LE VIEUX MOUCHEUR 

6 - The special knot

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FLY-FISHING FOR PIKE  by Paul Le Gall, translated by Claude BELLOIR

6 - HOW TO JOIN LINE AND LEADER : A SPECIAL KNOT

To transmit casting power down to the lure, the loop of the line must roll out smoothly especially at the joint between fly line and leader. Every fly-fisherman knows that this is the crux of the matter.  

However joining the leader to the line has caused a lot of ink to flow and there are many different ways of achieving it. In forty years' fishing, I had tried a lot, none of which had given me complete satisfaction. With old synthetic fly lines, even the classic needle knot didn't prove totally reliable in playing good-sized pike. It was the same with braid sleeve connections even with an application of cyanolite as this particular glue seems to lose its properties with age.  

It has been a long time since I was looking for a reliable way to attach the fly line both to the backing and the leader. I think I have found it. This knot, of my own devising, has proved extremely reliable with all types of lines. What's more, it meets the necessary requirements to make fishing comfortable: it slides well through the rings of the rod, the leader is easy to change, and it can be made by water's edge. Each and every one of my lines is equipped with it, and some of my friends also resort to it. Whatever species have been hooked in the past two or three years ( river brown trout, very big reservoir rainbow trout, grilse, powerful lake char and big pike) - none of them has been able to pull these knots free. One such knot even held the 'pike of the century' which was pulling from the bank into the current until it was finally brought in and turned out to be the stern board of a wooden boat wreck of some 20 kg!

Devising this knot was inspired by the Albright knot that I systematically used to join nylon and trace when I still used such leaders. The Albright knot has largely stood the test of time as a greatly reliable, strong and all-purpose knot. The one I use has shown that it had inherited its reliability and strength to be advised. However it differs in two essential points. The first and most important one is in the eye thus obtained.

The second one consists in turns of coils of doubled Dacron braid, rather than monofilament. A 22 lbs  b.s. braid is consistent with fly lines up to AFTMA #7. The heavier lines are well joined with a 33 lbs b.s. braid. This knot can be used to make an eye joining line and leader as well as line and backing except for two details (see box):

1. The eye that joins the leader is made as small as possible, just wide enough to insert the loop of the wire trace. Its braid is stiffened by a liberal application of cyanolite. These are the two particularities which, with the way to connect the leader's loop with it, ensure a good transmission of casting power from the fIy line down to the lure.

2. The braid to connect backing and line, loop to loop, must be wide enough (10 cm or so) to allow the reel through it and thus change lines. It’s not stiffened with glue, but remains limp and slides well through the rings.

( a step-by-step guide to making the special knot )

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