Furled leader

Last updated

A furled leader (also known as twined leader) is a type of knotless tapered fly fishing leader. It is known for high performance, low memory, [1] [2] and soft artificial fly presentation when casting. These attributes are due to the way these leaders are constructed which is similar to creating rope. The big difference is that furled leaders are created with a taper. The twisted style of construction and being made from many filaments leads to a flexible leader with low to no memory like a section of rope.

Construction

Furled leaders are created from braided line, monofilament, fluorocarbon fishing line, fly tying thread or other thread, or silk. This material is laid out on a jig in a series of interlocking loops, thereby creating the taper of the leader. It is made in two, sometimes three or even more, legs; more legs will result in a smoother, rounder finished leader. [3] [4] [5]

Depending on whether they are constructed separately or as a set of interconnected legs from a continuous thread, legs are then twisted while under tension independently, or simultaneously, in the same spinning direction. The legs are combined and allowed to untwist under weight or tension. As the legs untwist, they furl together to create the final structure. Furled leaders can also be constructed using an approach resembling rope laying, in which the legs are twisted simultaneously, under tension, while separated by a 'top', attached to a runner that can rotate. In this approach, the twisted legs 'below' the top will start furling under tension, moving the top up to the furling end. This creates a full furled leader in one continuous process. [6] [4]

The ends of the leader are then finished to hold the leader's furl - the butt end is most often finished with a so-called Shorb loop. The tippet end can be finished with a Shorb loop, a knotted loop, or a micro tippet ring. The leader is attached to the end of the fly line, usually with a loop-to-loop connection, and a simple or stepped-down tippet is attached to the thin end before use. [6] [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing rod</span> Fishing tool

A fishing rod is a long, thin rod used by anglers to catch fish by manipulating a line ending in a hook. At its most basic form, a fishing rod is a straight rigid stick/pole with a line attached to one end ; however, modern rods are usually elastic and generally have the line stored in a reel mounted at the rod handle, which is hand-cranked and controls the line retrieval, as well as numerous line-restricting rings that distribute bending stress along the rod and help dampening down/prevent line whipping and entanglement. To better entice fish, baits or lures are dressed onto the one or more hooks attached to the line, and a bite indicator is used, some of which might be incorporated as part of the rod itself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing reel</span> Hand-cranked spool used in angling to wind and stow fishing line

A fishing reel is a hand-cranked reel used in angling to wind and stow fishing line, typically mounted onto a fishing rod, but may also be used to retrieve a tethered arrow when bowfishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing line</span> String or line intended for angling

A fishing line is a flexible, high-tensile cord used in angling to tether and pull in fish, in conjunction with at least one hook. Fishing lines are usually pulled by and stored in a reel, but can also be retrieved by hand, with a fixed attachment to the end of a rod, or via a motor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fly fishing</span> Method of angling

Fly fishing is an angling method that uses a light-weight lure—called an artificial fly—to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. The light weight requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting. The flies may resemble natural invertebrates, bait-fish, or other food organisms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blood knot</span>

A blood knot is a bend knot most usefully employed for joining sections of monofilament nylon line while maintaining a high portion of the line's inherent strength. Other knots used for this purpose can cause a substantial loss of strength. In fly fishing, this serves to build a leader of gradually decreasing diameter with the castable fly line attached at the large diameter end and the fly or hook at the small diameter end. The principal drawback to the blood knot is the dexterity required to tie it. It is also likely to jam, which is not a concern in fishing line, which is no great loss to cut, but may be a concern in normal rope. "Blood knot" may refer to "a double overhand knot tied in a cat-o'-nine-tails."

The barrel knot, called blood knot by Keith Rollo, is the best bend there is for small, stiff or slippery line. The ends may be trimmed short and the knot offers the least resistance possible when drawn through water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speargun</span> Underwater fishing implement

A speargun is a ranged underwater fishing device designed to launch a tethered spear or harpoon to impale fish or other marine animals and targets. Spearguns are used in sport fishing and underwater target shooting. The two basic types are pneumatic and elastic. Spear types come in a number of varieties including threaded, break-away and lined. Floats and buoys are common accessories when targeting larger fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cat's paw (knot)</span> Type of knot

The Cat's paw is a knot used for connecting a rope to an object. It is very similar to the cow hitch except there is an additional twist on each side of the bight, making it less prone to slipping.

The cat's-paw is the common hook hitch for slings. It is the same basic form as the bale sling hitch but has additional twists. Brady says "two or three altogether," and Steel, who mentioned the name in 1794, says "three twists." It is the best of all sling hitches and is often recommended for a slippery rope. But no hitch can slip when tied in a slings since it has no ends. All that is needed is a hitch that cannot jam, and this requirement the cat's-paw fills admirably. The knot spills instantly when removed from the hook. It is the hitch always used for heavy lifts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fish hook</span> Device for catching fish

A fish hook or fishhook, formerly also called angle, is a hook used to catch fish either by piercing and embedding onto the inside of the fish mouth (angling) or, more rarely, by impaling and snagging the external fish body. Fish hooks are normally attached to a line, which tethers the target fish to the angler for retrieval, and are typically dressed with some form of bait or lure that entices the fish to swallow the hook out of its own natural instinct to forage or hunt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rope splicing</span> Semi-permanent joint between two ropes

Rope splicing in ropework is the forming of a semi-permanent joint between two ropes or two parts of the same rope by partly untwisting and then interweaving their strands. Splices can be used to form a stopper at the end of a line, to form a loop or an eye in a rope, or for joining two ropes together. Splices are preferred to knotted rope, since while a knot typically reduces the strength by 20–40%, a splice is capable of attaining a rope's full strength. However, splicing usually results in a thickening of the line and, if subsequently removed, leaves a distortion of the rope. Most types of splices are used on 3-strand rope, but some can be done on 12-strand or greater single-braided rope, as well as most double braids.
While a spliced 3-strand rope's strands are interwoven to create the splice, a braided rope's splice is constructed by simply pulling the rope into its jacket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monofilament fishing line</span> Fishing line made from a single fiber of plastic

Monofilament fishing line is fishing line made from a single fiber of plastic material, as opposed to multifilament or braided fishing lines constructed from multiple strands of fibers. Most fishing lines are now nylon monofilament because they are cheap to produce and can be produced in a range of diameters which have different tensile strengths. Monofilament line is also manufactured in different colors, such as clear, white, green, blue, red, and fluorescent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fly tying</span> Process of producing artificial flies used in fly fishing

Fly tying is the process of producing an artificial fly used by fly fishing anglers to catch fish. Fly tying is a manual process done by a single individual using hand tools and a variety of natural and manmade materials that are attached to a hook. Although the recent history of fly tying dates from the middle 1800s, fly tyers were engaged in tying flys since at least 200 AD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eye splice</span> Method of creating a loop in the end of a rope

The eye splice is a method of creating a permanent loop in the end of a rope by means of rope splicing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bimini twist</span> Fishing knot

The Bimini twist is a fishing knot used for offshore trolling and sportsfishing and the creation of double-line leaders. A Bimini twist creates a loop at the end of the line in which it is tied. The loop secured at the top with a long barrel of coiled line created by the tying process. A Bimini twist loop is stronger than the line itself. It is one of the rare knots that does not weaken the line in which it is tied. It is a simple method of doubling your fishing line in order to prevent chafing or to create the necessary loop in order to attach a wind-on leader without using strength in the mainline. For use in fishing applications, the old stand by is 20-30 initial twists in nylon monofilament and 60 or more initial-twists in Spectra-type braided line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nail knot</span> Type of knot used in fishing

The nail knot, also known as the tube knot or gryp knot, is mostly used in carp and fly-fishing. The nail knot was named because a nail was inserted as a guide when threading the line. Today, it is easier to use a small straw. The nail knot is an important fishing knot used to join two lines of different diameters and allows for line diameters to diminish down to the fly. I.E., it is useful for attaching your backing to the fly line, and your fly line to the leader, or tippet. The knot can be tied in multiple ways and is uniform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing tackle</span> Equipment used for fishing

Fishing tackle is the equipment used by anglers when fishing. Almost any equipment or gear used in fishing can be called fishing tackle, examples being hooks, lines, baits/lures, rods, reels, floats, sinkers/feeders, nets, stringers/keepnets/livewells, spears, gaffs, traps, waders and tackle boxes, as well as any wire, snaps, beads, spoons, blades, spinners, clevises and tools that make it easy to tie knots.

Fly fishing tackle comprises the fishing tackle or equipment typically used by fly anglers. Fly fishing tackle includes:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tenkara fishing</span> Style of fishing

Tenkara fishing is a type of simple rod angling traditionally practiced in Japan. Primarily used for mountain stream trout fishing, tenkara is still a fairly rare method even among freshwater anglers in Japan, and was largely unknown outside Japan until 2009, when the company Tenkara USA, founded by Daniel Galhardo, introduced and popularized tenkara outside Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tube fly</span>

A tube fly is a general tying style of artificial fly used by fly anglers. Tube flies differ from traditional artificial flies as they are tied on small diameter tubes, not hooks. Tube flies were originated in Aberdeen, Scotland by fly-dresser Minnie Morawski for Atlantic salmon anglers around 1945. Tube flies were designed to improve hooking success and to prevent damage to complex and expensive salmon flies by the teeth of hooked salmon. Tube flies have been widely adapted to fly patterns for a variety of cold water and warm water species and are extremely popular for steelhead and salmon in the Pacific Northwest and northeast United States, as well as saltwater species along the Atlantic, Florida and Gulf Coasts. They are widely used in European waters for Atlantic salmon, sea trout and pike.

Fly line is a fishing line used by fly anglers to cast artificial flies using a fly rod. Fly lines evolved from horsehair lines described by Izaak Walton in The Compleat Angler (1653) through the use of silk, braided synthetics to the modern-day plastic-coated lines.

References

  1. Memory is what happens when monofilament lines sits in a spool. It develops curls, which interfere with casting distance and causes the line to tangle.
  2. "Reduce fishing line memory". Live Outdoords. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  3. "Furled Leader". Guide Recommended. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 "Twined or furled leader". Global Flyfisher. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  5. Zondag,Steven. "Furled Leaders: All the secrets behind creating fly fishing's best leader". Make Furled Leaders. Archived from the original on 2010-05-15. Retrieved 2010-05-11.,, Steven and James Publishers Archived 2011-04-11 at the Wayback Machine , 2010.
  6. 1 2 "Furled Leader Construction" (PDF). Trout Unlimited. Retrieved March 8, 2021.