The upside of this knot is that it is the easiest to bring through your guides, especially if you coat it with a little UV resin. You have shamed me into acknowledging that the stupid loop to loop things I have been tying for years were a product of a rigid indoctrination that never made any sense at all. If I was under that restriction and had to deal with that junction all the time, then I might go with the DIY micro loop as well. And a good casting approach, with great turnover, introduces a wide range of options . Its a good thing. . The Loop To Loop doesnt pass through the guides as well as the Nail Knot. While fishing for Tarpon, I suspect that neither of those troubles apply. Ive always wondered how guys seal up their line when using nail knots to change leaders mid fishing day as well. Can I post part of this on my website if I include a reference to this webpage? No. Now I can be free! Sleek and never hung in the guides. Its just wraps around the line with no added bulk to create any hard angles or hang in the guides. I like your idea, Dom, but Ive been using a superglue splice for years, and when Im fishing 7X with Tricos and hook a chunky brown I never worry about even the slightest snag in the guides. It does create a slit in the loop. And theres no leading of long butt sections through the small fly line loop. Even without a trout attached to the end of your line, the loop to loop connection slows down any shooting or stripping line with its constant friction in the guides. Dont improve the clinch knot with that final move back through the loop either its unnecessary and adds bulk. One is the knotless connection made popular by Dave Whitlock, argueably the best line/leader connection for sliding through guides without catching. Easy to follow, step-by-step instructions with user-friendly interactivity. Ive tried the mono line system using 20 lb amnesia. Less, on sale. Ive always used a nail knot to connect my butt section to the fly line and smooth it off with some UV, Knot Sense, super glue, etc. Required fields are marked *. It is easy to change out onstream and my leaders are usually sinktips with different sink rates. Buddy Ted was up and hooked a large tarpon on my 12 weight rod. . Thanks for the article Long time conventional and light spin fisherman here on the Jersey Shore in Barnegat Bay and on the surf. Its a good knot to know. When playing a trout with the line/leader connection inside the tip top I pay close attention and can proactively position it safely out side of any danger or give a tug that helps get it through the tip top on my terms. Youll see the fly every time, once you can hit your targets. I nodded at the fly again. . Sometimes, its that intersection of the two states that elicits the irresistible urge from a fish.
Thats why my Mono Rig is so long because I like slinging streamers across the river to the opposite bank without anything but the butt section of my leader in the guides. Cut it very short. I use a sighter butt section of 18 inches or so. I hate when knots catch in the guides of a rod. My second point is a gripe from long liners, specifically. Another is the eyed insert metal pin with barbs that holds itself securely when inserted into the fly line core. You could wrap a long stretch of the leader around a tree and stretch it that way, leaning with your body weight a little . Im careful how I tie the knot, though. But now that I think about it, a welded steel loop would work even better if I can find one the right size. The only connection Ive found that hangs in the guides less is a needle knot. Learn to tie our favorite knots! Honestly, I clipped all those loops off until a few years ago.
Actually pretty easy to tie on stream if necessary. Now you just have to repeat the test 99 more times to come to a scientific conclusion. The leader cuts a small slit in the fly line coating, so it ends up actually gripping the (usually) braided core. 4. Youre right of course, all the strength is in the core. Your favorite fly line? Some flatwater dry fly fishing requires about 50 feet for me, but thats it. The work around is to Albright a piece of heavy leader material to your line, then tie a loop in it to connect the leader. Announcements, Nymphing, Streamers, Tactics, The Mono Rig. . Book now to join me in 2022. I just stick with the loops now and have less problems. Im free. The first welded loops were bulky and overdone, and I just couldnt get past the extra mass at the end of a fine fly line taper. . I would still encourage you to learn and use this great knot. I believe (without proof) that it is less likely to cut into the flyline. It has the slim profile of the Nail Knot and, when tied properly, the strength of the Loop To Loop. I attach a 2mm tippet ring to that, and tie the leader to the tippet ring. 5-8 weights you have options depending on leader length, fly weight and species pursued. Just take your time and test the knot thoroughly. https://troutbitten.com/2020/09/17/part-two-what-youre-missing-by-following-fips-competition-rules-leader-restrictions/. But a few years ago, my favorite line appeared with a slim loop right out of the box. S3-Ep11, VIDEO: The Only Way to Carry a Wading Staff, Podcast: Learning a River and Discovering Its Secrets S3-Ep10, Stabilize the Fly Rod and the Sighter with Your Forearm, The Rigging | Drop Shot Nymphing on a Tight Line Rig Pt.4, Podcast: A Fly Fishing Life, and Doing the Hard Things S3-Ep9, Podcast: Rude on the River, Front Ended and the Golden Rule S3-Ep8, The Weights | Drop Shot Nymphing on a Tight Line Rig Pt.3, Podcast: Find Your Water Find Space S3-Ep7, Lightning Fast Leader Changes (with VIDEO), Podcast: Why It Always Comes Down to Fly Casting And What Matters Most S3-Ep6, Why and When | Drop Shot Nymphing on a Tight Line Rig Pt.2, Podcast: Find Feeding Fish Exploring Water Types and More S3-Ep5. 
The coating has no strength at all. . Thanks for the push! Almost any method of connecting the butt of the leader to the fly line should do, provided you test the connection to failure and record the results. Great discussion and info here. am considering a slight modification to your clinch knot two turns around the loop on the line instead of one ( to reduce possibility of cut thru of the loop). Ahhh. I attached the fly line to the backing via a nail knot. Downsides are simple. . Im ready to try anything that keeps me fishing rather than fumbling with lines. . I would add three more connections to this list. This may be boring, but I still recommend the Scientific Anglers Air Cell as my go to line. Got me thinking about how to test.
I would think the whipped loop would add weight to the emd, cauding it to sink easier than a welded loop. Theres enough visibility built into that fly that you can find it quickly, as long as the fly lands where youre looking . Recommended emphatically. Looped leaders are best invention since sliced bread, you just love trying to be different. Now its needle knot. I normally tie a nail knot with the leader butt because of its low profile, sometimes I size the connection with fly tying thread, tapering the mono and stripping the fly line end. It does not work in larger diameters of leader because the needle that will take that diameter through its eye is too big to thread into the fly line. What, no feats of strength? If you have been fly fishing for a long time, its probably how you learned to doit. The welded loops are pretty good, but for saltwater fishing I always whip my own, for strength. Eventually, we develop such a facility with these skills that we begin to combine them, breaking free from the common and standard approach and landing on new ways to get a dead drift or move a streamer. Its not enough for something to be quick. Thinking about using your suggestion on my spey and skagit lines, the loop to loop connection between the shooting head and Mow tips are particularly gnarly. Sorting through the wildly contradictory information out there has been a challenge. Great topic for a cold, snowy winter night here in upstate NY. Thats me. Anyway, durability is also a factor for me. . Smooth through the guides. Given that my manual dexterity and eyesight have degraded over the years, Ive decided to further simplify my life by keeping the fly and tippet as one, and using a loop to loop at the tippet to leader connection. Im continuing to evolve. Loose a little bit of sag from the fly line due to the shorter leader style (16 total for nymphs), but I got to tell you man, most of the times even at 16 I only have a foot of fly line out, and the times I do have to do longer casts I just deal with the sag as best as possible. In the end, the best method is the one that works best for you and the way you fish. I would like to use a ring for subsurface fishing. About a decade ago, the trend started with high end lines, and it filtered down to the rest. Another look a the clinch connection to the loop. Think I have tried about all leader line connection over the years, but yours is my norm now. Ive been playing with a mono knot (to the flyline loop) thats almost a clinch, but I loop the mono into the fly line loop as it would be for loop to loop, then do the wraps for a clinch, passing the end through the v of the mono below the flyline loop. But the way I do things, my Mono Rig is long enough that the leader to line connection is on the reel, in all but the longest distances. (I made up that figure myself, but it seems about right.). Definitely agree with the loop annoyance! It always pays to have a plan B. Its a good thing. I lose about a half inch with each leader change. Its far stronger than your 5X tippet but I wouldnt trust it for streamer fishing and never for saltwater. On standard length leaders, it matters sooner, of course. I know what you mean. He bolts, the perfection loop sticks on a guide for a split second, and the tippet snaps. After a few seasons I still have 15 inches left on my butt. Heres one link, but there are quite a few sites that have it. A few decades ago, I used to buy these little steel eyes that had a needle point with barbs. Thanks. Alright, heres my Costanzas Festivus Airing of Grievances against loop to loop connections. I then go to card talk as I love reading your stuff . I can think of one exception to use the loop to loop. Nylon Leader links are another beginner option I previously used. I am using this: flyline with loop + I change leaders with clinch knot on this line (tappered mono 9 for dries, furled tappered leaders, 30 tapered camoufil French nymph leaders, mono with indicator), but the loop seems to be cut with the leaders and they are attached almost only to the inner core of the loop. Only an issue for floating line. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Albright knot for the big rigs. Being of similar attitude about my fishing, though I dont fly fish, Id like to share a knot i only learned of a few years ago the Worlds Fair knot! This is my home, and I love it. 5. My beef with the loop to loop is leader to fly line when its in the guides. Once synched it is a very stable connection. Thanks. So when I wanted to remove the sometimes thirty plus feet of Mono Rig and swap out for a standard length leader, I started using a simple clinch knot to a tippet ring. And I understand your point. Hi Dom, noob question: Ive read your post on being able to change back quickly to a typical fly line and leader set up, but if Im going all in on the mono rig, do I need a fly line? Try a Single Davy knot easy, fast, and a micro-footprint smaller than the clinch! Trust your dream fly-fishing trips to Orvis! Its not that there is anything wrong with the knot, but it only holds your leader to the coating of the fly line, which is the weakest part of the line. Since the braided core gets in contact with water I thought it would make the line sink. I liked the idea of a small nail knot for less wind resistance, so I cut the loops off my new fly line and tried this a few times. I agree the Albright knot is the best for the flyline to backing connection. Ive been secretly cutting the loops off my leaders for quite a while now. I couldnt care less about slick coating or textures that help me shoot 80 feet, because Im not a saltwater fisherman, and I dont shoot 80 feet. KISS (keep it simple stupid). Heres a great video on how to properly make a loop to loop connection. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Please respect that. Attach one last time.
I know the method I like, but there are pluses and minuses to each. What do you think?
I just like the way the 3-4 turn clinch forms almost a tapered barrel. They say they cause a bubble stream and the barracuda will bite it in half thinking it is a fish. I looked at the loop to loop for my setups ( a 9wt-9 ft and a vintage 6-7wt-8 ft) and thought that the loop to loop an unnecessary bulk at the line to leader junction so Thank you!!! For what its worth, I think loop to loop is great in those situations. It has to work right too. The Nail Knot uses friction to hold the leader to the fly line. .and then there is the Whitlock Zap A gap connection. or am I overthinking this? The idea of connecting them with a very short piece of mono with clinch knots to each loop comes to mind. One for the fly line the other for the leader. Captcha loadingIn order to pass the CAPTCHA please enable JavaScript. Thanks for the affirmation. I can land 10 pound steelies on the 4 pound test mono rig, during winter of course when they are tame. Interesting. Thanks. Although I generally cut these off and whip my own loop, this is the connection I most often use. My work happens closer than 30 feet about 90 percent of the time. . Regarding that small slit in the fly line coating where you tie in the clinch, you WANT that to happen. Pointing out the shortfalls of loop to loop connections had some merit but missed one vital point, knot strength. You have to love yourself first. The Uni is also my go-to for backing to fly line. One knot is sleeker than three knots. Worse yet, itll probably hang up as you stretch out with a fully flexed rod in one hand and a net in the other, straining to reach for the Namer you just fought for five minutes in heavy current. The 100 pound plus tarpon parted my fly line at the backing connection. I still use this method sometimes: https://troutbitten.com/2017/03/21/get-me-back-to-my-fly-connecting-and-disconnecting-the-mono-rig/. I cut off the welded loop and do your 12 section of leader butt with tippet ring. The reigning competition champ seems to vouch for it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZCBt7wkGfA. A simple clinch knot is all thats needed to attach the leader to a fly line loop. There braided loops for floating and sinking lines. I change my leaders like I change my socks, so it works for me. I have a question that does not pertain to knot connections. Your email address will not be published. Then the loop to loop came around and I started doing that. Its a great way to keep in touch. 