Cortland Line-Leader Loop Connector

[BlueBird]

Has anyone tried this? The package comes with 4 braided loops.

Guess what? I have wasted 3 out of 4.

Good thing the last piece I was able to do it right. No specific instructions on how to heat the "heat shrink plastic" piece, I use a regular lighter to heat it.
- 1st: melted the brained loop;
- 2nd: melted the fly line;
- 3rd: almost perfect and not satisfied and try to shrink the plastic but ended up melting the braided loop again.
- 4th: last piece: got it right but a bit tad loose on the on both end.

I can't get this shrink properly. I should have just save my money and tie my own loop. LOL

[MoscaPescador]

Don't bother using heat shrink tubes. Tie a nail knot on the very end using 15 pound test line. That will create a better anchor.

[stanbiker]

I'd skip the connector and just nail knot some mono with a loop. The braided connectors seem to fail when it's most important.

[Jackster]

If you have to use the heat shrink, try using a regular light bulb to shrink it. It's not as hot or unpredictable as an open flame.

[dillon]

I use those loops for making T11 or T14 sink tips. I use them for making a loop to loop connection with a skagit shooting head for steelhead fishing. I slip the tip a couple inches into the braid and glue it with zap a gap. I nail knot a 1 ft. 40lb maxima mono but section on the other end and tie a loop on the other end of the mono. I loop on a 2 ft. 12lb leader. That's a standard set up for swinging flies in the PNW.

[BlueBird]

omg. I only slip in about half (1/2) inch of fly line into the braided loop and heat shrink the plastic tube. This may mean disaster when I fish with this.

There's no more shrink tube left and I guess I will just cut it and tie nail knot with a 15 lbs mono in between the fly line and the Cortland braided loop.

[BlueBird]

This is how I intalled the braidd loop.




Then i did a little tug on both ends and off it goes. I just tied nail knot with mono in between.

[chased]

I've tried different heat shrink loops and most have failed. I double over an inch of fly line and use 3 nail knots one after the other to create a loop. Sometimes I also use tying thread to whip finish a loop onto the line. Neither of these methods of loop making have failed me.

[Jackster]

Bluebird, did you snake the fly line all the way into the connector to where the loop stops it? It is hard to tell by the pictures. You need as much fly line surface area in the braid as possible.
Also, is the section of fly line super slim? This is a rough guess but by the picture it almost looks as skinny as the running line on some fly lines. Does the tip section taper up a little way past the tip?

[BlueBird]

Hi Jack, no. I just realized that I didnt snake all the way to the loop. only maybe about 1/2 inch into the braided. (mistake #1)
Then I heated using the lighter and so afraid to melt the fly line and/or the braided loop. So you will see the shrink jacket tube is loose. (mistake #2).
It seems that the fly line is about the right thickness. I had a hard time snaking it for that half inch. lol

I am total noob when it comes to this.. lol