Leader connections

[nicholasfmoore]

Hi all,

I was wondering what your favourite leader connections were? Mine is the needle knot, but i also use a 6" butt section needle knotted to the fly line with a perfection loop in the end for fishing. Does anybody else do this? I think that's a really old way of doing it.

All the best

[Viking Lars]

My favourite is also the classic Needle Knot, but in fact one I rarely use. I use loop-to-loop on most of my lines, as I sometimes change leaders during a fishing day. Not because they wear out (if they do, I change them of course :-), but because I sometimes change from say a 15' to a 9' leader, usually either because wind changes or I choose to fish really big, or really small, flies.

Lars

[Tangled]

Needle knot, but when I fish a favourite Northern river I have to switch between a 9’ flat leader with 3 spiders and a 12' tapered leader for dries several times so I'm forced into braided loop and loop to loop connections.

[Boisker]

Like Lars.. I like the connection of a needle knot, but haven’t used one for ages..
I change leaders far to regularly.... 9-16’ for dry and a straight through plus 30’ leader for Nymphing, so loop connection for me. People say it can catch in the top guide, but that’s still not happened to me, I reckon that’s more down to fighting technique and not reacting quick enough... if it did start to happen I would have to reconsider

[nicholasfmoore]

Thank you, all!

[Paul Arden]

2.5 turn needle knot for trout fishing or any of that sort of stuff. I don’t like a short butt section because it then puts another knot close to the line. Although I’ve certainly used them. Years back I used to put poly balls here as indicators when buzzer fishing and the knot kept them in place - and could slide off again when landing the fish.

Most of my fishing however is now loop-to-loop for strength. Fortunately Snakehead leaders are rather short. Gourami leaders are Hird Leaders. So no big problems.

Cheers, Paul

[nicholasfmoore]

Thank you, Paul. Yes i needle knot a tapered leader to the line too, i use 4.5 turns instead of 2.5, so i should try it and see what happens. I use tippet rings now, too. Makes the leader last quite a long time.

All the best

Nick

[Paul Arden]

I also use sheepgirl rings on trouty stuff.

Cheers, Paul

[Shemp]

I’m still using Borger’s ‘connector’. It’s a 12” length of .020 needled to the fly line. A perfection loop at the other end for loop to loop. Gary stressed keeping the Ploop small but mine is about 1”. I change leaders frequently between dries, and pretied soft hackle lengths with three flies. I can remove the three fly rig easily through the large loop and store it on a leader round in my vest. Shemp

[Bendix]

Hi

For Trout fishing, I rarely like the factory loops on fly lines, so I usually make my own loops by pulling the core through itself and then glueing it. I then tie my leader to the loop with a clinch knot, which will slide through the rod guides with no problems. I used to find, that loop to loop connections get stuck in the guides quite easily. I also rarely change my leaders during a fishing trip (usually only if it gets destroyed somehow).

For Salmon fishing in my local river, I however always use loop to loop connections. But then I usually use a sinking line, and a 4-6 foot piece of straight mono as my leader, which means that the connection never gets anywhere near the rod guides during a fight.

/Bendix