The Silver King Photo by Louis Cahill
Let me be clear on this…I am not a dumb ass. Well, at least not a big enough dumb ass to try and catch a tarpon on a four weight.
But I did buy a new four weight reel the other day and a ten weight line. So I sat down to line up the two reels, which is my cat’s favorite thing in the world, and something occurred to me. I rig my four weight for tarpon. What I mean by that is that I use the same system for attaching my fly line to the backing that I learned when I started saltwater fly fishing.
Before I started fishing salt I attached my line to the backing with a nail knot, like I learned to as a kid. Now I spend a lot more time whipping a loop on the back of my fly line with tying thread and superglue. Then I spend even more time tying a double Bimini twist in my backing and connecting loop to loop. But why?
Well, it’s clearly a stronger connection but do I need that on a four weight trout rod? It sure doesn’t hurt when you find yourself connected to a ten pound trout on your four weight. You will be seeing that backing, I promise. Still, it’s clearly overkill. It comes back through your guides smoother and that’s nice, but still not a big deal. Here’s my reasoning, and this is why I use this method on all my reels.
First, it’s just better. Second, and most importantly, I only change that ten weight line once a year, some times not even that. Why let the knot I trust to hold a tarpon be the first knot of it’s kind I have tied in a year? Knot skills are like anything else, use it or loose it. So when I rig up, I rig for tarpon, every time. I don’t know if I land more tarpon but if I lose a four weight line I’ll be very surprised.
Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
I would love to see something on how to rig up for the salt. I spent the summer in the Keys learning how to fish saltwater, but I didn’t have any fly fisherman around to show me that aspect of the keys. I’ve only found one decent source online for how to rig up in this style (which I haven’t found again), and the rest just phrase it how you do: “whip a loop”, ect. How exactly do you do all that? Could you point to a good website that has good pointers on various rigging styles?
Dan,
Thanks for your comment. We have some content, including some video, on that subject coming out early next year. Stay tuned!
I’ll check that out.
My Buddy and I were fishing a cenote in Mexico years ago and need to weight our fly lines to get down so I dug out some shooting heads I had made up with whip finished loops. He hooked a huge tarpon and it popped the loop. It failed.
Maybe I made it up incorrectly but I have since gone to a different method. I bought some Gudebrod braided butt leader, 50# and use that Dan Blanton method of making them up. I just have more confidence in that system.
Hello Dan here is a you tube video on whipping a loop in your fly line. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFluzChZSlo
You can also find it on the Deneki Website.
Bruce
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Nathaniel Linville has extremely helpful rigging videos on THE ANGLING COMPANY website along with multiple helpful hints to get you prepared to hit the salt in the KEYS.