Leader profile alteration for increased fly mass?

[Paul Arden]

I like them for Gourami fishing - not snakehead - because I'm using spectra as tippet and a spectra only dry fly leader will only turn over at 8.5ft for a 4wt leader. However with Graeme's invention I can use 18 ft leaders and longer which is good for these fish!

[Mangrove Cuckoo]

Graeme,

Just curious... if you don't mind... which oil/varnish product do you use?

Now that I looked into it a bit I understand. At first I thought you were actually boiling the oil yourself... which was hard for me to understand.

The whole history of oil finishes for woodworking (and apparently flylines) is rather interesting!

[Geenomad]

I (Each one takes 30 minutes to make plus a three to four weeks of drying time.)

Interesting idea splicing spectra mate. Can't help with the first bit but you might consider substituting tung oil for the linseed. Been making my own danish oil for a long while and tung oil dries a lot faster and better than linseed. For wood 2:1 oil to varnish. For leaders no idea.

Cheers
Mark

[Graeme H]

Graeme,

Just curious... if you don't mind... which oil/varnish product do you use?

I'm using spar varnish, specifically "Feast Watson Spar Marine Varnish", but I don't think it's quite perfect. Next time I make a batch of dip, I'll see what else is around.

Mark, thanks for the suggestion, but I'll stick with boiled linseed oil. It's what the old guys used on their silk lines and I don't know that I'll try to reinvent the wheel quite so much.

Cheers,
Graeme

[Mangrove Cuckoo]

Graeme,

That is actually quite brilliant... the tapered gsp "leader"!

Although, since in my mind a leader is clear, what I think you are doing is creating an extension of the flyline front taper.

How has the diluted Fusion worked out? I would think you could keep treating the thickest section until it became close to the mass or stiffness of the flyline?

I would be tempted to simply insert the flyline tip into the hollow braid. But I see you are splicing loops into the ends... are you doing that simply for strength?

Are you sticking with the oil/varnish simply because of tradition, or is the dilute Fusion not up to snuff?

[Geenomad]

Mark, thanks for the suggestion, but I'll stick with boiled linseed oil. It's what the old guys used on their silk lines and I don't know that I'll try to reinvent the wheel quite so much.

No worries. I have used spar varnish in my version of danish oil (essentially what you are using) but did not notice a difference when I went to "Feast Watson Weather Proof Varnish". Tung oil forever after using linseed.

Changing tack. My curiosity is aroused on the splicing bit. Trust it is not the traditional rope splice at work here. Loop to loop, one section drawn up into the one above with a "needle"? How do you do it mate?

Cheers
Mark

[Graeme H]

Changing tack. My curiosity is aroused on the splicing bit. Trust it is not the traditional rope splice at work here. Loop to loop, one section drawn up into the one above with a "needle"? How do you do it mate?

Cheers
Mark

It's pretty simple really. Put an end loop splice in some heavy spectra, then step down with spliced line connections and put an end splice loop in the thin end. Each line connection splice "internal termination" must stop exactly at the previous internal termination so there are no hinge points. That means that the whole leader consists of two layers of hollow spectra throughout, with only the loops being single layers.

The trick is picking the right thickness for the fly line and tippet being used. I choose from 130lb, 100lb, 80lb, 60lb and 40lb to get the taper and thicknesses right.

Spliced end loop instructions are here, and spliced line connection instructions are here.

Cheers,
Graeme

[Geenomad]

Great stuff Graeme. Game fishing strikes again, cough, with tackle innovations. Many thanks. The internal wheels are turning.

Cheers
Mark