so that knot isn’t flying through the guides on a big shooting cast). Managing “overhang,” which is the distance from the back of the head to the tip top of the rod, is the name of the game with heads. Short overhang is more manageable for beginners but it will cause the head to turn over hard and fast and thereby “dump” at short distances. It’s not uncommon to have a dumped head flip over upside down and still travel several feet before dropping in a puddle.
To avoid dumping, you lengthen the amount of overhang. On a 100′ cast with a 400 grain head on a ten weight, I’d typically have 6-8 feet of overhang out, which does give the line a ball and chain effect. The best casters, like the Rajeff boys, can handle 10-20 feet of overhang and thereby delay turnover for the longest possible time, thus getting the longest possible casts.
Managing overhang also applies to integrated heads like Tim describes, and actually even to ordinary fly lines provided you can carry the 40-60′ head (depending on the taper) to get to the running line. All other things considered, any line will cast furthest when the full head is out the front of the rod and you’re shooting only running line (the level thin stuff at the back of almost all lines).
Zach
I was against non integrated heads for years. I’ve changed my tune. Suffix Elite 25 pound makes a great running line IMO. You have to get used to casting it (it takes a different style of casting) and handling it due to the small dia. The ticking isn’t a big deal to me. I don’t loop to loop it. I put a braided loop on the head and just tie a small knot to that loop.
Zach I own the SA clear tip SE line in a 250, 350, and the Rio Striper lines in too many grain weights to count. Between Jarrod and I we have more then 50 Integrated lines. I keep about 5 or 6 reels in my boat bag that can cover most situations. Be it fishing Musky on a tight river, Hybrids on the lake, Striper in big rivers, or Trout Streamer fishing. Last year on one of our trips to Nantahala Lake I borrowed a friends setup that was loaded with Suffix and I really liked it.
Since then every time I’ve used it I liked it a little more. Now I have three reels spooled with it (you don’t need backing) and a shooting head wallet. I’m not saying it’s better I’m just saying it works well and IMO casts further, easier. There are drawbacks to the smaller dia but I’ve been able to work around them. Give it a try with an old broken shooting head sometime. It takes time to learn it and you have to adjust your cast. Most people hate it because it doesn’t act like an integrated head and never give it a fair shake. You have to get used to it.
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