Techy Thursday - Loops for the win
I’m a huge fan of making things simple, effective and efficient on the water. I personally don’t have the tolerance for fumbling around on the river bank when there is opportunity to be fishing or to be staring in disbelief because something that I had the power to control just failed me. Now this rigging process might take a little bit of time initially but if done right it will save you time and heart break in the long run. What we’re talking about today is loops. That is, loops on the end of your fly line or loops on the end of your sink tips. More often than not modern day premium fly lines are going to come with an integrated welded loop on either end of the line for quick leader or sink tip changes. However, some do not and in the event that your loop becomes damaged or you want to customise the length of a sink tip you need to know how to build one for yourself. Below is a step by step guide to building a bomb proof loop that you can count on.
What you’ll need before you start. I find nylon in the 8-12lb range works best to bite into the coating of the fly line.
Tie a 5 turn nail knot on your nail knot tool with a length of nylon and insert the looped tip of the fly line into the tool.
Cinch the nail knot tight making sure that the wraps don’t roll over each other and the nylon bites into the coating of your line. Trim tag ends of nylon.
Repeat with two more five turn nail knots. Make sure the knots are close but not overlapping.
Trim excess fly line and coat with Loon UV Knot Sense. Using Knot Sense will add additional strength and durability to your nail knots. It will also smooth over any rough edges making for a smoother transition when the join moves through the guides of your fly rod. The knot sense can be cured with a UV light or in direct sunlight.
The finished product ready for a loop to loop connection.
