Maxima Pound Test…
- This topic has 12 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated Jan 30, 2007 at 12:11 am by
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I know that several fly shops I’ve been into in the past use Maxima and or Amenesia leader material to make a loop connection at the end of the fly line to attach leaders.
Nail knots suck guys. God I’m gonna get slammed for that comment. I use this and nothing has ever caused it to fail, ever! Great knot and EAAAASY to tie.
http://www.pechetruite.com/Noeuds/kleader4.htm
Maxima is a great line. The six pound is some of the strongest per diameter line in the world IMO. Some of the guides I’ve talked to even say that the ultragreen is less visible then Fluro? I’m sure I’ll get slammed for that one too.
Buzz I’m sure your right when comparing it to something like Rio’s powerflex or whatever they call it tippet. I stand corrected. I should have said its some of the strongest per diameter line in the world that doesn’t cost $55 for 200 yards. ;D Have you tried the sheet knot? It is different but hey it just might work.
Zach the real test is (I get to do this test often) when you hang up on something and have to break 17# fluro. That’s when the nail knot used to let me down. You gota try it sometime Zach, you’ll convert.
Is this for a loop to loop connection for tapered trout leaders?
I’d actually use 30 pound maxima. This generally matches the diameter of most butt sections of tapered leaders. 30 lb maxima is what a lot of guides in Alaska use for salmon leader systems.
In my experience, most nail knots that fail are tied improperly. You really have to be conscientious that none of the wraps overlap, and that no gaps are present in the knot. I wouldn’t recommend using a nail knot with 15 pound test and under (especially flurocarbon!) the line will cut into the coating of the fly line rather than seating itself into the coating (for lack of a better description). The coating on my Selective Trout line is really soft, and I can see the nail knot dig into it pretty deep. It’s for trout though, so I’m not too worried.
In Mike’s case, if you’re really reefing on a snagged fly with heavy tippet, it’s going to strip the coating off of the line with a nail knot. I’m surprised that the hooks aren’t bending before the coating strips. For most light line use this isn’t really applicable. If you’re having nail knots slip with trout setups you’re tying bad knots.
Following in Mike’s footsteps, I’ll get ready to take some flak for this. Personally, I’m strongly opposed to loop to loop connections. I’ve always viewed each knot in a leader as a potential failure point. With a loop to loop connection you have three knots before you even get to the tippet (nail knot, perfection loop, perfection loop). If you go with a straight nail knot you only have one knot until you start adding tippet. That isn’t even getting into the issues of the bulk of the knots. If you’re frequently changing leaders, well, that’s a different story.
Has anyone tried Whitlock’s no knot splice? (first link I came across: http://flyfisherman.com/skills/dwnoknot/index.html)
The 30# maxima Ian suggests actually matches the flex of most 5-6 weight lines. This is probably as important as the diameter. The flex of the line and the leader should match. Nail knot 8-10 inches of it on the line and tie a perfection loop in it. This what I use if my customer’s braided loop connection looks iffy.
For my own use, like Ian, I just nail knot the leader onto the fly line. A nail knot is no big deal if you use a tie-fast tool, and it is the quickest/strongest connection for trout set-ups.
The Zap a Gap splice does make a very clean connection, but you have to keep an eye on it. The hardened edge of the adhesive splice will weaken the line sooner and create a hinge point and need replaced. I’ve only used it on 4-5 weight lines.
Out of curiosity, how long do these zap a gap splice connections last with daily use before needing replacement?
Hey Ian:
Daily use I don’t know. On my personal fishing gear on a 4wt double taper, I found myself redoing it every 2-3 months where I might go six months with a nail knot on a tapered leader butt fishing dries and small nymphs. No big deal. I’m sure you know folks like I do that can demolish a leader in a few minutes, so 2-3 months seems like forever.
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