Backing to fly line question?

[shimloom]

I wanted to know what is the best product to use after you connect the backing to the fly line. I would use a rubber cement type of stuff to make a football so the line/backing went thru the guides smoothly. I would guess there's a better way by now?

 

[axle27]

I use Pliobond. Flexible when dry but stinks a bit when using.

 

[mysticm]

I use Zap a Gap OR Loctite super glue. Just massage the adhesive bead into a smooth oval shape and let it dry. Has worked like a charm for the last 5 years I have been doing this (no hang ups in the guides or breakage)

 

[sweetandsalt]

+1 for Zap-A-Gap. Assuming your are using a nail or Albright knot that is well tied (depending on the fly line core material), coat it with a droplet of the gap filling super adhesive and whick off any excess. Allow thorough curing time, about a 1/2 hour and you are unbreakable. You might also have a gander at the earlier "Welded" Loops thread in this fly line forum.

 

[Red Owl]

Another vote for PlioBond.

 

[BigCliff]

I've read that Pliobond is just rebranded rubber cement.

I use Loon's UV Knot Sense, applied sparingly so it smooths rather than creates a bead.

 

[sweetandsalt]

Pliobond/rubber cement may smooth a knot and prevent slippage of not fully seated coils but adds no strength to a connection. I am not certain about UV curing adhesives which seem strength addative but I do know that gap filling, slow curing super glue like Zap-A-Gap is truley strong. We never want to INCREASE mass at knots by creating a "bead", rather we want to seal knots to prevent slippage or stripping coating off line core. Overlapping a bit onto the line coating may enhace adhession and onto the line tip/tail ,sealing the core from water wicking. Of course, a properly tied, multi turn (12 - 15) nail or Albright knot has good profile and can stand on its own...but a light treatment of strong sealent can't hurt.

 

[shimloom]

Thanks guys for the advice. I will do some checking into the above products mentioned.

 

[risenfly]

First order of business is tying a good knot. No amount of glue or adhesive will fix a bad knot.


Learned that on my first king salmon last fall.....

 

[silver creek]

I use Pliobond to smooth the connection of backing to fly line. Why smooth the connection?

The reason is that the backing knot will be pulled over the guides by the running fish. So it has the potential to damage the guides as it is pulled over the guides under tension. Should the knot catch on the guide, you can bend or rip the guide off of the blank.

As to using a material that strengthens the knot, this has little relevance in my view. The knot itself should hold. After all, it is the weakest link that will fail and if the backing knot fails before the tippet to fly knot ...... the fellow who tied the backing knot has really got problems that super glue won't solve.

 

[grassonfly]

Form a loop in the fly line using tying thread. loop to loop the fly line to backing. cover the loop to loop in more thread and cover that thread in 3ms marine glue. i guarantee 80lb shock tippet will break first.

 

[FISHN50]

I like a small drop of Zap A Gap on the knot coils. After it's dry a small bead of knot sense on the end of the line where the backing lays against the fly line to round the end. I have used a needle nail knot where the backing comes out of the center of the line & just used the Knot Sense to smooth it out but the needle knot kit somehow disappeared in the bowels of my basement.