Attaching Leaders To Fly Lines

[Wildfisher]

Back to this again. After experimenting with Moser Minicons  and leaders with perfection loops this season, once again I am back to nail - needle knot combo. It's the only thing I have confidence in. I lost a fish today because of that f*****g crap minicon when it stuck for the briefest instant in the tip ring, not when a fish took line, but when I was pulling line in and it stuck almost imperceptibly  for a fraction of a second allowing the line to go slack.  Luckily it was not a big fish. As soon as I got home I cut them all off and binned them.

[Ythanjoe]

I tried moser mini cons a couple of years ago ....small but stiff, like you I got rid after a short while. Best option for me has been a tapered leader drawn through the line and set with zap a gap...never let me down yet and being wary it might, the leader gets a good pre- stretch every outing. Just a bu**er when the leader gets short and the whole re- fit is needed again.

[Wildfisher]

I tried moser mini cons a couple of years ago ....small but stiff,

That's the problem. the stiffness is the weakness. They are useless and spoil a good fly line.

[Highlander]

I tend to use braided loops but I also whip finish to make them smoother through top ring.
Never had a problem that I remember but they certainly can be momentary resistance on occasion. Never lost a fish for that reason but I can see situations when it might happen. Excessive use of Super Glue might be a hindrance. I use Loons Knot Sense.
Just down to personal preference at end of day.
Tight Lines

[Midgie Hater]

I had to look up Moser Minicons as I didn't know what they were. So, a kind of braided loop then. The spiel says they are shorter so they don't sink as readily, but apart from that I don't see the advantage over any other braided loop, including ones you might make yourself from your own braid. In any case, I find that if you grease them up they remain afloat for a long while before re-greasing is needed.

However I too have noticed a tendency for braided loops to stick a bit at the top ring on occasion. Happened last week in fact, although thankfully not while playing a fish. On the other hand they are extremely convenient for leader changes. When I make up a tapered leader I tie a blood bight in the leader end to do a loop-to-loop attachment to the braid which makes changing them easy, with the slight disadvantage of some surface disturbance at times.

Before I got a braided loop for my Kingfisher 4-weight line that I use with my 3/4 rod, I either nail or needle-knotted a short length of very strong mono with a loop at one end for leader attachment, and in hindsight this provided very smooth passage through the top ring because the attaching loop would straighten out leaving no problem bulge, but with the disadvantage that the loop point between this butt section and the leader became very taught making said leader changes much more awkward.

[Allan Crawford]

I use braided loops but no plastic tube just smear it all with aquasure started doing this with my salmon lines as it gives good turn over of the leader.  Find it great for general trout fishing especially wet fly but for dry fly when delicate presentation is needed I fancy Joe method with the tapered leader.

[Wildfisher]

i'm still on the seamless perfection of no knot joins too, never had a pull out with a fish yet

A fish won't pull it out, but what happens if you get caught up in a tree and have to pull directly on the line? Does the leader break before the glued joint pulls out?

[bibio1]

I weld a loop on and then attach a furled leader if river fishing.

Easy and reliable. Furled leaders do help when river fishing.

[Ythanjoe]

Not tested the to destruction Fred, but think the tippet would fail first, either at the fly or knot junction between. Ihave had the joint fail at fly line connection on testing but not since using zap a gap.

[Rabmax]

I tried a mini con but didn't like it.Cut it off & went back to my normal.Strip some coating from the end then form my own braided loop using a bobbin threader from the fly lines inner core.Cheers All