# Fly line repair



## RileyH203 (Jun 28, 2017)

So I have noticed a small cut in my fly line about 2 inches below the welded loop. I would like to save the loop if possible, any thoughts on a fix for this? Its an 8wt SA Amplitude Grand Slam line. less than a year old.


----------



## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

There a few different ways to do this fix. I just snipped mine off, folded it into the size loop I wanted and tied it down. A friend of mine likes to cut his loops off and add loops made from heavy mono. 

Just google it and pick any one of the hundreds of youtube videos you like the best.


----------



## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Cut off the bad portion then form a new one and secure it with two nail knots spaced at least 1/4” apart. I use 30 lb mono for each seven turn nail knot (speed nail knots). After they’re done I very carefully trim the end of the doubled fly line as close to the nail knot as possible (and on 45 degree angle so that it won’t hang on the guides if a big fish takes you into your backing...).

By the way... years ago we were taught to coat knots on fly lines with Pliobond - and it’s still the best way to finish a nail knot, or something similar...


----------



## RileyH203 (Jun 28, 2017)

lemaymiami said:


> Cut off the bad portion then form a new one and secure it with two nail knots spaced at least 1/4” apart. I use 30 lb mono for each seven turn nail knot (speed nail knots). After they’re done I very carefully trim the end of the doubled fly line as close to the nail knot as possible (and on 45 degree angle so that it won’t hang on the guides if a big fish takes you into your backing...).
> 
> By the way... years ago we were taught to coat knots on fly lines with Pliobond - and it’s still the best way to finish a nail knot, or something similar...



this break is on the tip, where I tie on my leader. Would you still follow the same procedure?


----------



## Rick hambric (Jun 24, 2017)

Rio t tubing. Heat gun. Cut at the nick on a 1/2’ taper. Slide in heat shrink, make a
Loop, apply heat and make weld. Remove tube and I like tondo 3 8x nail knots with 30# suffix 832 just for insurance


----------



## mightyrime (Jul 18, 2016)

i have also had good luck using the loon uv glue for fixing small nicks.


----------



## 994 (Apr 14, 2008)

Just do a whipped loop with tying thread. I keep an old bobbin with thread in my boat box just in case.


----------



## Doublehaul (Oct 3, 2015)

Yeah, I like a whipped loop as well, think either method would work nicely though


----------



## RileyH203 (Jun 28, 2017)

Thanks for all the replies, guess I will have to make a choice.


----------



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Makes me think about the cuda that shredded my 9wt clear intermediate line the other day about 20ft from the business end of my fly line. Don't ask me how he did that. So I have about 10" of shredded coating with about 1/8" of outside coating pealed completely away from the inner mono core. After close inspection, it appears (I hope) that the inner core was not nicked at all.

So I'm left with this thought. I can do the easy thing and trash the whole line (which is only about 10% old of it's expected life). Or, being the fix it guy that I am, I'm thinking there might be a way to repair it. Rick Hambric has a good point. What if I get a 12" piece of clear shrink tubing and cover the entire damaged area and put a heat gun to it and gradually melt the outside coating and basically massage it while its hot (with some gloves) and try to get the melted outer core to fill in any scratches, nicks and such and even fill in the piece of striped away outer core, especially since it's in the fatter head of the fly line. Anyway, when it cools, remove the shrink tubing. The question is, where to get that clear heat shrink? And at the spot where there is no core (if it doesn't fill in, add some soft UV resin as mightyrime suggested.

Capt LeMay, Why Pliobond? Never heard of it being used for that. Was that with Braided fly line back in the old days? I thought it was a glue. I know it's been around for eons. I thought that was one of the glues my grandfather use to use when repairing and applying fabric tape on some of the skin on fabric airplanes.


----------



## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

On the tip end of a fly line - all of mine are set up with straight nail knot connection -that's for floating fly lines -for intermediate lines (slow sinkers) I use two nail knots in a row - and each nail knot is an integral part of the leader butt section.

Back when I used to teach this stuff - here's the basics on leader butt sections, length, line size, etc.

7wt... four feet of 30lb Ande
8wt... four feet of 40lb Ande
9wt... four and a half feet of Ande mono
10wt.. five feet of 50lb
11 or 12wt
......... six feet of 60lb mono

All of these are directly connected to the fly line with a seven turn nail knot 
(two nail knots for intermediate lines...) on one end and have a surgeon's loop at the bitter end. With this setup you're ready for quick leader changes whenever needed. A simple loop to loop connection to the tapered end of your leader and you're in business... This sort of setup will allow you to reel the leader butt up into the guides without fear when working a big fish next to the boat. I really dislike any loops at the casting end of a fly line since no matter how small they will hang up in your guides when you don't need it to happen...


----------



## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Just saw the query about Pliobond - yes, it's a simple, very durable rubber cement. You coat your knots with it - then as it's almost dry roll the Pliobond around the knot to taper it a bit. When it's cured it serves two functions -it protects any knot from nicks and abrasions and it also smooths out the knot surface so that it slides through the guides more easily. Once that stuff is cured it's tougher than a lawyer's heart.... That last benefit really comes into focus with a big fish and an extended battle. Nice to know that you've done everything possible before that encounter. I learned about it years ago either from Lefty Kreh in his first book on saltwater fly fishing or from Mark Sosin (who's probably forgotten more about fly-fishing than any of us will ever learn...).


----------



## Rick hambric (Jun 24, 2017)

@Backwater ive tried regular clear heat shrink from the supply house, but this stuff is the shiznit. Much softer and doesn’t wrinkle. Get a few buds together and split it or just buy it hewhole thing for yourself.


----------



## Karlee (Dec 7, 2017)

lemaymiami said:


> On the tip end of a fly line - all of mine are set up with straight nail knot connection -that's for floating fly lines -for intermediate lines (slow sinkers) I use two nail knots in a row - and each nail knot is an integral part of the leader butt section.
> 
> Back when I used to teach this stuff - here's the basics on leader butt sections, length, line size, etc.
> 
> ...


I like this idea. Typically when I make 7wt leaders I go 30 lb to 20lb and end with 15 lb. With this method can I go from the 30 lb butt of the leader directly to the 15 lb end, or will I have issues turning the fly over?


----------



## Doublehaul (Oct 3, 2015)

Karlee said:


> I like this idea. Typically when I make 7wt leaders I go 30 lb to 20lb and end with 15 lb. With this method can I go from the 30 lb butt of the leader directly to the 15 lb end, or will I have issues turning the fly over?


Don't think you would have a problem turning over smallish flies. Why not continue to incorporate your 20# into the leader?

Bob, 
yes, that was something that Lefty described in his book. Also, the whipped loop! LOL


----------



## Karlee (Dec 7, 2017)

Doublehaul said:


> Don't think you would have a problem turning over smallish flies. Why not continue to incorporate your 20# into the leader?


Thanks for the input. I'll keep using the 20#. I was thinking of skipping for convenience.


----------



## RaspberryPatch (Dec 17, 2016)

Rick hambric said:


> @Backwater ive tried regular clear heat shrink from the supply house, but this stuff is the shiznit. Much softer and doesn’t wrinkle. Get a few buds together and split it or just buy it hewhole thing for yourself.


1. I have done a couple repairs at the tip, which I have effectively add a new loop using Microbraid is my goto method now. I have had mixed success with Pliobond, but the sample in the blog linked is without Pliobond https://raspberryfisher.wordpress.com/2017/12/24/rigging-an-8wt-silk-line/

I like the Miracle Braid, as it size and stiffness, is the best match. I use to use Maxima Chameleon from 25 to 40lb.

2. I have used whip finish and Pliobond on one repair years ago when the nick was well up the line. It head up well.

3. My experience that the heat-shrink tubing at most electronic or retail stores is poor. Even at one of the specialist stores, the tubing has fake UL listing (which the store did not care about). 

As an electrical engineer and integrator, I will acquire my tubing from major distributor with the stock of the real-stuff, such as Mouser. Whether, it is Mouser, Digikey, Arrow, et cetera .. they have excellent filters to search for your needs. 

If you goto 3M or as in this example below TE, you can select on many variables, including flexibility, colour, shrink rate, et cetera,
http://www.te.com/usa-en/plp/raychem-heat-shrink-tubing/ZnE3Y30Aj.html

and an example from Mouser https://www.mouser.ca/Wire-Cable/Wire-Protection-Management/Heat-Shrink-Tubing-and-Sleeves/_/N-5ggz/

Though it may sound mundane, due to major safety problems I had to debug, having me drive into detail testing, I learnt there is a lot of poor stuff out there.


----------



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Today, instead of fighting the wind and rains to go fishing, I did a quick and dirty repair on that clear intermediate fly like that was chewed up (which I described above). It actually was in the running line and not in the head (couldn't remember). Anyway, I looked at the site that Rick mentioned for the recommended tubing, but didn't buy any. I will end up buying some in the near future and possibly split some with a few other guys since I don't want so much on hand.

Anyway, I used some thin black heat shrink I had on-hand and put the heat gun on low, going back and forth evenly. The tubing heat shrink was actually slightly too big and therefore didn't shrink tightly over the line. However, it acted like somewhat of a heat distributor and thereby caused it to help evenly distribute the heat across that 10" area evenly. After about a minute of gently bringing it up to temperature, I turn the heat gun off and put over to the side. I quickly laid the line with the heat shrink area on my flat desk and began rolling it back and forth with my fingers (surprisingly not too hot) like a micro rolling pin, and thru that I sort of massaged it all together. I then allowed it to cool for about 5 mins. The heat shrink was big enough to barely allow the line to slide thru it and to my surprise, any scratches in the outer coating was melted back into place and the large 1/4" gap that was ripped off the line, was filled in. It wasn't perfect and you can see and feel some slight imperfections, but it was more than I was hoping for. I tried it one more time where I slid the heat shrink back over the blemished area and did the same thing again in hope that it would improve, but it didn't. I cut the heat shrink off and reeled the line back on the reel.

All in all, it worked like a charm and I was pleased with the outcome. Well see if it'll hold up to come big snook and jack action I'm going to do with it this week.


----------

