Does anybody use those inserts to connect a leader?

[Flying Roast Beef]

I've seen them but never tried them. They are little barbed spikes with a loop on the end that inserts into the end of a fly line. Do they hold well enough to fish for salmon with them? If not what knots do you use to connect a leader? Thanks, FRB.

[Mad Mikey]

I think you'd be asking for trouble using them for anything much larger than panfish or planter trout IMO. Nail Knot has been my go-to, used to put a dallop of Krazy Glue on it but found that wasn't necessary if the knot was tied well. I've seen many ways to do it though. Try a search on "needle knot", it looks like a real pain in the arse to do but a neat concept.

Some guys swear by an Albright or the heat shrink loop connector. I think the best knot is the one that holds up and is low profile enough to pass through the guides without hanging up. Since your Salmon leaders are typically very short(for sink tipping anyways) that knot shouldn't be going through the tip anyways. If you are using a system where the knot may pass through the guides you can get some aquaseal and create a "tapered" buffer around your connection, thus enabling the knot to breeze right through the guides.

[fishkisser]

I've been using a nail knot for years but recently changed over to a uni knot hasnt seemed to make any difference but I run a pretty lite drag and palm the heck outa em:meme: :meme: :smile:

[AndyK]

I think you'd be asking for trouble using them for anything much larger than panfish or planter trout IMO.

:yeahthat:

I use braided loops made by Airflo and have caught Chinook up to 40 pounds with them.

[Mad Mikey]

I've been using a nail knot for years but recently changed over to a uni knot

Hmmm, the Uni-knot I'm familiar with is used(with a tool) to tie tippet to the eye of the hook. Great knot, I use it with gear and fly applications.

How do you incorporate the Uni-knot to attatch Butt to flyline?

I have seen some people strip the flyline coating a few inches and do a double nail knot with the butt/core, that's a very strong connection but it's tough to do without leaving a "gap" that will need to be filled in and smoothed out with something.

I'd like to see how you do this, I'm still not too old to learn new tricks.... :)

[Grantspastor]

Nalil Knot! I've never had one fail in 40 years of fly fishing and catchin bigger fish like Salmon and Steelhead

[LaterPeter]

learn the nail/tube knot. You'll be more secure & you'll appreciate your ability later.

[Chromaflage]

I'm an albright guy. I like the little loop at the end of my fly line for quickly changing leaders if I have to. Besides that, they look cool. ;)

CrF

[NCL]

Hmmm, the Uni-knot I'm familiar with is used(with a tool) to tie tippet to the eye of the hook. Great knot, I use it with gear and fly applications.

... :)

Mad Mikey,

I am curious about this statement, maybe I am thinking of the wrong knot but I thought the Uni-Knot was used for leader to tippet. I know you mentioned using a tool and I am curious how this works. I also agree I have never heard of the Uni knot being used to attach leader butt to fly line. Thanks

[FishonDon]

Try a speed nail knot as demonstrated by Gary Borger. Go to this link and see his short video. It's worth it.
http://www.flyfisherman.com/skills/jb4knots/
P.S. I have also caught fish in the high 40# range with nail knots. I used one of those attachments you are talking about for trout, but didn't like it.

[NCL]

Don,

That is a great Knot video sight, I just added it to my favorites. I have heard that verison of the Nail Knot refered to as the $100.00 Nail Knot, the story I was told was a guy walked into a bar in Montana where fly fishermen hung out and announced he could tie a Nail Knot in under a minute. Well of course that led to a bet of $100 and you can guess the rest.

[Mad Mikey]

NCL, I did some digging around and it looks to me like you COULD use a Uni knot for butt to flyline but it sure looks like a hassle.

Here is Cabela's Uni-knot diagram.

http://www.cabelas.com/information/cabelas-field-guides/Knot-Library-Fishing-Knots/Uni-Knot.html

This IS the knot I thought we were talking about, I learned to tie it with a Tie-fast tool.

So, if I were to use it to connect butt to flyline you'd have to tie the knot in both sections and either do a direct connection or use it like a loop to loop and cinch it down.

The only two knots I'm familiar with for tippets to leader are the nail and surgeon's.

:)

[fishkisser]

I tie the leader onto the fly line with a tie- fast tool this is how I do it
a) place butt of leader into tool through the forks give yourself about 6 inches to work with
b) make 3-4 wraps around the tool away from forks
c) re-insert leader end through the wraps toward the forks and pull gently to snug
d) insert fly line into knot you have formed on the tool
e) grasp the end of the leader and with a snapping motion pull it off the tool onto the flyline
Then grasp both long and short ends of the leader and pull in opposite directions . Finish by grasping long end of leader and fly line and pull in opposite directions . Trim the ends and your done , you could insert the leader through the flyline like in that video but this knot has never failed for me unless the flyline was on its way out:meme: :meme: :wave:

[NCL]

Mikey,

Thanks. I had the Uni Knot and the Blood Knot mixed up. I seem to remember reading somewhere that the Blood Knot and the Uni Knot were the same but that doesn't appear to be the case.

[Duane Doran]

As for your origianl question, when I first saw one of the plastic conenctors in a fly shop they had one on the counter for people to look at. I belive it was a 6lb leader. I picked it up, grabbed both ends, and gave it a firm tug in opposite directions and the conenctor broke instantly. That's all I needed to see and I won't have to worry about a place for them in my fly box.

I always use a double nail-knot to attach leader and tippet material.

[Fly Fanatic]

I agree with fish kisser! I bought a nail knot tool 2 years ago and wished I'd had it since I started flyfishing. Now I can tie great nail knots in the middle of the river in less than 30 secs. :D