I'm looking at chucking some fluff at a Barracuda or two next month. I've fished with knotable wire plenty times before for Pike in the UK, using an albright knot for the wire trace to mono connection.
I have however reservations about this knot under intense strain, so was wondering if anyone had any better suggestions for knots for wire trace leaders?
I've had the same experience with wire, mono and pike and have absolutely no reservations regarding knot strength between wire and mono. I've had plenty of snags so hard to pull out that the wire curled up when I finally got the fly out. Knot has never broken!
Lars
Great flycasters don't think straight - they track straight.....
If it moves - and shouldn't, use duct tape...
If it's stuck - and should move, use WD40...
I use the albright and it stuck during a good run of fish that eat 'cudas for breakfast. Never had the knot fail on me. However, as with all knots for tropical fishing: check and double check them.
As for curling up wire: Lars, give Knot2kinky a try, it is a single strand titanium/nickel wire that stretches and does not curl up. I have been using it for a couple of months now and I have no need for other wires. In fact, before I started to use Knot2kinky I became so disillusioned with wire that I went on to use fluorocarbon bite tippets for pike. Never lost a pike with that, but I hated the thick diametre of the tippet, I think that it disables the action of your fly. My new wire has a diametre of 0.20 mm at 12 lbs breaking strain.
Jeroen wrote:I use the albright and it stuck during a good run of fish that eat 'cudas for breakfast. Never had the knot fail on me. However, as with all knots for tropical fishing: check and double check them.
As for curling up wire: Lars, give Knot2kinky a try, it is a single strand titanium/nickel wire that stretches and does not curl up. I have been using it for a couple of months now and I have no need for other wires. In fact, before I started to use Knot2kinky I became so disillusioned with wire that I went on to use fluorocarbon bite tippets for pike. Never lost a pike with that, but I hated the thick diametre of the tippet, I think that it disables the action of your fly. My new wire has a diametre of 0.20 mm at 12 lbs breaking strain.
"The only advice it is necessary to give the angler… is to avoid any approach to foppery, as trout have the most thorough contempt for a fop…”
WC Stewart
Albright is fine, though it can be a little bulky. Other alternatives include using a tiny swivel or a welded ring between the wire and the mono, or a grinner knot with only two turns for the wire - almost the same as the slim beauty knot, but easier to tie for me.
"The only advice it is necessary to give the angler… is to avoid any approach to foppery, as trout have the most thorough contempt for a fop…”
WC Stewart
Joel has a nose for the good stuff!
