Leader building

[cowpokey]

I got out to the "river" just north of the base today, took the 2wt, and tied on the soft body foam popper I built. Almost didn't make it to the water (about 100 yard hike), grass is pretty high, so I was using my rod tube to move foliage so I wouldn't step into a deep hole or knee deep puddle (been raining everyday for a week)...just when I thought I could tromp through and not worry about it, I spread the weeds apart to find a whole mess of wasps. I don't know what they were doing, must have had a nest down there or something. Not sure how many, didn't really spend any extra time looking at them, but there were more in one spot than I've ever seen before. They didn't get riled up at all, so I let them be and moved around them with a wide berth. Brought back memories of the last encounter I had with yellow jackets in Maryland when I was fly fishing one beautiful October afternoon...then got stung and ended up taking an ambulance ride. First time I ever had more than swelling at the site of a sting and ended up having a case of anaphylactic shock. FYI, Epinephrine is synthetic adrenalin that they use to fight the symptoms so you don't die from not being able to breath...laying on a hospital bed having trouble breathing, worrying about suffocating, and getting a dose adrenalin shot straight into the blood system can also induce a serious case of anxiety!


Anyhow...I'm fishing within a casting range (40~50 feet) of what looks like a little island of cattails. A few fish splashing every once in a while, some of the splashing actually sounds like it is coming from inside the cattails. Since I had a good ten foot high embankment behind me covered in grass and weeds, my back cast was seriously hampered, but managed to get near those reeds a couple times. Only got may back cast snagged on the weeds one time, but it was enough to put some kinks in my leader, so that took extra time to get straightened out. What do you use to get kinks out of leaders? I usually just draw them through my fingers to build up enough heat and tension to straighten them, but it wasn't working real well since the leader was wet and it was crazy humid from all the rain.

Just as I start getting back to fishing it starts sprinkling...no big deal, I'm not gonna melt. Raindrops start getting a little bigger, then it happens. Boom! Crack! Rumble! Thunder directly overhead. Get the lightning rod (graphite 2wt) pulled apart and put back in the tube and head back to the Jeep...luckily the grass and weeds are still laying down from where I tromped in, so I had a clear path around the wasps (or hornets?) and back up the hill. No more than get in the Jeep and the sky opens up. Can't we have a day without rain? Apparently not. I only got to fish for an hour or so, and didn't catch anything...again. Still haven't landed a fish on the new rod.

So I drive back to the base and proceed to the Class Six (convenience/liquor store), pick up a case of beer and head back to the house. Had one of the leaders on that my buddy back in West-by-God-Virginia tied up and sent me. Before I goof it up and loose the "recipe", I decided I better build my first leader from scratch, with the Umpqua "leader kit" I got a few weeks ago. Turned out pretty good, but I can't seem to get it straight at the perfection loop that connects to the fly line (see the bend in the picture). Any idea how to fix that?

 

[Rip Tide]

Don't worry about that bend at the loop, that won't make a difference .
As for the kinks in the leader, in the thicker diameter sections I stretch the leader over my knee.
For the tippet I use one of these. You can make your own out of a piece of inner tube.
I multi-task mine as a zipper pull on my vest.

 

[sweetandsalt]

Actually, all your knots including the Perfection Loop look good. Straightening a tippet via frictional eneregy is "traditional" but potentially weakens the monofilament. Best to just tie on a new section of tippet. Good luck in S. Korea and come home safe; thoes hornets can be troubelsome.

 

[overmywaders]

I find that a leader that comes off the reel in coils can be straightened in 3' sections just by stretching it with almost your full strength. Obviously this works better with the thicker sections. A tippet can be drawn through a piece of rubberized shelf liner. I carry two 4"x4" sections of this in my vest for pulling ferrules apart, should they stick.

BTW, contrary to the advertizing, you don't need to buy new leader material each year. Just keep it out of the light and Nylon will last for 30-40 years. I am still using leaders made in the 1970's. (I cut the tip sections from any knotless old leaders; the extrusion technology was sometimes poor back then.)

 

[cowpokey]

Maybe I'm too much of a perfectionist?

I read about using a piece of inner tube, even pulled one out of my mountain bike gear and tried it. It was a brand new tube, still has the powder they use to keep it from sticking to itself when packaged. I don't have an old tube around, and didn't want to cut up a brand new tube, so I just bent it in half and drew an old leader through it to see what would happen. Well, it didn't draw through smooth at all, actually jittered like it was getting traction and letting go every micro second.

I've been using friction/heat to draw mono through my fingers and straighten it for many years, just figure there has to be a better way.

I straighten out my fly line(s) before fishing by pulling it off the reel, and around something smooth, then stretching it a few times. Seems to work well, as long as I have a clearing 40~50 feet to double the line out and stretch it all at once.

---------- Post added at 10:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:39 PM ----------

I find that a leader that comes off the reel in coils can be straightened in 3' sections just by stretching it with almost your full strength. Obviously this works better with the thicker sections. A tippet can be drawn through a piece of rubberized shelf liner. I carry two 4"x4" sections of this in my vest for pulling ferrules apart, should they stick.

BTW, contrary to the advertizing, you don't need to buy new leader material each year. Just keep it out of the light and Nylon will last for 30-40 years. I am still using leaders made in the 1970's. (I cut the tip sections from any knotless old leaders; the extrusion technology was sometimes poor back then.)

I still have mono "new on the spool" that's over a decade old, it has some coils due to memory, but just as strong as the day it made IMHO. I've stretched out old mono without friction and it seems to be good to go. I keep all of my stuff stored out of sunlight and heat.

 

[fredaevans]

I soooo hear you!:icon_eek:

" Brought back memories of the last encounter I had with yellow jackets in Maryland when I was fly fishing one beautiful October afternoon...then got stung and ended up taking an ambulance ride. First time I ever had more than swelling at the site of a sting and ended up having a case of anaphylactic shock. FYI, Epinephrine is synthetic adrenalin that they use to fight the symptoms so you don't die from not being able to breath...laying on a hospital bed having trouble breathing, worrying about suffocating, and getting a dose adrenalin shot straight into the blood system can also induce a serious case of anxiety!"

I'm so sensitive to these stings I can't leave the house without an Eppie pen in my pocket. The worse of it is this has been a hell of a bad year for the Buggers here in Southern Oregon.

Exterior of the house/wood fence gets a through eye-balling twice a week ... can of RAID in hand.
Fred

 

[cowpokey]

I'm so sensitive to these stings I can't leave the house without an Eppie pen in my pocket. The worse of it is this has been a hell of a bad year for the Buggers here in Southern Oregon.

Exterior of the house/wood fence gets a through eye-balling twice a week ... can of RAID in hand.
Fred

When it happened to me, the doc gave me a prescription to get two Epi pens. He said next time might do me in. That (and the stings) got my attention...I should get 'em replaced, they're both expired now.

The EMTs told me it was more important to get anti-histamine in the system than carry an epi pen. They said to break a couple 50mg benadryl capsules under the tongue and it would get absorbed real quick and not need the injectors. I don't know, I haven't been stung again, but I always have some capsules with me.

 

[nefarious_1_]

I just slowly pull the leader/tippet through my fingers and it straightens right out from the heat generated by friction. A cheap alternative to "leader straighteners."

 

[fredaevans]

When it happened to me, the doc gave me a prescription to get two Epi pens. He said next time might do me in. That (and the stings) got my attention...I should get 'em replaced, they're both expired now.

The EMTs told me it was more important to get anti-histamine in the system than carry an epi pen. They said to break a couple 50mg benadryl capsules under the tongue and it would get absorbed real quick and not need the injectors. I don't know, I haven't been stung again, but I always have some capsules with me.

Can't say which is more effective, but I do carry Benadryl in my wallet. They're actually a quick dissolve paper looking thing (pink in colour). The Eppie pens now come in a two pack ..... asked about that and apparently it's in recognition that many people are 'Just big and a single dose just isn't enough.'

Polite way of saying 'fat?'

Anyway, if your pens have expired, toss them. One way to check them is by the colour of the fluid. Starting to go (if memory serves?) 'yellowish' they're toast.

Fred

Edit: A Forgot to add. Eppie pens don't like high heat so if you keep one in your car/truck put it in an insolating bag of some sort. The one I use was orig used for keeping a soda can cold. Zips up at the top and really does a fine job even when its 90+ degrees out side (inside of Jeep will be above that). Just keep the bag out of direct sun.
fae

 

[cowpokey]

They both started to discolor, turning yellow. Apparently they don't last longer than a couple years, even if stored "proper". I kept those out of the sun too, and made sure they were no more than room temperature when inside. They did get warmer a few times, I like to be outside...

 

[fredaevans]

Yellowed up, they're TOAST!

Fred

 

[cowpokey]

I haven't seen the Benadryl "paper" form...gotta check on that. I keep popping the capsules no matter where I put them in a pocket or something.

 

[fredaevans]

Your location may have a lot to do with that.
fae

 

[cowpokey]

Your location may have a lot to do with that.
fae

Yeah, we don't have a CVS (or anything close to it) around here. Over the counter drugs are limited to only the most popular stuff that everyone buys....or junk that no one buys.

 

[fredaevans]

Want me to 'run some down' and mail it to you?

Boy 'O Boy ... have we gotten far afield from "Leader Building.''
;>)

 

[nickel]

When I tie perfection loops I always make sure that I pull taut all three sections simultaneously; I put my hemostats in the loop and use my right hand, the tag end i pull with my teeth and the leader portion with my left hand. When I pull the leader portion with my left and the loop section wrapped around the end of my hemostats with my right...I guide the tag end with my teeth and the tag end always comes out 90 degrees from the leader. The loop comes out straight in line with the leader ( no curves).

To straighten my leaders I pull them taut in a 2ft section at a time while flicking the line several times with my thumb (all the while producing a little medley). The vibration along with the stretch straightens the coils.

 

[dean_mt]

This method is completely suitable. You can make enough friction heat before you yelp and let go to damage the leader, rather just enough to straighten coils. As for kinks, then like someone said above, just tie on a new tippet.

 

[nickel]

This method is completely suitable. You can make enough friction heat before you yelp and let go to damage the leader, rather just enough to straighten coils. As for kinks, then like someone said above, just tie on a new tippet.

The only method I have found that causes friction heat is pulling your leader through something such as a leader straightener. In my aforementioned post I don't pull and slide the leader through my hands (resulting in a yelp?). I simply stretch the leader taut and flick it while doing so. Maybe my recommendation was misunderstood? However...that being said this is the way I straighten my leaders that I purchase that come packaged and in a coil. If you try it and it works...great! If not...no harm no foul! I am not an elitist.

 

[dean_mt]

I mistyped...what I meant was the only method of using friction heat to straighten yet doesn't create too much heat to damage the material is by simply pinching the leader between your fingers and pulling it through. The reason you cannot create too much heat and friction this way is because you will feel the heat and if you pull to fast and/or pinch too hard ... you'll know it because it burns! Hence the "yelp."

When you pinch the leader in a piece of leather or rubber it's easy to squeeze too hard and pull too fast, enough to possible weaken the tippet.

 

[nickel]

Gotcha! I see what your saying. I actually had to use this method this morning.