Ok. This is where I am at. Not a do all I realize. I purchased a TFO 12'6" professional rod. I loaded with sufficient backing, Airflo Skagit short(or whatever the nomanculture is). I tied up RIO Braided Loops in 7'6", 10', and 12'6" shooting heads. My question, on those shooting heads what connection should I use to the leader. I see that line to leader using nail knots, loop to loop. line to leader albright, are all popular. I am seeking your opinion. Once again, thank you in advance.
When building tips for a skagit system, I like to nail knot 18" to 2' of 30# maxima then put a triple surgeons or perfection loop in the end of that to attach tippet material (loop to loop), usually 12-15# is good winter sink tip work as short as 24" to as long as 48".
That's what I do. James, when you hang up does your knot break at the fly or at the surgeons? I'm starting to think that the surgeons is my weak link. I usually just do a double.
My system is to whip finish a loop in the end of the sink tip. Leader to sink tip with a double surgeons loop or bimini loop. Leader to tippet with a blood Knot.
Always at the fly. I used to have that problem with perfection loops all the time, but now my loop to loop connections are made out of Triple Surgeons, except for mono or flouro in the higher test lines...say 20# and greater. Be sure to set your surgeon loop correctly, if it has slack in one of the wraps it will break. Just be sure to pull everything tight at the same time, line and tag end and loop end. Or a double Surgeon if you prefer.
Someone always responds with that comment: 'I've never had one fail'. It doesn't make it "interesting" or "not so", it's just a flat weaker knot then a triple surgeons.
Where are the knot nerds at, that can give us the failure rates anyway?
Like you I only use them in the larger diameters of mono where a loss of 25% to 30% of knot strenght is no biggy. (If course I'm guessing here on the percentages.)
The perfection loop is 90% of 30# is 27# strength. The advantage is that the perfection loop is neat and compact and always in line with the leader. The Triple Surgeon's loop is 95% but it is bulky and not in line with the leader.
I thought the Perfection loop knot is only about 50% strength and why its use is limited to leader butt sections. I'm still trying to figure out a strong loop knot for my tippets for a loop-to-loop joint.
Nailknot about 3 inches 35# mono to end of sinktip with perfection loop on end of mono. Improved cinch knot with two wraps around perfection loop for tippet connection, use about 3 feet tippet, 8 to 12 pound fluorocarbon. Lefty's mono loop to fly.
I'm not a fan of nail knots for leader connections to tips. I've had too many of them pull offf. Maybe the could have been tied better but I would recommend an albright with 30# Maxima with a loop on the end to connect to the leader. I've had good luck with perfection loops.
Thanks Guys. Here is what I have done. I googled knot strengths and found that some sites said both the perfection and the surgeons loops were near 100%. On North American Fisherman and their knot wars they listed the perfection at 90% and the surgeons at 95%. I have now nail knoted a 24" section of 30lb. maxima to the shooting head with a perfection loop on the leader end. I stepped down in 5lb increments to 15lb, tied a clouser with the hook trimed, and spent my lunch time grass casting the whole outfit. My analysis, I've got a lot of work to do. Some casts were beautiful and I felt good. Others, well, they were plain ugly. I will play around with a few different setups and let you know how it goes. Thanks for all the help. By the way, I will be on the Washougal at 6:30 tomorrow morning for my first "live" test..
I like Albright knot for leader to sink tip. Gives me a sense of confidence over a simple nail knot
Joe
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