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Make your own 'Welded' Loops

Spey 
6K views 35 replies 24 participants last post by  spanishfly 
#1 ·
Have you tried this...?

The other day I was in a hurry to rig up a 10 ft. sinking tip to the belly of a weight forward floater. So, I grabbed a couple of braided mono terminal loops (the 'Chinese finger cuff' type) that I had laying around and slipped one on each each end of the connection. Then I applied a then coat of Goop Marine glue over the braiding (just up to the loops). I used just enough glue to make the braiding smooth once the glue dried.

So off to the river I go, and to my amazement the rig worked like a charm. No henging,
no stiff spot, no clicking thru the guides when landing fish.

The only downside I can think of, is that eventually the mono will deteriorate the connections will need to be replaced.
 
#2 ·
I would never rely on the Chinese finger cuff effect (even with a coat of Goop) over the long run. A couple of monofilament nail knots tied over the braided monofilament core where it overlaps the line gives you a joint that is extremely secure. I've had the fly line break before this type of looped connection failed. I've used this style of connecting loop for many years and have never had the monofilament loop deteriorate the the point that it needed replacement
 
#4 ·
I've had very good luck with my home made braided loops. I just followed the directions on Dan Blantons board. To improve the finger trap grip I make the braided section 8" long. A little tougher to stuff the fly line that far but really secures the grip. 2 nail knots on the end away from the loop covered with Pliobond or UV Knotsense (just the knots none on the braid) complete the deal. I've been looping this way for years and have never had a failure.
 
#6 ·
Agree with above, but I also lightly and carefully saturate (just saturate this spot, as coating it adds too much Knot Sense) the small area where the end forming the loop is braided back into the main section of braid, being careful not to glue the loop to the end of the flyline. I have had the loops fail by coming unbraided at this point before. The end of the braided mono loop just pulled right out! A little bit of Knot Sense locks up this braid so it won't fail.
Don't get any on the loop itself, either, or it will make it stiff to where it doesn't slim down as much when pulled tight against another loop, and then hangs up on the guides.
 
#8 ·
I used to use whipped end loops coated with aquaseal or similar (goop, softex) as described by Lefty Kreh but I have had several fail. I seen a couple of references including Trey Combs Blue Water Fly Fishing that describe using braided loops and coating with flexible urithane glue. I have done this on about 4 of my shooting heads and have been very happy so far. I thread the end of the line into the braided loop all the way, pull it tight and then put a small drop of super glue at the junction of the fly line and end of the braided loop. I then whip the end of the braided loopwhile keeping tension on it and then coat with thinned softex a couple of times. The braided loop junction has even flex and due to the coating it feels and behaves like the fly line. I have found that you must be careful about not using too much super glue at the junction and to keep tension on the loop to maitain the chinese figer trap effect. Also I found that it made my 6 wt high floater line sink a bit probably due to the density of the urithane glue. I stopped by All about the Fly a couple of weeks ago and got to see some folks demonstrate the shink wrap heat gun method of welding loops. This seems like the best way to go to maintain the strength and physical characteristics of the line. I am going to try this method out next. I am curious if one can weld sink tips like T14s with the heat gun method?

Thomas
 
#9 ·
The Welding Revolution Has Started
I have been welding loop for while and it a very easy process for you to do.
The rules are simple watch the heat.
If you like here is link to some of my notes on the subject.
If you have any questions just post them.
 
#11 ·
Very informative Aaron, have you had any of these break while fighting a fish? Or tested in bluewater? Im sure you're probably not fishing in the salt much with a double hander.

How strong is the fly line material against the other? My concern would be it cracking, stressing or breaking without a mono core of sorts as backup. The loops look great and similar to AirFlo lines.
 
#13 ·
since I started welding loops, I will NEVER go back to braided connectors or other improvised methods.
A properly welded loop tests about as strong as the fly line itself. If you get cracks or anything like that, weld a new loop. I've already repaired two Powerspeys this way.
At 90$ a crack for first quality lines, that's a biggie.

Bluewater, towing barges, etc. I wouldn't know about. But works fine for steelhead/salmon
 
#16 ·
yeh, I use a heat gun at low setting with a concentrator nozzle like Flyborg said.
welding kits including tubing etc are available at a number of flyshops now, many include instructions. If there's no strings containing links on this forum, there's a forum having to do with Spey (which shall remain nameless) where there are loopwelding strings roaring almost constantly and have links to suppliers. Or PM me.

It is fun too... me and a buddy got together recently when our home waters were blown out and spent an afternoon welding loops and making customized scando heads, and repairing some of our lines. then went down for some trycasting and went back to finetune some more. Many loops are hard to distinguish from a factory loop, that's how good you can get them.
 
#18 ·
Thanks Guys

Open Core Loops

I used open core loops and fold over loops for years.
Found one problem is they would wick up water.
Once the core is wet it dose not stretch as well as dry one.
The water doses not seem to compress and it will cause the core to separate from the coating.
This will form cracks and once the coating is cracked you get a hinge.
Mono loops are good if you can seal the bitter end of the line to stop them from wicking up water also.
So I went with the welded loop.
:thumb:
 
#21 ·
Radioshack has tons of shrink tube in clear/black/red/yellow.

It is also very very cheap.
 
#24 ·
A few notes about braided mono loops. I have used such loops for many, many years without a failure. They have worked well for steelhead fishing and for such saltwater species as dorado and sailfish. I've often heard it suggested that the mono braid overlap the line by as much as nine inches but have consistently overlapped mine by as little as three inches (again with two monofilament nail knots) and, as I said above, have never experienced a failure. I have never used any glue, Goop, Aquaseal, etc. and have some connections that have been used for twenty to twenty-five years without any apparent problems.
 
#25 ·
I followed the steps at this site http://www.nwsalmonflyguild.org/inst/Welding a Loop.pdf and over the course of a weekend I wound up chopping up an 8/9 delta spey, 9/10 windcutter, a SA XLT, an Ariflo NW Skagit head, and repaired the broken loop on my CND Skagit head. All of the loops held as advertised and it would give the impression that I actually know what I'm doing.

The only one of the lines that didn't fit what I was looking for was the XLT but that's more because the line is currently beyond my casting skill than the fact that I cut it at the back and welded the loop.

It's kinda cool being able to quickly change from a Skandi head to a delta spey in about 5 minutes using the same running line. :beer2:
 
#28 ·
If you loop is pulling apart look at your Shrink tube sizing.
You will want the shrirk tube to have a interference fit over the loop.
It should fit snugly without wrinkling the shirk tube.

The shrink tube is a holding fixture much like a vise it will force the plasma from the Parent material to flow together.
If the shrink tube is to large you will not get a good bond and if to tight the heat transfer will cause core separation. The lord only knows how long it took for me to figure it out.
Now I am welding lines together instead of using needle splices.
Takes time.


:confused:
 
#29 ·
I been using Aquaseal spliced core loops the last couple of years as my prefered loop for my fly lines. Only drawback is the loop can't be made with mono core or intermediate fly lines, you need a braided core, on these lines I still use Gudebrod Braided Mono outer spliced loops. Some of the reasons I like the Aquaseal spliced core loops better than the welded or outer spliced braid loops are: Slides through the guides the best with out any hanging and is the most flexible, welded loops are a bit stiff at the welded area. You are pulling core to core, which protects the outer finish and less likely to crack, which the welded and outer spliced braid loops tend to do over time at their base. I think they will last the longest and are the strongest. You are using the chinese finger trap principle, but on the inside of the fly line. I use Aquaseal as my core glue and as my loop stiffener, some use Zap-A-Gap but I find it is too stiff. Aquaseal when dry has about the same flexibility as a fly line and is very durable. Jack Cook has the best step by step tutorial I have seen. I wish factory loops were made this way with a very light finish on the loop. They would be less stiff at the base of the loop and the loop it self would colapse a little easier to slide through the guides better. When I loop one of my loops to a factory loop, the factory loop hangs up a lot more in the guides than my loops do. Well I'am done rambling, just a few things I've discovered about fly line loops the last couple of years.
 
#30 ·
Gary Anderson, Anderson Custom Rods, in southern Oregon has offered to teach us how to make welded loops. We are heading up there soon to get a hands on demo from him and Steve Godshall.

We have been making our own custom braided mono loops for some time but the welded loops seem much cleaned and Gary says they are much faster after you get on to it.

For Blue Water we might still use braided loops though.......
 
#31 ·
Sorry to post late on this string, I've been out of town...

Ian posted a great set of Welded Loop Instructions from Jack Cook. (link HERE).

At AATF we've been welding loops like crazy, - if you're in the area, stop by for a demo to see how easy it is, or if you have any questions. We'd be happy to help anyone get started.

In the shop we've got kits that include the heat gun, or just the tubing if that's what you need. Its all available through our online store, Irish Angler too.
 
#32 ·
I would definitely take Kristin up on the help with getting started welding loops, Ron helped me with the first one and then I followed the instructions on Jack's website for a reminder on what I was taught. After that no line was safe from me :D well my GPS lines are safe but that's cuz' they spensive and they work fine just the way they are.
 
#33 ·
Dan Blanton's braided loops rock! I've used them for more than twenty years on all kinds of game fish up to blue marlin. They do not break, break your line or fray easily. And believe me, dorado, sailfish, black skipjacks, or marlin pull one helluva lot harder than anything in this hemisphere -- except maybe a foul-hooked sea lion.
Cheers,
Les Johnson
 
#34 ·
And believe me, dorado, sailfish, black skipjacks, or marlin pull one helluva lot harder than anything in this hemisphere -- except maybe a foul-hooked sea lion.
Cheers,
Les Johnson
Or maybe an anal hooked chum spawner?

I saw a lot of guys hammering those the last few days on the Nooksack!

The action was non-stop for them!
 
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