Leader Into Guides

[ÜberFly]

Gang,

 

I was watching "The New Fly Fisher" today and the guide happened to mention, when fighting large fish, in order to gain control over the fish it was okay to bring the leader into the rod guides... I was taught that this could break the leader and obviously you could lose the fish?!

 

What's up?! Is this okay or not?!

 

Thanks,

 

Peter

[Tungsten]

The Carp show,looked like fun.I think he said that because they where using like 15#tippet.Also he instructed Bill to keep the rod low and apply side pressure.Remember last year you hooked a fish and we where having trouble trying to land it because your leader was so long,and as soon as you pulled the leader in it broke(i may have told you that it was ok).I have noticed on my old rods that i never had a problem bringing the nail knot into my guides.However with my sage Z rods even my leader knots are hanging up on the guides.So maybe its the rod angle or the type of guides you have.

[ÜberFly]

So Mike... Is that a comment or an answer to my question?! LOL

 

P

 

P.S. And yes I do remember you telling me that!

 

The Carp show,looked like fun.I think he said that because they where using like 15#tippet.Also he instructed Bill to keep the rod low and apply side pressure.Remember last year you hooked a fish and we where having trouble trying to land it because your leader was so long,and as soon as you pulled the leader in it broke(i may have told you that it was ok).I have noticed on my old rods that i never had a problem bringing the nail knot into my guides.However with my sage Z rods even my leader knots are hanging up on the guides.So maybe its the rod angle or the type of guides you have.

[Tungsten]

Ha ha i just noticed that this is in ask the pros,my wife says I'm a pro does that count?

 

 

I think if you have a nice smooth connection between leader and fly line and a knot less leader and you have your rod at a low angle to the fish your OK.

[ÜberFly]

A pro "cabinet maker", yes!! Fly Angler... Jury is still out on that one

 

 

P

 

 

Ha ha i just noticed that this is in ask the pros,my wife says I'm a pro does that count?

 

 

I think if you have a nice smooth connection between leader and fly line and a knot less leader and you have your rod at a low angle to the fish your OK.

 

[Nick0Danger]

Ive brought my leader into my guides, this was lake fishing with about 15 feet of leader. However with 9 feet or less of leader i dont think it would be necessary if you have a net.

[SanJuanWorm]

I think your risk of breakage on both the line and rod increase if you bring the knot connection into the guides. If it has the slightest chance of snagging and the fish takes a run you're done for. Also note that knot is the weak point in any connection as your stress points are higher.

 

Again this is my personal opinion.

[rhuseby]

I have the line-leader connection inside the guides almost everytime I land a fish and I have never had a problem, even with a last second surge. Drop the tip if a fish runs and let the connection flow out, then raise the rod again. My experience anyway.

[AndyW]

I put a little tapred blob of knot sense UV glue at my fly line/butt material knot and it passes through the guides like butter!

 

 

[johnbransfield]

yeah dude i fish a 30 foot leader, with a blood knot a good 9 feetish from my point fly and never have any trouble no matter the size of the fish. Just dab a little UV knot sense on there and it'll run through nicely.

[beedhead]

If you use a loop connector at the end of your fly line, it will slide threw nice as well...

 

Cheers...Jeff..

[walker1]

I put a little tapred blob of knot sense UV glue at my fly line/butt material knot and it passes through the guides like butter!

 

 

This will help you. Been using this method for years and never a problem.

[jack]

I use a chironomid setup on a regular basis during 80% of my fly fishing, which is stillwater. Up to 20' leaders, indicators and all the additional crap! I use long, 6-8lb fluorocarbon leader, then add 3' of finer tippet so that the heavier leader is inside my (10') rod, but the tippet stays outside. Clear nail polish on the knots, always.

j

[monger]

If you want to get really fancy try this. My buddy doesn't like knots so he has another plan. He shaves down a piece of heavy leader to a point. Then with a dental tool he pushes the core of the fly line back up inside itself to make space for the leader. A dab of crazy glue and then he slides the leader up inside the fly line. Let it set, test it and you are ready to go. No knot, no bump. When fishing over 20 foot leaders you can go a long way until you reach a knot this way.

[timjorourke]

I have the line-leader connection inside the guides almost everytime I land a fish and I have never had a problem, even with a last second surge. Drop the tip if a fish runs and let the connection flow out, then raise the rod again. My experience anyway.

 

I agree with flyslinger. I land fish this way every time and have never had an issue with leaders breaking.

 

[CDone]

I build all my rods with large loop tip tops to eliminate the leader knot grabbing on the way through.

 

Colin

[Tungsten]

I build all my rods with large loop tip tops to eliminate the leader knot grabbing on the way through.

 

Colin

Hell of an idea.

[ÜberFly]

So the general consensus is that there is no problem with bringing the leader into the guides when fighting a fish so long as the line to leader connection nor any of the knots don't get hung up on the guides...

 

Thanks for all your input.

 

Cheers,

 

Peter

[ogilvie]

So the general consensus is that there is no problem with bringing the leading into the guides when fighting a fish so long as the line to leader connection nor any of the knots don't get hung up on the guides...

 

Thanks for all your input.

 

Cheers,

 

Peter

Some very good points here especially with the increased tip tops and the tapered or smooth transition connections. However, a more important issue with bringing any line into the rod during an encounter with a fish of any size is to make sure you have at least the rod lengths line still outside the rod,in so doing you will save many rods from breaking and allow the fish to engage in a run without loosing the fish , or hopefully so. I have so many fishers have only a few feet of leader outside the rod and try to land the fish,break the rod and then lose the fish.

Good question and great answers

C

This Dark fish was landed with a 6/7 weight 9'6" Snowbee Single hander...the young fellow ;from Denmark with his Dad,fought the fish very well and had to be coached into NOt bringing into the rod less that the rod's length of line/leader! Tippet strength is a real key issue we often overlook,heavy weight tippet can break rods in a hurray...