connecting T14

[Stosiak]

New to the spey world. Need advice on how to connect T14 to head. I was given T14 from a friend and want to make up different lengths. I don't have any loops. Will a perfection loop work with no hinging at the connection.

[MikeT]

The easiest way is to put a braided mono loop on one end of each piece of T14. You also need a loop at the end of your head, either a welded factory loop or another braided mono loop. Fly shops usually have them in packages of 3 or 4. Make sure you get the right size for your lines (the head likely will need a larger size than the T14).
Mike

[Hal Eckert]

Yep thats what I do also instead of doing the custom loop and threading/gluing of the loops as we did before the braided loops came out.

[Bert Kinghorn]

The easiest way is to put a braided mono loop on one end of each piece of T14.... Mike

Or there are a number of other ways to to make smooth loops.

Smoothness matters. That perfection loop will make things pretty exciting as it races through your guides when a fish runs.

[Jergens]

this is difficult to describe but here goes, i double the t-14 back on its self about 1" and then tie two nail knots with 15lbs maxima where the t-14 over laps, creating a small loop. i then hit the two nail knots with zap-a-gap or aquaseal, or uv knot sense, and then cut off the tag end and fish.

[Hal Eckert]

this is difficult to describe but here goes, i double the t-14 back on its self about 1" and then tie two nail knots with 15lbs maxima where the t-14 over laps, creating a small loop. i then hit the two nail knots with zap-a-gap or aquaseal, or uv knot sense, and then cut off the tag end and fish.

Similar to what I do, but I would wrap the loop with some heavier tying thread then coat it with some flexament type glue, or rubberised glue. Actually most of my T-14 heads are done this way but last few years been using the braided loops, getting lazy I guess.

:p

[Ringlee]

this is difficult to describe but here goes, i double the t-14 back on its self about 1" and then tie two nail knots with 15lbs maxima where the t-14 over laps, creating a small loop. i then hit the two nail knots with zap-a-gap or aquaseal, or uv knot sense, and then cut off the tag end and fish.

iagree
Exactly What I do.

[Stosiak]

Thanks for the info I'll try the braided first and practice the other method.

[Hal Eckert]

http://www.flyfishinsalt.com/techniques/basics-and-rigging-tips/forming-end-loops-in-your-fly-lines-36224.html

Go get looped, do a search on "fly line loop" will find lots of info and pics on how to do it.

:beer2:

[mjyp]

http://www.flyfishinsalt.com/techniques/basics-and-rigging-tips/forming-end-loops-in-your-fly-lines-36224.html

Go get looped, do a search on "fly line loop" will find lots of info and pics on how to do it.

:beer2:

instead of a website or a google search, get in touch with poppy at redshed, have him send you a copy of Al Buhr's line building book.

the amount of line building and loop making knowledge that small book contains makes a google search pale.

of course for cheapskates spending money on a book may seem worthless, but you picked the wrong hobby to squeeze the dime.

[TallFlyGuy]

Have not seen anything similar to what I do, so I'll post a little step by step version of what I do.

First strip off coating. Make sure you don't put any nicks in the mono core.
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j281/justinte/step1.jpg

Next, fold over once and put a dozen or so wraps around the core and the line.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j281/justinte/step2.jpg

Now coat that with a layer of zap a gap.

wrap over the top of the wet zap a gap with a few more turns.

Foldcore back over itself.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j281/justinte/step3.jpg

and wrap over that.

Put another drop of zap a gap.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j281/justinte/step4.jpg

and wrap over that. You can go a third time folding over, but you really don't need to.

cut the core and wrap some more and finish with whip finish.

Now put another drop on all of it to smooth out the edges and make it nice and smooth while it goes through the guides.

Finshed loop

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j281/justinte/step5.jpg

You can use different colors of thread to organize length etc. I usually use flat waxed Nylon, and do most of this in my hands without a vise.

Hope that helps.

[Jergens]

tall- seems like a cool way, have you ever had them break?

[Salmo_g]

I don't use T-14, but if I did, I'd make a loop the same way I do on similarly made sink tips. I fold the end over about 1" and serve and whip finish about 1/2" with Nymo or other flat nylon fly tying thread. I coat that with Pliobond cement, about 2 coats, and it's good to go fishing.

I did make some braided nylon loops on the end of fly lines for use with looped sink tips. I decided I didn't like having so many materials involved, and I didn't like the limp loops. Now I just strip about 2" inches or so off the floating line. I open up the braided flyline core with a needle. Then I insert 30# mono in the upper 2" of core and fold it back on itself. I fray 1/2" of remaining core and serve and whip finish about 3/4" of core and slightly onto where main flyline. Also coat that with Pliobond a couple coats. The stiff loop maintains flyline stiffness throughout and seems easier to change tips than with soft limp loops of braided nylon.

Sg

[TallFlyGuy]

tall- seems like a cool way, have you ever had them break?


Not on a big fish...but I have against snags etc. It has never broken.

[Chris DeLeone]

I have another suggestion - The AirFlo 20' Custom Cut Tips with factory loops on both ends of the 20' line. I get these in 200 Grain and 330 grain, you can also get the 470 grain.

I cut my 200 grain in 8', 12', and 16' and the 330 grain in 16'. I have to get two packages of the 200 grain but the 8' and 12' don't get fished too much.

They are $30.00 and I have never had a problem with the loops - NEVER.

Try em you might dig em - I did

DeLe

[James Mello]

Second the Al Buhr book... They have the sickest description on how to do your own welded loops. A touch of heat, some heat shrink tubing and practice, and you get the same nice welded loops from the factory. It's a pretty cool technique because after you remove the heatshrink tubing you have a snag free smooth surface.

[SPEYBUM]

T-14 T-10 T-8
These three can be really fun to work with when it comes to putting loops on them.
I have inserted the bitter end of the T’s into floating line to make Skagit style heads and this dose work rather nicely.
When looping the T’s by folding over and nail knotting be really careful as to how sharp you make your loop as if you make it to sharp it will crack the core will break and loose your sink tip.
The loop size that TallFlyGuy made seems to be right.
As for welded loops on the T’s be real careful on how you apply your heat.
If the core get hot with will lose it’s grip to the coating and you will loose that big fish and get back you loop.
Most weld loops on Tungsten type lines fail about a 1-inch or so from the weld and I think that this is caused by the heat being transferred by the mental in the coating.
I have weld loops on my own sink tips and I am testing them now. I do know how long they will last and how good the will be.
But rest assured I will get them to work right.

[TallFlyGuy]

Second the Al Buhr book... They have the sickest description on how to do your own welded loops. A touch of heat, some heat shrink tubing and practice, and you get the same nice welded loops from the factory. It's a pretty cool technique because after you remove the heatshrink tubing you have a snag free smooth surface.

T-14 T-10 T-8
These three can be really fun to work with when it comes to putting loops on them.
I have inserted the bitter end of the T’s into floating line to make Skagit style heads and this dose work rather nicely.
When looping the T’s by folding over and nail knotting be really careful as to how sharp you make your loop as if you make it to sharp it will crack the core will break and loose your sink tip.
The loop size that TallFlyGuy made seems to be right.
As for welded loops on the T’s be real careful on how you apply your heat.
If the core get hot with will lose it’s grip to the coating and you will loose that big fish and get back you loop.
Most weld loops on Tungsten type lines fail about a 1-inch or so from the weld and I think that this is caused by the heat being transferred by the mental in the coating.
I have weld loops on my own sink tips and I am testing them now. I do know how long they will last and how good the will be.
But rest assured I will get them to work right.

Yes, be very carefull when applying heat to T-Sinking lines as the core is Mono(at least Rio's are, Not sure about Airflo's). It is not like regular line. I wouldn't put any heat on T-Series sinktips...but that is just me.

[SPEYBUM]

Note on welding any loop.
When you are welding material let alone plastic always know what you temperature at the material.
I us a calibrated thermometer to check my heat source each and every time I weld a loop.
Rio T –14 T-10 and T-8 both and Airflo custom cut tips have a mono core.
The core will melt below the boiling point of T the coating but not the Coalescence point. The trick is go with a low temperture and watch the material flo.
It the material droops you have damanged the core.
The whole process take time to learn but it is not rocket science.

[Rich McCauley]

Lots of good info in this thread. Just remember that if the junction point of the loop is stiffer than the line itself you will hasten the failure of the loop. All loops will eventually fail, but some methods are better than others. I prefer a flexible material over Zap A Gap which dries hard thus creating a hinge point.

I have been playing with an idea for loops on sinktips. Newer composistions are much thinner than we used to see on SA Shooting heads and orriginal Rio tips. It is easy to screw up welded loops on braided Dacron core tips let alone mono or spectra cored lines.

I too use a calibrated thermometor, but mine is a meat thermometor from the kitchen. Just make sure no one wants to roast a Turkey at the same time:)

Strip about 1 1/2' of coating off of the tip material, then do a blind splice ( AKA Epoxy splice) into a peice of Dacron cored fly line about 3 1/2" long. I use the smallest diamater running line I can pull the mono into. Tapering the first 1/4" or so of the mono helps.

Afrer that, you can do a standard welded loop without torching the mono.
This method is still in Beta testing so I have no projections as to longevity.

I have not read Al's book so I have no idea if I have put forth a previously published idea.

[fullerfly]

Usually just loop the T-14 get a Nail Knot Tool and tye two Nail Knots to make the loop with Kevlar thread. These have been proven to work on some pretty big ass rocks and some 40 lb kings too.