PlioBond works well, but I've only used it on the nailknot for the butt section to flyline knot. I hand tie all my leaders and use bloods all the way down to 3x, then use surgeons for 4x and smaller. I have the mesh finger-puzzle loop on the end of some of my lines, and use a perfection loop on the leader for those lines, but I too have problems with it getting hung up in the guides when landing fish. I NEVER have that problem with the nailknot and the PlioBond. It's not as handy for changing leaders, but I rarely seem to need to change leaders. I either have a shorter sinking leader on my sinktips/full sink lines or a fairly long 12' leader for dries. I haven't gotten technical enough in my fishing to swap leaders much, yet. Maybe if I lived on the eastside.... :-))
BTW, you can get PlioBond at most hardware stores (except Home Depot, for some reason) and several flyshops. It comes in a small 2 oz brown bottle and has a small application brush built into the cap. Make sure you clean the top of the bottle before putting the top back on, otherwise it dries and makes it impossible to take the top off again. Also, make sure the top is put back on tight, otherwise the whole thing dries out and your out 5-6 bucks! Sean Kent Lufkin wrote: > Jonh, > > When I first started fly fishing and didn't know any better, I used > to tie my flies directly onto the end of a tapered leader. One > drawback to that approach is your leader gets shorter and heavier > each time you change flies. > > I tried tying tippet to leader using surgeon's knots, but whenever I > had to tie on new tippet, I was right back to shortening my leader. A > good friend and fishing mentor showed me how to tie a perfection loop > on the end of my leader and another on the end of a tippet and just > loop 'em together. Changing tippets doesn't affect the length of the > leader and with medium to fine tippets (4x-6x) the knots and loops > are barely visible. I also tie loops on the end of my butt section > and on the fat end of the leader so I can easily change leaders as > well. > > When combined with hand-tied leaders though, all those knots can > sometimes get hung up in my rod's tip top or snake guides, which can > be a problem when trying to land a fish on a long leader. Has anybody > tried something to coat the knots with to make 'em more streamlined? > > Kent Lufkin > > >Kent: Do you use a perfection loop-to-loop connection for leader to tippet? > >I've never tried a loop-to-loop connection for tippet to leader, so I'm > >curious how well that works. I usually use a double or triple surgeon's > >knot. > > > >John > > > > > > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Kent Lufkin > >Sent: Tuesday, April 30, 2002 8:36 AM > >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Subject: Re: Knots > > > > > >Sheesh Sean, compared with your arsenal of knots, it looks like I > >might flunk my knots merit badge ;-) > > > >I regularly use only two terminal knots: an improved clinch to attach > >flies to tippet and perfection loops to attach tippet to leader and > >leader to butt section. I use a turl and a Duncan loop only very > >occasionally. I use the same formula as you do for the number of > >turns on the clinch knot. > > > >I use blood knots in tying leaders, nail knots to attach butt section > >and backing to my fly line and a spool knot (I think that's what it's > >called) to attach the backing to my reel. > > > >So did you catch any very large fish on that local lake? > > > >Kent Lufkin > > > >>I was out on a local lake today, and was thinking about knots. I was > >>tying on a fly with the expectation of getting into some VERY large fish > >>with light tippet, so the idea of good, high-percentage knots just > >>naturally came to mind. > >> > >>My question in many-fold: Just how many knots does a good > >>flyfisherperson really need to know? I regularly use improved clinch, > >>duncan loop, orvis, blood, surgeons, and less often a nail knot. That's > >>just six knots that cover almost ALL of my fishing endeavors. On those > >>terminal knots we use most often (Improved Clinch, Duncan Loop, Orvis > >>Perfect) how many wraps do you fellow fisherpersons use? Does it change > >>with tippet size? FWIW, I tend to go tippet size plus 1 on the Improved > >>Clinch and Orvis Perfect (5x would be 6 wraps, 4x would be 5 wraps, > >>etc., etc. and never less than 3 and never more than 6 wraps) while my > >>Duncan loops are 4-5 depending on leader thickness (4 wraps on steelhead > >>tippets, and 5 on trout). Surgeons are ALWAYS 3, though I've heard of > >>folks going to 4 wraps. > >> > >>Hoping for a spirited thread (pun intended!) on this one, as this might > >>be of some use to the newer members who can benefit from the wealth of > > >knowledge of our more seasoned vets. > > > > > >Sean
