Braided leader loops....help!!!!

[Severn Wolf]

I recently got sone of these to try out. Unfortunately while having a practice chuck in the back garden the leader loop went flying off never to be seen again. I didn`t trim it back but pushed the fly line up the entire length of the loop. Should this happen or am I missing something? Glue possibly?

[Sportsman]

There is a sleeve which fits over the loop and flyline at the join. Without it what you described will happen.

The sleeve should be over the loop when you get it. If not you have to get the sleeve over the braid. I have found the best way is to take a piece of mono, thread it through the sleeve, and then back through the sleeve, making a loop of mono. Put the braid through the mono loop and then pull both back through the sleeve. The braid is now threaded through the sleeve. (easier to do than to describe;) )

Push the braid over the end of the fly line and then slide the sleeve over the end so it overlaps the braid and the fly line join. A spot of glue may be used at this point, but is not really necessary. I have never had this type of join fail.

Regards

Dave

[Severn Wolf]

I`ll give it a go, cheers Dave.

[Tog]

I superglue mine before pushing the sleeve over the join.

If sleeve is missing I use a length of rig tube / heat shrink tubing.

Once on should last years.

[Vagabond]

Braided loops - useless!!!

 

Put the words "braided loops" into "search" at the head of this page and when the results come up click on the thread posted in Feb 2002

 

Read what many posters thought of loops at the time - and TTBOMK no significant advance in loop design has been made since.

 

Here is a sample

"quote:

Originally posted by DerwentBob:

 

Interesting, from the tackle shops you would think that these braided loops are the best thing since sliced bread. Given that I managed to pull a loop straight off the line that the guy behind the counter had put on to demonstrate the things I was less than confident.

 

 

Yes Derwent Bob, SNAP! I expressed doubts over them some years ago. (there were several letters concerning slipped loops in Trout and Salmon at the time)

 

A chap in a tackle shop scornfully suggested most of us punters couldn't put them on properly, and decided to show the elderly twit over the counter (me) how to do it.

 

His face when I pulled the loop free gave me nearly as much joy as catching a trout (on a needle knotted leader of course )

 

end quote"

 

[ 25. July 2005, 02:22 PM: Message edited by: Vagabond ]

[Sportsman]

I checked the posting you suggested and also a couple of others. You both had problems with loops applied by tackle shop employees. Might I just make the point that working in a tackle shop does not guarantee expertise

I would defy you, or anyone else to pull off a properly applied braided loop with a straight pull. The words "properly applied" are significant here. A badly applied braided loop is not secure, come to that a badly tied needle knot, or any other form of attachment, is not secure.

The main danger with braided loops is using a long leader and pulling them through the tip ring. If the fish then runs and pulls them back out it is feasible (but not likely) that the tube could catch on the tip ring and slide up the fly line and off the braid. As has been suggested a drop of fishing glue solves this problem.

BTW, I have also seen needle knots jam in the tip ring, leading on one memorable occasion to the loss of a very large salmon which would have been the anglers PB by a long way.

I use them for fishing for Trout, Salmon and Pike and have never had a failure, but I am careful how I apply them, in the same way that I am careful how I tie knots.

Dave

 

[ 25. July 2005, 02:43 PM: Message edited by: Sportsman ]

[Tony U]

Like Sportsman I have never had a braided loop fail on me landing "Bows" to 10lb plus.

I find modern tapers on lines like the Lee Wulf Triangle Taper too fine at the point to successfully needle knot them. The nail knot works but it is not as neat a join.

[chuby]

As a returnee this year to fly fishing,i set up with braided loops on my lines in place of my nail knotted loops.No problems with them,but to be honest cant say they have made any significant difference either.In fact i think i prefer the nail knotted mono loops.

[Vagabond]

Well, I've never had a braided loop fail on a fish either I don't use them

 

After reading about (and seeing) the problems of others I experimented with some braided loops at home, did not like what I found, and stuck to my needle knots for fishing.

 

...and Tony, I have had "Bows" and tarpon to over 20 lb on needle-knots - never had a failure of the needle-knot.

 

Sportsman. The incident with the tackle shop guy came as a result of his trying to sell me some braided loops - there was no "problem" on my side, though there was one on his

 

I am sure you are right in your analysis of what goes wrong when braided loops fail, but the idea of having to resort to glue to ensure your loops hold suggests the whole concept is flawed.

 

[ 25. July 2005, 09:45 PM: Message edited by: Vagabond ]

[Guest PhilB]

If the loops are fitted properly they cannot be pulled off but they can be pushed off. This has happened to me twice, once when the tip ring was iced up during a winter session and once when a fish weeded me. Now I always put a drop of runny superglue on and let it soak under the tubing - never fails now.