I am the proud new owner of an Airflo clear intermediate. Did a search on the board and "sort-of" got the answer regarding the line/leader connection.
Looks like the two options are:
Albright knot to leader
Use the supplied mesh loop and reinforce 'heat sleeve' with a couple of nail knots.
Anyone care to comment on the effectiveness of either? I am leaning towards using the mesh loop but want to make sure it's not going to break while fighting a truly massive striper :hehe:
I have always had problems with intermediate lines and braided loop connectors. After many fish being "stripped" from the intermediate fly line, I found out somehow, that is easier to strip some of the intermediate coating off and make a perfection loop from the mono underneath. It works wonders and all you do is slip the perfection loop from the leader through the fly line and there you have it. It really works for me and it may work for you. Please let me know what you end up doing as I am always willing to try new techniques.
Dave, Believe it or not, I was researching the same subject on the web tonight....no easy answers. I also purchased the clear Airflo intermediate and also the clear mono Wullf intermediate. I found both to have coatings slippery as ice...wouldn't hold a nail knot, but would an Albright.
My preference though is to have a permanent loop on the flyline itself ,instead of a direct leader tie on with the Albright. Changing damaged butt sections is easier and having the option of using Airflo's poly leaders when needed makes a better connection (no hinge).
The problem is.....how to make sure it holds???? Thinking of folding the flyline on itself...then hold the loop together with an 8 turn nail knot and lightly cover the knot with 5 minute epoxy.
Will it work???????
If you come up with an answer....let me know.
I'm counting on you Dave....you sold me on the Lamson Velosity...which looks real sweet and I can't wait to try it!
I like braided loops, but do not use the manufactured braided loops. They come undone too easily. There is a good article on the Blanton site http://www.danblanton.com/gettinglooped.html that walks you through the process of making them yourself. Those loops cannot come undone.
The heat shrink tube will slip off along with your leader and fly when you least expect it. Use a nail knot or whipping only at the end where the fly line entered the loop. This allows the braid to cling to the inserted line when pressure is applied.
Dave, I've got the same line, love it.
I can't say I've caught any truely massive stripers on it but a single nail knot, 7 turns and some super glue hasn't failed me yet. I couldn't bring myself to put that chinese finger thing between a clear line and a flouro leader. The superglue creates a milky colored knot but it's much smaller than the loop that comes with the line. Since I am tying the leader direct to the line it gets changed much more often than if I'd been using a loop to loop connection.
Maybe I can share a little steelheading experience. I have been using various polyleaders for 5 years now. This has also involved monocore fly lines such as the Airflos.
I too was concerned with slippery nature of the stuff. What I do now is Albright a section of butt material (25-40 lb) to the end of the flyline (or the end of the poly leader) - then tie a Double Surgeon Loop (or Perfection loop if you prefer) about 2" from the fly line - then I loop to loop connect the rest of the leader.
I usually put a new butt loop on the flyline at the start of each season, it has been extremely satisfactory.
Albright knot is the way to go. I tried the loop system and lost a shooting head because I failed to inspect the loop which failed causing the line to shoot out into the drink. One thing to be sure you do is to be able to tie the Albright in the field if you have to.
FishHawk
Dave, I've got the same line, love it.
I can't say I've caught any truely massive stripers on it but a single nail knot, 7 turns and some super glue hasn't failed me yet...
I used to say exactly the same thing. Luckily when I did pull the nail knot off the line it was while hooked to a lobster pot and not to a fish, but the relative ease with which the line parted made me a convert to the albright. It's really not that tough a knot once you've done a few of them, and I can tie it without a tool, which is more than I can say for the nail knot.;
Matt, Curious about how you were applying pressure. Were you pulling using the rod or the line itself? Lobster pots put up a good fight in a current :hehe: :hehe: I have yet to land one.
I'm sticking with my nail knots for now but don't doubt that it might slip off. When fishing a clear line I want as invisible a connection as possible so someday I might hook that truely massive fish..
Matt, Curious about how you were applying pressure. Were you pulling using the rod or the line itself? Lobster pots put up a good fight in a current :hehe: :hehe: I have yet to land one.
I'm sticking with my nail knots for now but don't doubt that it might slip off. When fishing a clear line I want as invisible a connection as possible so someday I might hook that truely massive fish..
Jim, I had given up on landing the lobster pot and was trying to break the leader, so I was pulling straight and pretty hard, but it still bothered me that my knot let go before my (16lb?) tippet and it certainly gave me pause to think about the nail knot at the other end of my flyline. Losing a good fish to a slipped nail knot would be bad enough, but losing the fish and a fly line might be more than I could take.
I to used a nail knot with a little super glue to attach the leader to a monocore line. I'll never do that again. I lost one of the largest stripers I ever hooked when the nail knot stripped off under moderate pressure.
I spoke with Jim Bender about the loop connections and he sold me on the Orvis loop connectors. Take a look at those when you get a chance. There nice to keep handy while on those long treks
The guys at First Light showed me a trick. You can double back the fly line and then do a nail knot on that end. By feeding the leader through the loop formed at the end of the fly line, you get a rock solid connection, never had one fail. It is a little bulkier, but man is it strong.
Nick
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