Cleaned my floating line this weekend and reloaded it onto a casette and went off fishing against my better judgement in the scorching heat on saturday.

After blanking all day something huge took a tiny shipmans I was fishing on the drop. The rise was the size of a car bonnet and moved an insane amount of water. The fish bolted towards the bank leaving me in a mess of line , I assumed I would end up tangled up and when the fish realised what was going on and ran the tangled mess would stick in a rod loop and snap me off.

To my amazement when the fish ran the line shot through the loops smoothly. There was no stopping it, all my fly line zipped out through the loops and carried on shooting out, unconnected to my backing save for a small knot at the end of it which I had intented to fix to my backing and never got round to. The knot jammed in the 2nd to end eye of my rod and promptly pulled the rod apart and off the top section shot, leaving me stood with a reel of backing and half a rod in my hand.

As of yesterday my line was found with fly still attached (so at least the fish got away) but i am missing a section of my rod..

Gutted.

What a way to learn that lesson! Sorry to hear about your lost fish (and tip section!), but at least it threw the hook eventually. I find a nail knot from flyline to backing has the smoothest transfer through the rings. Never managed to do one very neatly until I discovered the 'Tie Fast' tool, now it's a cinch every time.

I use loop to loop generally, my fly line and leader were both looped, shame I never connected them, durr. I will be looking at a method involving a smaller knot though now!

I know probably not the best method but I only started using braided loops to connect my cast to my flyline last season. I used to use a method involving a knot in the end of my fly line and a loop on my cast. It was a method I used for 10 years fishing for seatrout in wales and it has never let me down. I still use this method for fishing sinking lines and lures but graduated to a proper braided loop on my floating lines (only because the loops came free with the new line), s'okay you can laugh at me now, but if it aint broken dont fix it is kinda where my leader and knot tying thoughts lie.

Hello where were you fishing??? what a **** for you. i did have a similar experience but not think as big as that monster, early years of fishing farmoor 2 using a sinking line and think fry pattern just stopped dead and went off leaving me to hold the line until it just snapped. was 8llb leader. try again soon

One word:
Turnover.

Braided loops on your tip of all your fly lines will make it much easier to achieve good fly presentation.
I used to use the 'granny knot' method too, still do if I've not got any braided loops handy, but I find them a very useful item it has to be said!

Not attaching the two lines was a bit of a whopper though
Still, you live 'an learn! Bet you dont forget to attach them next time!

Sorry to hear of your loss. What a drag.

Great read even if it ended badly.

fae

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"The problems we face today are there because the people who work for a
living are now outnumbered by those who vote for a living." -- Anonymous

Unlike the fish, then.


(Sorry. Couldn't resist it.)

I think I would have shed a tear... and given everybody the silent treatment.

That must of hurt

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PawPrinT
"I'd rather be fishing"

hahaha