Loop connections - Braided sleeve and silicone tubing - Global FlyFisher

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Loop connections

Making loops
Loop-to-loop
Large loop
Loop on a fly line
Silicone sleeve
Using loops

Braided sleeve and silicone tubing

By Martin Joergensen

No split ends
When you use braided backing for backing or loops, you will probably experience a lot of irritation over the fact that the ends of this line will split. If you want to use silicon tubing for joining braided backing with other types of line. These split ends will make it very difficult to thread the silicone over the backing. Avoid this by burning the end of the backing after a needle has been stuck inside the hollow backing. Warm the needle lightly and the backing will melt around it. Trim the excess afterwards.

How to prepare braided sleeve

The silicone trick
There's an easy way to attatch the leader or backing to the fly line, and that's by using a piece of silicone tubing. This can be bought in running lengths and cut to pieces. Sometimes it's included with braided leaders.
The tube is cut into small pieces and mounted as shown above. The tube will hold the leader and pull in the leader will make the hollow braided line grab the fly line.
I fished with this solution for some years and never experienced any problems. Some fishers are sceptic though, and some seem to be of the opinion that the link will give in.
If you have this fear or need to change your fly line on the same backing - maybe because the spool of your reel can't be changed - you can consider using 'the large loop solution'.

How to fit silicone tubing


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User comments
GFF staff comment
From: Martin Joergensen · martin·at·globalflyfisher.com  Link
Submitted October 23rd 2010

Tony,

I honestly don't know... the tube has to fit very snugly over the fly line and the braid. So tight that it's on the mlimit of being possible to press it over. You kind of "massage" it in place. The tube I have used has been bought in fly stores and was sold for the purpose.

I have no tube right here to measure.

Martin


From: Tony Heaton · anthonyheaton·at·sky.com  Link
Submitted October 23rd 2010

Hi
What size tubing are we talking .5mm?
Regards Tony H



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