Connections
for One Aussie Fly Fisher
By Richard
(Lips) Carter
This article is to address a
few recurring questions on the Australian Virtual Fly Tier web
site's chat board about joining together a new reel, backing,
fly line, leader, tippet and fly. I hope it helps or at least
gets you catching fish until you can get some better, more detailed
or personal face to face instructions. We will be talking about
the basics here, just what you need to at least get you started,
not trying to cover every possible scenario out there as there
are more ways of doing this then there are fly fishermen.
If you have a specific scenario,
such as shallow water whiting or mangrove jack wrestling, in
mind, I suggest adding an item to the chat board with all the
precise scenario details noted - each scenario mentioned (whiting
and jack) would require vastly different leader/tippet even fly
line set-ups due to different environment and flies used. The
following will be just enough for what you need to catch to a
bream or a flathead in the salt, a huge carp cruising inland
backwaters or a big bad bass in an impoundment (Can't help you
with the spotted ferals (trout) not my area of experience, though
am working on that as much and as often as the wife lets me)
A. Reel to Backing.
I attach my backing to the reel
spool in two ways without too much worry about the knot ever
being tested. If a fish takes the 30 or so metres of my floating
line, then the 100 plus metres of my backing - man! that would
be one hell of a fish and losing all that line would be worth
it. I'd be having the time of my life casting to a fish like
that. Most times though the fish would of made it to cover or
I would of pointed the rod at the running fish and lock it all
up so as not to lose it all, hopefully then only breaking the
tippet not one of my joining knots. Remembering that in most
cases the fish has made it to it's lair, snag or nearby structure
long before the last of the fly line has past through the rod
runners. Once there the fish will most likely be breaking or
cutting the leader or tippet without any assistance from myself
on oysters, barnacles or other underwater structure.
I have only seen the knot used
to attach the backing to the reel of any of my reels once during
a prolonged fight, when a 15 kilo plus longtail tuna in the top
end of Moreton Bay Queensland decide to head for the horizon
with my fly attached to its chin, luckily the tippet broke and
man! doesn't it take a long time to reel in 500m of backing,
a 100m of running line and 40 feet of shooting head on a standard
1:1 ratio fly reel, thank the fishing gods for modern large arbour
reels.
The first way to I join my backing
to the spool is just a large loop made with a surgeons loop knot.
Placing the loop around the spool and passing the spool the backing
came on through the loop. The second is a single grinner knot
with the reel spool in the middle of it as I would tie on a fly
to the tippet material.
B. Backing to Fly line.
This join will get much more
action then the knot attaching the backing to the reel (hopefully).
The first is a surgeons loop knot which I tie on the backing
line. This is simple a grannies overhand knot but with the end
past through the loop four times. The number of times is important
as too many or too few can place a kink in your line thus potentially
creating spin or impart inappropriate action to fly line and
eventually the fly. Any kinks or twist in any part of your setup
can created weak points. Four times allows the knot in the line
to lay straight. I normally use this knot on the backing, which
depending on the brand or make is usually thin enough to allow
smaller knot creation. (large knots catch on the runners and
just that little pause can place a lot of tension on the tippet
and other knots with a high chance of breaking them)
The second is a braided loop
which I attach to the end of the fly line. These can be made
from scratch with a length of braided line, though I would recommend
the store bought ones for the beginner fly fisher as they have
instructions and everything else you to at least get by. I also
add Pilobond glue and thread wraps in a couple of places for
added security. The Pilobond glue is a pliable glue which will
handle the constant bending and other stresses a fly line is
subject to during the casting action - other brands of glue are
available, just ask at your favourite fly fishing store (super
glue or epoxy will not do the job). I find the thread wraps help
not only in extra security in holding the braided loop on the
fly line but also help in tidying up the multiple ends of the
braided line. By placing a different coloured thread on each
end of the fly line, it also helps me know which end points at
the fish and which is attached to the backing or running line.
This for when I take my line off the spool for cleaning or reel
servicing purposes.
To attach your braided loop to
the fly line, just slip the tip of the fly line inside of the
braid a few inches and then push the provided plastic tube/sleeve
supplied over the braid were the fly line ends. I then place
a bit of weight on a thread bobbin, then while rotating the line
between each hand (as per image) lay down a bed of thread over
the braid with the fly line inside of it like when tying a fly
and laying down a bed of thread over a hook shank. Guiding the
thread along to area chosen using the weighted bobbin to tightly
wrap the materials beneath, I usually give the area chosen a
very tight double layer of thread, then tie off thread with a
couple of half hitches, finishing off with Pilobond glue. You
could tie off the with the standard rod building method, but
I haven't had the need to do it otherwise (yet).
When making a braided loop from
scratch, use a large darning needle then place the end of the
braid into eye of needle. Then inserting the needle into the
braid a few inches from the end of the braid length to create
the loop. This type of loop is used to join your various backing,
running and fly lines together. After applying thread in a couple
of places, I then smear the whole process with Pilobond glue.
Then it is only a matter of passing the two loops (one from the
braided loop attached to the fly line and one from the surgeons
loop knot from the backing) through each other to form a square
shape not with one loop wrap around the other and resting on
itself (see images at end of article on how this loop to loop
junction should look).
Depending on whether your are
using a running line for a shooting head system, it can be attached
the same way to both the fly line and backing. As with the thicker
fly line if the running line is too thick to tie small knots
with, I will use a braided loop on the thickish running line
as the braided loops move through the runners much better than
large joining knots created by using thicker lines with such
knots as nail knots and the like.
C. Fly line to Leader.
Here I again use a braided loop
on the business end of the fly line, then attach the leader with
a small surgeons loop knot. Lately I have just been tying a grinner
knot to attach the leader to the fly lines braided loop. I just
have to make sure I get the grinner knot tied in at the exact
end of the braided loop to eliminate any kinks in the join area.
This method does cause stress at one point of the mono leader,
so is not as dependable of as two loops joined together which
cushion each other.
I once tied my own leaders, scaling
down at each step with a smaller diameter mono usually three
to four steps down in size to the tippet material, but now I
just buy a 9 foot leader adding tippet as required for the day.
I carry spools of 10 and 8 pound mono in case is have to add
length to the leader if it gets cut short on a snag or the like.
Along with several spools of fluorocarbon tippet material down
to 2lb with which I join tippet sections as required in the strength
and length for the targeted species and flies used.
I sometimes use the same leader
for several outings. This is basically laziness as eventually
I will lose a good fish to the old knots joining the leader to
the fly line or leader extensions. Some very keen fly fishers
change their leaders ever day, some even every session. I may
get this way too in later life when I can't fly fish almost every
day but for now what I do works and am prepared for the eventual
consequences of my laziness. At least I am out fishing instead
of sitting at home, who cares if I lose a fish or two. There
is always another fish to cast to just around the corner or over
the next sand bar. The hooks are barbless and I would have released
the fish anyway. So the end result is still the same, except
for tying on a new leader, tippet and or fly.
D. Leader to Tippet.
When adding more mono to a busted
leader, building my own leaders or adding on more tippet material
I use a double grinner knot to join the two different diameter
mono lengths together. This knot gives me lots of confidence
as each half of the knot works as a shock absorber to the other
with no single point of the knot put to any more stress then
the rest of the knot. Given the lack of stretch a fly line has
and the limited amount of mono that could stretch limited to
the length of the leader, this type of knot assists greatly in
getting a fish to hand for release. Various studies into knot
strength show the double grinner knot give 95% of line strength
before breaking. Plus the way the knot ends or tags sit against
the leader and tippet, this knot catches less weed and muck when
stripped through weed beds and along the bottom of estuary systems
than when using other knots to join two lengths of mono like
a double blood knot whose tag ends of the knot sit at right angles
to the knot and cannot be trimmed to closely or the knot unravels
E. Tippet to Fly.
The knot you may use to attach
your chosen fly to your set-up can effect the action of your
fly. Your fly with a very tightly tied knot to the side of the
hook eye can cause your fly to spin or kick out to the side,
not bad for cricket and hopper patterns that are hardly moved,
but for saltwater patterns that have to be retrieved quickly
all it does is kink up and twist your leaders, plus they don't
catch many fish and are always screwing up your leaders after
the retrieve. Try to ensure your knot is siting in the right
place.
A too tightly tied knot for clousers
and other weighted flies, like the large bead headed Aggravator
Nymph I use for freshwater natives, designed to have a jig type
motion can minimise that action. Here a Lefty's loop or another
loop knot can help. In most cases of unweighted saltwater and
Australian native flies I use a single grinner or hangman knot
(same knot, different name). Easy to tie with good knot strength.
Sometimes when in a hurry due to a hot bite even my weighted
flies get this knot as I can tie this one quicker than a Lefty's
loop knot without too much real difference in action, but if
I had the time I would tie the Lefty's loop knot for all my weighted
flies.
I have used those Mustad fly
hook clips, can't remember the trade name. They are small spring
steel clips you tie to your tippet. To which you can slip on
and off your flies without tying another knot. I have not yet
formed an firm opinion on them (the court is still out, testing
continues). As a self confessed fly changaholic, they certainly
make changing flies a lot easier. Whether they change the action
of a fly due to their weight (as little as it is) I don't know,
but being able to change flies without tying another knot might
outweigh that fault if it exists. Remembering if a fly leader/tippet/fly
setup is going to bust somewhere, most times it is the knot joining
the fly to the tippet. If you are not checking the knot joining
the clip regularly you may end up colouring the air with some
deep blue language when you see the end of your tippet after
a long tussle with just a little twist of line left on it. Still
they may be at least worth another try
Conclusions.
Before I go on an outing I make
sure the braided loops are not worn and everything is hanging
together. Then check for grazes, chips, cuts or marks on the
leader and tippet, replacing if found. For knots while on the
water the prime three being used are the grinner, the Lefty's
loop and the double grinner knots. I can tie most of these knots
blind folded as there is nothing worse then tying a complicated
knot when the fish are biting their heads off or tailing less
then twenty metres away and you have to tie on some extra tippet
or a new fly before they disappear, let alone on the dark hours
of a night time expedition.
When I first started fishing
and to help me learn the knots my grandfather used to have knot
tying competitions with me, after we had threaded the mono through
the hook eye above the table, we would tie the knot with our
hands under the table. I use to practice and practice those knots
when ever I was sitting around in the evening or watching television
or on the train to school. I suggest that you too, practice your
knots so you can spend more time fishing when on the water instead
of slowly tying your knots. A lot of the beginners I take out
spend most of their time dicking around with their tippets and
leaders or in the worse case ask me to do it thus cutting into
my fishing time as well as their own.
Again this is just the way I
do things, I suggest you also find out the way others do it -
ask questions and read as much as you can (anything by Geoff
Wilson shouldn't lead you astray). Take the best of what you
see or read. Most important of all - keep it all really simple
and uncomplicated, there is absolutely no reason for it to be
complicated (any of your fly fishing efforts). Whatever works
for you keep, then discard or file away the rest and go catch
some fish. I hope you find the step by step knot images at the
end of this article useful, hopefully too the ramblings above.
Again any clarifications or specific questions email me or place
an item on our chat board, someone who may visit and the regulars
(like me) who live at this web site should be able to help you
out.
Long casts, tight lines and fast
fish
LIPS, Richard Carter
Knot instructions with step
by step images.
