How much difference does a wind knot make to the strength of leader nylon?
eg a figure of eight knot in 4lb nylon.

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You can only fish for so long before you have to throw a stick of dynamite in the river.

At least a 50% reduction in strength.

Jim

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The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

Figure of eight? I'm impressed, I can only manage half-hitches!

SharkeyP

I would say it weakens it by a considerable amount and i would always change it, lets face it you would not like a fish of a lifetime to get away because you had a wind knot, would you???

Not only does a wind knot reduce the strength of the leader when present, it also seems to me that even when you have unpicked the knot, the length of leader material that was wind-knotted may still be permanently weakened. Particularly with high tech materials as opposed to standard mono, and in any material if the knot was tight not loose before you found it. Anyone else experienced this ? So Horses50's "change it..." is good advice.

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"In wine there is wisdom. In beer there is strength. In water there is bacteria." - German proverb
JH based near Southampton

Wind knots are a pain in the ****. Reduces leader strength hugely.

Surely they should be called casting knots ... that's what causes them isn't it?

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Cheers,
Lawrence

i can back that up. plus a kinky leader makes me cringe!!!

I call them ''bad'' casting knots

Jim

__________________
The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

Jim,

I agree ... I seem to get less wind knots as my casting improves ... I still get them but less often these days. After losing a nice grayling to one (too lazy to change the tippet), I check my leader much more regularly now.

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Cheers,
Lawrence

i think its a much bigger problem with lighter lines.

i use 8lb leaders for small stillwaters.... but go down to 3lb ones on rivers, and i dare say that a 2lb river brownie puts more stress on a leader than a humungus stocked stillwater fish. if i get small wind knots when im on a stillwater i tend to leave it, ive not had a break off yet.

but on a river i think its well worth the change, especially for those big wild fish you may be lucky enough to hook.