Pike/Musky Leaders

[switch10 0]

 

... put a #20 spiderwire and #20 mono side by side and that mono will always outlast any braid.

Not to hijack the thread but ... what ???

I've got braid on bait-caster reels that is close to ten years old, and it's still like new. The only reason I respool a reel is when I've retied or changed lures so many time I've shortened the line too much.

You cannot do that with mono.

 

I did a little research on this just because it didn't sound right to me either. Seems like a pretty even split of people claiming mono is stronger and vice versa. Like I say, in my experience growing up in Wisconsin, fishing for primarily toothy fish, I can't think of a time braided line has failed me. Mono on the other hand...

[WVUontheFLY 0]

I don't like spider wire because it is slick and doesn't seem to really bite when you tie a knot in it and have had a few knots come undone in casting, testing knots before I fish, and even in a couple hook ups if it didn't slip in the first 2 tests. Now I just avoid it all together, except for using it as an articulation joint covered by glass beads in my flies

[mikechell 0]

Braided lines require special knots to keep from slipping. For conventional gear, tying on a lure with a Palomar Knot will do very well.

For fly tying ... it's superglue time, right after what ever knot you use.

It is a plastic, so if you melt an end, you can get a nice little bead that will prevent a knot from slipping loose. If the knot slips, it will only go to the bead.

I do that when I am using braid to do an articulate fly.

[nomadic_pescador 0]

Something about braid just turns me off. It may be effective but I don't like thought of bringing braid into my fly arsenal. Maybe I've just been too influenced by the purist crowd. I'll keep it in the tying drawer to link up the articulated bugs.

[Hatchet Jack 0]

Has anyone tried Spectra (for the tippet section) instead of the wire leaders? I was testing some out the other day with my scissors, and the stuff seems like it'd be pretty resistant to teeth.

 

 

I've some 80# that's under experimentation. Have not yet caught any real maulers to test the braid's resistance to shredding. I tie the braid to a wire Duo-Lock snap* snap/clip with an Improved Clinch knot. The tag end of clinch knot is melted with a Bic flame to form a small bump, and the knot is further sealed with Zap-A-Gap. Downside is that the braid is limp as hell and tends to get wind knots, upside is that one can usually tease out these knots.

 

*modified such that I have to use a fine needle nose pliers to change flies.

The Duo-Lock snap is not the same as your typical snap-swivel.

[mikechell 0]

I'm sorry ... I answered about braid without really qualifying the statement. I use 50# braid for articulated flies (Of which, I don't tie many)

ALL of my conventional gear has braid on them.

ALL of my fly reels have braid as a backing material. I love the small diameter for strength ratio. If I fished salt water, I could let a fish run fishing off Tampa, and someone might see it jumping in Mobile. Well, I might be exaggerating that, a bit.

I don't use Braid for leader material on any of my rods though ... for the exact reason Jack mentioned, it's too limp. I tried it, once. Without any stiffness to the leader material, a heavier fly will often just straight line into the water, right at the end of the fly line. Many times, I had a ball of braid and fly at the fly line tip. Only took a few of those events to get me off of braid as a leader material.

[portlyjoe 0]

I only have limited experience with Pike , and Musky. Where i am we have Chain Pickrel in fresh and Blue fish in Salt. I always use a steel leader in those times when i target toothy critters. with that being said i also use a "tactical Angler clip" to attach my flys they aren't a snap clip. They resemble a paperclip and once attached to the leader i have yet to loose any fly or fish because it opened up. the benefits of this clip: you can change a fly in a second, and the fly can swing more freely, giving better action than a tied-on fly.

 

[Adam Saarinen 0]

I use about 1.5m of thick mono with a micro ring at the end, then vision bit tippet with the twisted loops you melt with a lighter & a small clip at the fly end, not a snap clip! I've also used old salmon & seatrout sink leaders cut down to 1.5m on the end of a floating line to get the fly down a little! The vision bite wire is good! As for the 2 in 1 vice? I don't want to talk about it!!!

[eastern fly 0]

What size barrel swivel will work with a snap?

 

Kevin

[portlyjoe 0]

What size barrel swivel will work with a snap?

 

Kevin

I dont use barrel swivels at all. direct only. but i think thats my preference. check out online for tactical anglers clips you might like them better than a snap

[WVUontheFLY 0]

A barrel swivel conncected directly to the fly might be too heavy and make it nose dive all the time, not necessarily a bad thing if you want that action. On my furled leader I use a tiny 30# class swivel to connect my leader and tippet. The barrel swivel definitely helps prevent line twist from throwing the bigger wind resistant flies.

[eastern fly 0]

That's what I want. Where do you get yours? Also I would like to get your furled leader info, if I can.

 

Kevin

[WVUontheFLY 0]

Here is a nice video of making a "furled leader" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbcVaEe3RIs

 

I will use varying lengths of mono between 18-25 ft to start, one you do the first twist the leader is now 1/2 the original length

Then I determine how long I want my butt section to be, usually 1/2-2/3 the final length and make the final twists

Do a double surgeons knot and cut off the tag ends and then hit the knot with some loons uv knot sense

 

I got the swivels at wal-mart and will take a picture when I get home because I forget the brand but they are quite small and don't really effect energy transfer

[WVUontheFLY 0]

Sorry it took so long eastern fly, had a busy weekend and couldn't find a usb cord to transfer the picture from my phone to laptop but these are the swivels I use. They can in several sizes, 20-50# i think, and are only $4-5 for a pack

[eastern fly 0]

I see no picture. I will PM you

 

Kevin