Paul's adventure

[Paul Arden]

What is the coating - varnish and linseed oil? I would like to apply some to the rest of the braid leader to help sink it.

Thanks Graeme,
Paul

[Graeme H]

Boiled linseed oil with a small amount of varnish. It's more an impregnation than a coating though.

Soak it in the mixture for a day, then hang the leader for three weeks to dry.

Cheers,
Graeme

[Paul Arden]

Going to make it difficult for tippets then

[Graeme H]

I reckon so. Maybe hang them in the jungle at various camp sites, harvesting as you go.

[Paul Arden]

I considered planting ketum trees around the lake, so I can hang the leaders off those.

[Viking Lars]

Graeme - is your leader recipe and method of making online anywhere? I'm starting to get curious :-).

Lars

[Paul Arden]

It's meant I can fish 18-20ft braid leaders as opposed to 9.5ft which makes a significant difference around here! Also the butt helps sink the tippet but not quickly enough I'm getting there however!

Cheers, Paul

[Graeme H]

G'day Lars,

No, It's not published anywhere. I didn't think people would be interested in leaders that take 30 minutes of manual manipulation and then 3 weeks of drying before they can be used. Not to mention the various sizes of hollow braid and the needles required for manufacture ...

They are built using spliced end loops and blind splices in 40, 60, 80 100 and 130lb green hollow braid. That's where the 30 minutes is spent.

For 10wt, I use a butt section of 130lb. 8wt leaders have 100lb butts. 6wt leaders have 80lb butts and 40lb thin ends

They are then soaked for a day in warm "boiled linseed oil" with a small amount of varnish dissolved in it, after which they are left to dry.

You'd have to be a stark raving loony leader nerd to go to the trouble of making them. They are nice though ... .

Cheers,
Graeme

[Graeme H]

PS: I just spent a few hours on the beach learning to single-hand spey cast. The perfect line was a home-made 6wt line with a long front taper made using this same method. Instead of the leader being a 6' section of simple taper, it's fully integrated into the line, which itself is made of concentric layers of hollow braid to provide the tapers and belly section. Think of it as a 90' leader that has complex positive and negative tapers.

This is the sort of shit I do when I have too much time on my hands ...

Cheers,
Graeme

[Paul Arden]

Haha

Not nerdy here in Temenggor. I'll have a go at making some up. It would be handy to publish an article because there is growing interest in Gourami fishing here in Malaysia.

Which brand of braid do you use Graeme, and ca yiu recommend some good splicing tools?

Many thanks.
Paul

PS hope to see you out here soon