I've got a very thin and supple 2 weight DT line which I'm having a right job trying my leader to.
I spent ages trying to do a nail knot last night so has anyone got any tips or other methods?
The problem I was having is that even with the thicker part of a 4lb tapered leader cut back a fair way it just bunches the fly line up like a snake when I try to tighten it.
The line seems too thin for a needle knot and I'd have the same problem with whipping it round.
I use braided loops on most of my other lines so unless there are some really fine ones available I guess I just need some practice!
I've thought about just whipping the leader on with thread but how do you make it secure?

__________________
Chris

www.stealth247.com

Use a thin needle to make the hole in the end of the flyline, coming out the side about 4 or 5 mm up the line. Push the needle through up to its "waist". Heat the needle with a flame just in front of the needle's eye, taking care not to let the flame directly heat the line. As soon as the needle starts to move as the line writhes a little, remove the flame.

Take a pair of pliers and pull out the needle. This should leave a glazed tunnel for the monofilament to pass through. Select a yard or so of monofilament that is almost as thick as the fly line tip. Using scissors cut a slice off the end of the monofilament to make a point, similar in shape to that of a hyperdermic needle. Push that up through the hole in the end of the fly line and out of the side. Now you can can tie your needle knot and then fasten your leader to the monofilament butt that you have created.

Details of the needle knot are here.

richard

__________________
Who resides on the right bank of the Derbyshire Wye and is lulled to sleep each night by the mutterings of a weir, dreaming that "When the rivers and their inhabitants come first, we ALL win..."

stealth look here mate fine minicon loops superb braided loops and they are only about 1.5 inches long

__________________
WHEN YOU LEAVE THE RIVER, TAKE NOTHING, AND LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINT'S!!!

THA CAN TELL A YORKSHIREMAN ,BUT THA CAN'T TELL HIM MUCH !!

when i go down to very thin fly lines even smaller then a two i use the splicing tool from C&F. Thats a needle with a small hole in it just after the tip. I have used it down to 0 weight lines, its a pain though, and in all fairness because the butt of the leader is more rigid i find it will crack the fly line just behind the nail knot very fast. I usually end up melting a very small loop on the ultra light lines using the small Korda shrink tube..

Jerry

__________________
When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car.

I recently over came this problem by stripping about twenty mm of the coating from my two weight ,I then formed a tiny loop with the braided core then thread a needle from a bobbin holder and made a few stitches to secure the loop I then applied a little zap a gap and created a neat whip finnish by spinning the bobbin about the juncture. It may sound convoluted but it is quite easy ,I recently purchased some of MR T's exceedingly good furrled leaders and the shoarb loop connects beautifully by loop to loop to fly line core loop, I would not however use this method on a heavier set up.
RGD PJ

__________________
When you can see without being seen,strike without knowing why,and guess correctly where the best fish lie,they have taught you all they can.
(T.C. KINGSMILL MOORE)

Wouldn't a Gray's Loop work, using straight monofil, and not bothering to to tie it through the middle of the fly line, just along it (ie the simplified version at the bottom of the page in the link below). I use that method quite a lot now, in preference to braided loops. Also dead easy to tie at bankside if you need to do a running repair.
Gray's Loop - Fly Line Leader Loop

__________________

Try this...... Take a fine needle and make a hole through the centre of the flyline and out the side. Take some suitable mono, slightly less dia than the needle and thread through and out the side. With some very fine wet and dry paper rough up a short section of the mono, use the paper dry. Now apply a small amount of quality superglue to the roughened section of mono, locktight not poundland! Slowly pull the mono through the fly line untill everything tightens up. Leave to set for a while, pull to test and trim the mono flush to the flyline.

I have used this method for a few years now for river and Resevoir fishing without any problems. When you have a fish on the conection comes through the rings without any fuss at all

Try it out but make sure you use quality superglue for plastics and rubber, make sure the mono is clean and roughened and test the connection well.
Its the neatest connection you can have.

Would like some feedback on this good or bad, as dont know of anyone else using this method.

Steve

Been using it for years for all my river and floating line reservoir fishing without any problems. No knot, neat attachment. Your needle has to go in the line over more than 1 cm though. I simply thread the tapered leader through (starting with the point) and finish off by melting a mini, flattened stop at the thick end before gluing and pulling it in. As Steve says : use waterproof super glue or Zap-a-gap (I use Bison Industrial) and you make a sound connection. If you're not sure you can still do a thread wrap over the junction, but i never felt the need. My tapered leaders end in 20/°° and from there on I add the tips I need using loop to loop or tippet ring connection. Provided you don't cast any wind knots such a leader will last you a whole season.

Regards,
Johan

__________________
Johan Janssens

admitly i'm a begginer, but the way i learnt off my grandfather years ago, who was an experianced fisherman, was just to tie a knot in the end of the fly line, and then put a loop in the end of your leader, pull the leader through its own loop and tighten it against the knot. admittedly not the prettiest but is simple and seems to work fine.

is there a reason not to do this?

It gets caught in the rod rings when fighting a fish if the leader is longer than the rod and the angler's extended arm.

richard

__________________
Who resides on the right bank of the Derbyshire Wye and is lulled to sleep each night by the mutterings of a weir, dreaming that "When the rivers and their inhabitants come first, we ALL win..."