Fly fishing line setup. Fly line to leader, etc?

[uberschweiz]

Getting ready to head out for the weekend and as a beginner, I'm still a bit shaky on my line-to-line connections and the best knots for accomplishing it.

1) Fly line to leader. My main fly line came with a pre-made loop in the end. For now I've tied a perfection loop (might be less than perfect) in the thick end of my tapered leader and have tied a figure-eight loop-to-loop connection between the fly line and leader.

2) So do I tie my fly directly to the tag end of my leader line, or do you add a bit of tippet first?

Looking forward to some tight lines this weekend!

Cheers

 

[uberschweiz]

Forgot to mention....

Do you recommend the loop-to-loop connection as I tied it, or do you most of you tie a nail knot to connect your fly line and leader?
Thanks!

 

[Sinkline]

.

 

[bigsteel]

i would echo what randy says,,have a great first fly trip,can't wait to hear how it goes

 

[eggs]

yea it was nail bu randy,

Loop to Loop ROCKS.. I run a double Surgeons loop for my line to the fat endo of leader(trim the tag down to about 1/8-1/16 of an inch after it is pulled tight)... then a double or triple Surgeons knot for tippet.

have a good time on the trip

 

[n8r1]

Loop to Loop ROCKS..

I'm showing my ignorance and newbieness here, but how do you tie a loop-to-loop? When I bought my leader it had a loop on one end, and I didn't know what to do with it, so I cut it off and tied it to my fly line with a nail knot instead because it's all that I knew how to do. It has held just fine but if there's an easier way I'm all ears...

I found this illustration but I don't know how to put the loop in your fly line. It looks like they have another piece of material that they have tied to the fly line but I'm not sure. It looks like the loop is tied to the fly line with a nail knot, so wouldn't it just be better to just tie your leader directly to the fly line with a nail knot and skip this loop to loop stuff?

 

[bigsteel]

most loop to loop connections are built into the fly line,,you could take your line into any fly shop and they will "weld" it for you with a new loop connection.....nail knots are great if your using cheap line but a nice fly line deserves a loop to loop so your not constantly cutting into your weight forward taper.

as far as connecting them just pull your loop over the fly line then feed your leader back through the loop and bammo your done and fishing

 

[uberschweiz]

Thanks Randy and others for the great info! The loop-to-loop is looking good, but I'm a little concerned about the integrity of my perfection loop in the thick end of my leader. Seems like it slides a bit.

Thanks again and I'll be sure to post any pics I get from my weekend trip!
Cheers,
Ben

 

[troutramp]

I use the loop if it is there, if is not I nail it. If you use a nail not remember to use a bit of glue so that you do not allo water to leak into your line. Also you can create your own loop if you nail not your leader to your fly line and the clip it 7 or so inches away from the not in you butt section, and then tie a perfection loop in both ends and reconect. This is called a "stinger" try to tie it so that is short to facilitate turn over. I tie mine about 3-4 inches.

 

[Trout]

First off - I am no casting expert. I have tried both the loop-to-loop leaders and then for a year or so the old school way of just a 12" butt leader nail knotted to my fly line and then a leader nail knotted to the butt leader. As far as I could tell both fished equally well or crappy depending on your point of view. The loop-to-loop method is certainly more easy to use.

I nail knot 25lb (0.020") leader material to the fly line and then put a perfection knot at 8-10 inches out from the fly line. Then in a nod to fly fishing tradition I give both knots a bit of Pliobond cement to withstand the abuse they are about to subjected to.

Also - use a nail knotting tool that has a thumb rest built into it. I can crank out perfect nail knots quickly and even tie my own tapered leaders.

 

[GungasUncle]

I use a perfection loop in my leader, and attach it via a Castwell Knot to my fly line. Very small connection, very secure.

 

[everett464]

I use a perfection loop in my leader, and attach it via a Castwell Knot to my fly line. Very small connection, very secure.

I was just gonna mention the Castwell!!! That has got to be one of the most simple, most perfect knots in the world!

Still - loop to loop has always worked for me too.