fluoro leader material

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Just posted something of interest on the Beginner board about fluoro leaders...

http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=72059&page=2

 

Tight lines

Bob LeMay

(954) 435-5666

[Mudskimmer 0]

Hey Capt. Bob, That is good info. I have been using the Seaguar Fluoro 80 lb material for my shocks and the Homer Rhode Loop Knot at the fly end. Others have told me the non-slip mono loop was better. Do you have a preferred shock to fly knot for the big tarpon? Thanks!

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

I use an improved Homer Rhode knot (the improvement is only at the first knot you tie - instead of a simple overhand, add a second turn to make it a surgeon's knot then pass your short end through it twice to create a two turn slip knot -then finish with the same second overhand knot you're currently using before pulling on the long end to make them jam together -the improved version is a bit stronger than the standard Homer Rhode...) or a simple five turn clinch knot with the fluoro. You can't get fancy at all with heavy fluoro since the stuff is stiffer than mono and in heavy sizes won't cinch down properly if you go above five turns....

 

The funny thing is that many of my best known tarpon patterns were originally designed to be snelled since that's what was in favor back when I developed them (mid eighties). Even with flies designed for snelling I much prefer the two knots mentioned.... For baby tarpon, though, I do without any kind of shock or bite tippet at all -using a 20lb fluoro "Poor boy" instead (a four foot length of straight 20lb fluoro looped to a four or five foot mono butt section of 40lb permanently attached to the fly line. We'll be using that rig on Friday in one or two small interior bays down at Flamingo. Yes, you lose a few fish but without any shocker you get a lot more bites with small flies or bugs...