MickD

I've made leaders from leader material (if you try this buy the stiff stuff and do a search to find some good sites on lengths of each pound test and the best knots) and if done right they really do turn over better, especially on bigger flies. But for smaller dry flies I think the knotless Rios and other name brands are very good. The secret I've found on straightening them is heat. I have found that just using my hands is better than a leader straightener. You need to really pull the material hard through your hands, trying to generate heat as you pull. Practice it and you'll probably find the same thing I did. The crinkling right at the knot will be worse for some knots than it is for others. The ones that require a long pull through will crinkle more. And it's especially hard to straighten the last inch or two, so you may have to just cut that off with each new fly to minimize that length of crinkled line. http://www.offthehookflyfishing.com/blog/lefty-krehs-no-slip-loop-knot This loop knot looks like it will tie well without much crinkling.

There is a huge difference between FC leader material and FC line. The FC leader material is much stiffer, tougher, and less prone to damage by kinking, less prone to tangling/looping onto itself. But this does not mean that FC line cannot be successful as a leader. I have done it for years. When I think I may be getting into an especially demanding area, like rocks/pilings/etc that the line/leader may rub against, or might be encountering pike, I'll put on the leader material, usually 20 pound test. It's not foolproof, but it's better.

I've read the whole string a couple times and still don't know where the break is ocurring or what the appearance of the broken line is at the break. Many are trying to help, but they are guessing at what's going on. They could be a lot more help with proper details. Tying direct to lure? To a snap? To a leader? Line brand? Leader type? Breaking at the reel/rod tip/at a knot/which knot/type of knot? Pound test of line/leader? Have you experienced line digging into the spool? It is not just that you are using braid. Most fishermen never have a line breakage on a cast with braid, so it's not that you are using braid that is the issue. If you are new to braid you may not be using the right knots for braid. It has different requirements than mono.

The new premium metallic? Pro FX? They are still selling the old as well as the new premium (at a premium price + $1.00). If the new still springs off I don't know why it's premium. That was the only problem with the old, IMO.

The MHX blank was one of the white ones.

If this was your first experience with the Fuji I suggest trying it again on a different blank. I used the Fuji on an AmTac Bushido blank and had no more trouble getting started than I usually do. I just finished a MHX using Pro Wrap NCP and thought it was more trouble getting started than usual. Possibly it's more about the blank than the thread? coefficient of friction of the blank? My first use of the Fuji was positive. I like Pro Wrap OK exc for the old metallics which are very hard to keep from springing off the spool. I expect the new stuff was designed to fix that.

Re the knots, it's no mystery that uni to uni knots are tougher to get through the guides than an albright, or improved albright (has another name which I cannot now remember, but it's just an albright that you wrap down, then back up). The uni's have five diameters of both the small line and the large line. The albright has only two of the larger line, as does the improved albright. They have either two or four diameters of the finer line, the braid, which makes them very compact. The albright and its improvement depend on getting the tag back through the original loop in the right direction. Get it wrong, they fail, get it right, they are very reliable. Do a search for fishing knots and follow directions perfectly. I run albrights through size 4 micros with 10 pound flouro and 10 pound braid, no sweat. But the knots have to be tied right. I went for a long time not believing in albrights until I finally got (took) the advice on this forum on how to tie it correctly.

I've had the same experience with live craws. I could see the fish, and no takes. I really think that at times the ability to control the presentation with artificial lures makes for a better probability of fish taking it. I have not used natural bait in many years and I catch more fish than when I was trying real worms and real minnows and real crawfish.

It's not about the rod, it's not about the leader pound test, the issue is about not connecting with fish that are following and others striking but not being hooked. When this happens to me I think something is just not quite right about the presentation. Size, color, action, lure type, etc. A lot of possibilities, but the fact that they are following and some are sort of striking indicates you are close. So just change something a little and they may strike with more conviction.

CX is basically a co-polymer line coated with flourocarbon. No wonder it behaves better than pure flouro. Not sure it's as clear. I don't see how coating a line with flouro will make it less visible since the core still has some of the properties of the nylon component. I'm not convinced that the invisibility of flouro is that important anyway.

Will try it. thanks,

Flouro can be amazingly fragile after digging out a backlash. It hardly takes anything to damage it. I'm about to give up on flouro for this reason. It backlashes more than mono or braid, it is easily damaged in removing the backlash, and other advantages just don't justify the problems with it.

Use no more heat to get it off than necessary by applying tension to the tiptop while applying the VERY LITTLE HEAT with a lighter. Use a rubber band to apply the tension. The rubber band through the eye will not be damaged by the heat to the tube since you will be applying the heat very gently. The idea is to get the tiptop to come off when the adhesive gives due to the heat and you then will take the heat off and not apply enough to damage the blank. I cut slender chips off the hot melt stick and put them into the tube of the new tiptop, heat the tiptop, and slide it on. Check the position and if not right, just gently heat it again and rotate into position.

I wouldn't use them on a spin build, but like their fly grip on the lighter fly rods. Everyone to his own taste.

The bearing nomenclature most likely means that the reel has 7 regular bearings and 1 one-way bearing/clutch to provide the anti-reverse function. If you have used that outfit quite a while and have had no issues, don't worry about it, just keep using it. Keep it maintained properly and keep the line in good condition. That's about it. The most likely failure of any spinning reel is the bail spring and I've been told a number of times that closing the bail manually really takes the stress off that spring. True? It's logical. When buying new you may want to consider name brands since some repair shops don't service non-name brands, even though most are made by the name brand manufacturers. http://www.scsurffishing.com/articles/reelmaintenance.htm DVT has gotten some good reviews on this forum and offers a special on repair/maintainence to members.

Loop knot mentioned on last post is very easy to tie, I've never had one fail, and as stated allows freedom of movement for the lure. Great for flies as well for same reason. I have always used a double uni for line to line, but I finally learned how I was screwing up the Alberto, which I prefer because it is much more compact. In some line sizes, like 10 # flouro leader to 10 # braid, it can easily go through micro guides. The trick is that the tag end must go back through the loop in the same direction the main line comes in. When you're done they will both be on the same side of the loop they go through. Tied this way it is a great knot. Tie it the other way, with the tag end going on the wrong side of the loop, and it will fail. The double uni is bigger than the Alberto because it has 5 "layers" of the large diameter line while the Albero only has two. Tied right both are reliable.

I agree with DVT re filling in between the skeleton parts. What you are doing is making a conventional reel seat very difficult. The Pac Bay contour seat suggested is comfortable due to the swell, and unlike the Aero seat, is uplocking which for most anglers keeps the seat threads out of contact with the hands. Which is good, IMHO. Tennessee seats, if done really well, are good for comfort and will lock the reel on well. But if not done exactly right, will not hold the reel as securely as other seats. Here is another way to skin the cat which works very well for comfort, sensitivity, and beauty. http://clients.criticalimpact.com/newsletter/newslettercontentshow1.cfm?contentid=9599&id=1069 I suggest Riley foam or Pac Bay shims for the ramps. They can be machined by inserting a snug fitting drill bit into the bore and turning them on a drill press. No lathe is needed. If you fit them properly to the blank you won't even need a winding check- a small filet of epoxy will suffice.

Rodgeek blanks are made by St Croix, and from all I've heard, are very nice blanks. It sounds to me like appearance is a priority with you (as it is with me-if you are going to do a custom rod, and you can get really good blanks in about any color you want, you might as well make it look as good as it performs,) I have done matte black rods, and while they look good if done right, I really prefer glossy blanks for appearance. A little detail that does make a difference, glossy finishes don't show minor screwups in applying the wrap finish as much as matte finish blanks do. Rainshadow Immortals are a little pricey, but are wonderful performing and very classy looking with their gloss titanium chrome finish, a finish that goes with just about any color wrap. I presume you're considering 4 piece. I will build nothing else in fly rods now. I don't believe there is a discernible action difference between 2 and 4, and the 4's travel so much better. A new product that really makes sense on a fly rod is the Winn Grip. Take a look at them and if there is a color that works, you may want to give them a try. Better grip and comfort than any other material, IMHO.

I notice that the site does not show all the colors, but what you want are the HD skirts on this page: http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/silicone-skirts/360733.aspx# Ask Jann's to send a hard copy catalogue; it's one every fisherman should have. They have three skirts in this group that are called bluegill, the 092 Bluegill, the 165 Baby Bluegill, and the 738 Bull Bluegill. The first is truest to the bluegills I see around here, the baby is a little paler, and the bull is brighter, with some orange turning to yellow/gold strands along the bottom. There is also a pretty bright 090 pumpkinseed and 788 Sunfish. These are really nice skirts, $3.79 for 5. They are the quick change type like the Terminator design, so they are easy to use, they stay in position on the spinnerbait better than any rubber ring type skirt I've seen.

I expect custom making your own to match your bluegills is the best option, but if you're lazy like I am, check out JannsNetcraft.com.

You said you want the best, not necessarily the cheapest, so go Simms. My experience in tropical fishing is that all of the wicking type ones will work fine and be comfortable even in the hottest weather, but the nostril holes on the Simms makes it the best. Might take a little practice with any of them to get them to fit properly.

When you use a long leader after the swivel it gets really inconvenient casting the rig, so I suggest no longer than about 18 inches. For rigs with a line to line connection that can go through the guides, lengths of 3-6 feet are often used. I usually go longer in clearer water, shorter in cloudy or weedy waters.

Agree with WRB. In addition, I've found that on occasion the change from one weight to another will change the sink rate to better match what the fish prefer. Both with smallies and largemouth, jigs/trailers and tubes.

I built a green Rainshadow and really like its looks. Wrapped with a lighter shade of the same green with three orange single thread accents in the wrap, ending with three orange threads. It really has a classy, traditional, look.

I think the best line pick, which is on my list of gadgets, is a small crochet hook. I also agree that some device to handle a big fish, like a net or lip grab tool is essential.