custom heads.

[wfocharlie]

alot of cool styles here... but a whole lot of over thinking and over building.. the loop to loop connection is superior to the nail knot simply becouse it is not a knot, its a bight, bights actual improve with added pressure, not fail, the loop to loop bight has 4 pressure points, two on each side of each line, creating a lock, as the lines are pulled they bite down harder, almost never slipping. mono to fly line bights will hold even if you just tie a loop in the mono, fold the float line into a loop pass through and pull, nothing else would even be required if the loop was pulled hard enough intitialy.. so all the worry and stress of the welded loop is un needed as long as there is very minimal tension, a simple wrap and shrink tube will hold just fine, and hold even better the more tension put on it, the only time I would worry would be if the butt section was fluoro instead of mono, coated lines are slippery.. shooting heads would connect to eachother fine simply by the nature of the line. but still alot of creativity here on loops-

Those are good points I didn't think of. A loop to loop connection is basically a square knot so I can see how the spliced portion would not need to be as strong as you would need if you were putting one loop over a pin and pulling on it or something similar.

[fisherman]

Everyone has their own way of making a loop and hats off to that. I personally hate the look of the braided slip on loops you buy but reality is they work great and are really easy to slap on. I would go with that, a couple nail knots and your off.

As for welding I would make one point. If you want to get into welding line you need to stick with Airflo fly lines and nothing else. Airflo has a patent on the plastic make up of their fly lines. No other fly line company can use the same construction. The Airflo lines can be welded sooooooooooo easy it is stupid. A gas lighter and some shrink tube and your off. Idealy a heat gun with a digital temp regulator is best keeping it at 400 but even the lighter will work. It can be done on other lines but it will not be easy and you will often get that burnt coloration look to it. With Airflo it welds so smooth it looks as good or better then a factory loop with little trouble.

As for the thick skagit heads do not try and loop them, you need to use 30lb running line folded over and then welded to the skagit head. This gives you a much smoother, smaller weld and then a loop out of much thinner line. This makes a perfect loop and your off to the races.

Really, I now only use Airflo lines for everything because even on my trout lines that I never need to loop it is nice to know that if I do break the factory loop I can literally make a new loop stream side with a lighter and shrink tube(If I bring it).

[Ed Fast]

Wow!

who knew we had that many fly guys on here.

Great info and now I have so much of it that I'm confused!!

We all need to do more spey fishing this year.

Ed

[Arctic]

stick with Airflo fly lines and nothing else

YES!!!
This is a great point. I dont fish AirFlo lines much, although I prolly should try the new stuff out... and I dont ever make welded connections. But, if you do, or if you think that your loops will ever fail streamside... This is the best line to use. Deadly simple for sure!


EF...Did you send all that crap in yet?! Thats a schweet stick beggin to get the tug. I have a couple Skagit heads, and shooting line you can have if you ever get that thing ready to roll.

[Ed Fast]

Now,

how is that for a sour offer!!?

Ed

[spactrukn]

That is an Acerbic offer...