Braided Line and Leaders?

[BPACA]

What kind of a knot do I need to use to connect a braided line to a flouro leader? The pros seem to be doing this a lot.

[Rebbasser]

Welcome to the forum!

Uni to Uni splice:



But I don't use a leader with braid-the knot will catch in the guides as you are casting.

[Christopherkeene9]

I use the uni-uni knot as Reb put but I only use about a foot to a foot and half of leader so I stays out-side of your guides all the time, so you don't get it caught as Reb was saying.

[FlyRod]

The Dreaded J-Knot is considered by most to be the most dependable of the knots for joining braid to either mono or fluoro leaders. It can be found on the DuPont website, btw. It is challenging to learn, requiring the use of all ten fingers, some toes,(it helps to have eyes on stalks) and, as Reb can attest, it's no picnic to be anywhere within earshot when I'm tying one, especially in the dark or a stiff breeze...such language!
All that notwithstanding, I use and trust it. I've had far fewer system failures since adopting it, but it is NOT for the clumsy, klutzy, faint-of-heart, or Drama majors. Even Engineering majors can be reduced to whimpering, quivering, abject piles of protoplasm by the *&$%! J-Knot, but we Music majors (especially Trumpet Studs) seem well-suited to it.
Fluoro, in particular, can easily cut through itself (and most small cars, if you use #20 or higher test and saw patiently for an hour or so.) so proper knot selection is paramount. The knot must assure that the fluoro does NOT bear against itself and not all knots guarantee that, either by their design OR improper tying.
NOTE: For durability, use ONLY true fluorocarbon LEADER (labeled as such) material. It is not the same as fluoro lines...much stiffer and far more durable...and will greatly enhance knot dependability. I carry the small spools of P-Line fluoro leader material in my tackle bag, (affectionately known as "The Behemoth") and have great confidence in that product.
Anudder note: If you wanna use mono (too cheap to fill the prescription above, huh?) for leader, select a super tough one, like P-Line CXX X-tra Strong. The softer monos don't stand a chance against braid.
Last, but by no means least, be aware that the primary purpose of a fluoro leader is to reduce line visibility, but there are other advantages AND cautions. They are:
1.Fluoro sinks easily, so that helps offset the tendency of braid to float on the surface AND "sail" in a breeze. Ergo, fluoro helps get 'er down with less drift off the target.
2. Fluoro has less stretch, and this maintains better hooksetting power and sensitivity than mono.
3. Fluoro is far more abrasion resistant than most mono, though some mono, like the CXX mentioned earlier, come close.
4. A Fluoro/braid combination requires far less violence on the hookset. I usually just raise the rod tip with a firm but smooth motion, rather than a jerk, as I reel steadily. At other times I employ a sharp but SHORT snap of the wrist. If you try to tear his face off, you just might, and you run the risk of breaking your brand-new 7'4.2" WalMart Special Hawgtickler!
5. Perhaps best of all, (Reb will bear witness,) the Braid/Fluoro combo gives one the best possible chance of freeing a snag without necessitating running the boat into (and ruining) the sweet spot. The "Robin Hood" tactic, twanging the line between the reel and the first guide, once mastered, will often cause the snagged hook(s) to pop free. A Braid/MONO combo might be somewhat effective here, but markedly less so than with a fluoro leader, especially if you employ longer leaders, as I do, 'cause of stretch negating the "recoil" that can pop 'er loose.
Well, you asked!

Fly R.Odd
Master J-Knotter
Apprentice Baiter

[BPACA]

Thanks..........