In fishing always use leashes. When fishing with float gear and a feeder, a leash is needed so that the equipment is less noticeable for the fish. And when catching a predator, it protects the fishing line from snacking. Thin fishing line (monophilic or braid ) is considered to be a classic material for leashes on white fish. In leashes on the predator, more rigid materials are used, mainly steel or tungsten. These materials have a number of drawbacks: noticeability in water, the result of which is repelling production; stiffness that adversely affects the game of the bait; deformation after biting large specimens.
Today, the lion's share of anglers switched to a new fishing material - fluorocarbon. It allows you to forget about the above problems once and for all. The material is strong enough to withstand the resistance of large fish, is practically invisible in water and is resistant to damage. Today we will take a closer look at this material and learn how to make a fluorocarbon leash on a pike with our own hands.
Fluorocarbon
So, flurocarbon (also known as polyvinylidene fluoride or fluorocarbon) is a chemical polymer that is close in composition to typhlon. Its main property is resistance to aggressive environments (ultraviolet, moisture, temperature change and mechanical stress). In fishing, it is also appreciated by the fact that, unlike simple nylon woods, it is invisible in the water column. The reason for this is the refractive index of light, close to water.
Fluorocarbon fishing line does not change its properties under the influence of both high and low temperatures. It practically does not stretch and does not wear out. Allows you to make a hard cut, drowns quickly and is not wetted by water. Since the technology for producing fluorocarbon woods is very expensive, they are relatively expensive. Therefore, as a rule, anglers put a leash on a pike made of fluorocarbon, and take the main fishing line cheaper. Among the budget options, you can find simple fishing lines covered with a fluorocarbon shell.
How to choose a quality product
When buying a fluorocarbon fishing line, you should focus on a company that gives a guarantee on its products. The fact is that not all brands are engaged in production. Fluorocarbon for pike leads is available at a small number of enterprises. Other companies simply purchase the finished product and wind it on coils under their own name. For orientation: 25 meters of high-quality fluorocarbon cost about three dollars.
Range
On the shop window you can find a fairly large assortment of fluorocarbon woods. Consider the most famous of them.
- Flurocarbon from Salmo. The main advantage of this product is its cheapness. The material is not recommended for fishing predators, especially large ones. But for float fishing, it works well. This product breaks, usually on the nodes.
- Fluorocarbon ForMax Specter. This fishing line also belongs to the budget, but can already be used in feeder fishing and perch fishing. It differs in rigidity, therefore it is often used in such feeder mounting as Gerdner's loop.
- Hyper Clear Fluorocarbon from Daiwa. It is considered a very high-quality fishing line and deserves extremely positive reviews. The product holds the knot well, weakly abrades and, with a diameter of 0.4 mm or more, resists pike teeth. Smaller diameters are used for feeder and float accessories. On sale there are inexpensive unwindings of 25 meters.
- Krepton Team Fluorocarbon from Milo. The fishing line has properties similar to the previous one, but it is softer and more durable. Best suited for ultralight fishing and float fishing. The product of this company is more expensive, as it is sold in unwindings of 50 meters.
- Bercley's Fluorocarbon Trilene super strong is the latest in fishing tackle market. The fishing line is very hard, strong and resistant to pike teeth.
- Sunline Siglon FC. The fluorocarbon pike leash of this model is today considered the most high-quality. Great for catching a large predator. Unwindings of 30 and 50 meters are available for sale.
Fluorocarbon pike leash: advantages and disadvantages
When fishing for pike, a leash is needed to strengthen the fishing line near the spinner. In this zone, a fish can eat a simple fishing line and go into its habitat along with the lure, which now cost quite a bit. Previously, all kinds of cables and wires were used for this, which were clearly visible in the water and had a bad effect on the game of the bait. Fluorocarbon leashes made fishing more sensitive and effective. We have already considered the advantages of the material above, now let's pay attention to its disadvantages.
The first thing that stops an unskilled fisherman when buying a fluorocarbon is its cost. The material is quite difficult to produce, and therefore the price for it is appropriate. The second drawback is that with each bite the material deteriorates. Usually a fluorocarbon leash can withstand up to 20 bites. If you notice damage to the material, it must be replaced immediately. Savings in this case may result in an annoying gathering of captured fish.
We make a leash of fluorocarbon on a pike with our own hands
Fluorocarbon leashes are widely represented on the gear market and are relatively inexpensive. But it’s much cheaper to knit them yourself. Moreover, purchased leashes often do not suit anglers in terms of their characteristics. By making a leash yourself, you can not only save, but also make the most suitable product for certain fishing conditions.
So, before you figure out how to knit leashes from fluorocarbon on a pike, we will figure out what tools and materials we need for this. The list is pretty simple:
- Fluorocarbon fishing line with a diameter of up to 0.5 mm. It can be finer, if you know that a small pike is found in a pond, and are ready to risk the reliability of gear for its sensitivity.
- Swivels with breaking load up to 10 kilograms. Two swivels are needed: one simple and one with a carbine.
- Crimp tubes.
- Tool for crimping the tubes - crimper. With proper skills, simple pliers will do.
- A file, preferably diamond.
Installation
First you need to prepare crimp tubes. Well-proven products with a length of 1 cm from the company Elite Alliance. For greater accuracy and elegance of gear, the tube can be cut in half with a file. For this purpose, a file is made in the middle of the tube, which allows you to break it manually. The edges of the fracture must be processed to remove burrs. And so that there are no burrs inside, you can flare the tube with a thick needle. All these tube manipulations are done to reduce their size. In principle, this is not necessary, especially if you are just learning to leash a fluorocarbon pike.
When the tubes are ready, you can start mounting the gear. One end of the leash is inserted into the tube. A swivel is put on it. Then this end is inserted into the tube two more times (back and forth). Thus, the line passes through the tube three times and two loops are formed. On one of them is a swivel, and the second serves for reliability of fastening. The swivel loop is tightened to a length of 5-7 millimeters. And the second loop is pulled to the edge of the tube. The excess end of the material is trimmed.
Now you can crimp the tube. The force of depression is determined empirically. Make several leashes with different clamping forces and test them under weight. Crimping consists of two stages. First, the entire tube is crimped in one plane. Then a thin crimp is made in the middle of the tube in a perpendicular plane. The ends of the tube are crimped only in the first stage. Now you can cut the leash from the skein of fishing line. As a rule, its length is 35-50 cm. Then the same operation is performed on the other end of the leash, only in this case a swivel with a clasp is put on. If you want to make fluorocarbon leashes on a pike for zherlitsa, then instead of a swivel with a carbine, just put on a hook.
Leashes prepared according to this method, with a diameter of 0.4-0.5 mm fluorocarbon fishing line, can withstand pike resistance weighing 8-9 kilograms.
Fluorocarbon leads for ultralight
This material is often used by adherents of ultralight. In this case, a length of 20-30 centimeters will be sufficient. In ultralight, it is not necessary to use thick fluorocarbon. Instead of clamping tubes for fasteners, nodes can also be used. But do not forget that the material is sensitive to their quality.
Knots
To make a leash of fluorocarbon with your own hands without using crimp tubes, you need to learn how to knit special knots. To tie the leash to the main fishing line, a knot called “Carrot” is usually used. This site has proven itself in practice. It fits quite simply, according to the scheme below.
To tie a carabiner to a leash (and professional ultralighters knit a leash directly to the bait), a knot called "Nessevri" is perfect. The scheme is given below. And do not forget that before tightening any knot, it must be moistened. This simple action will add extra strength to the assembly.
Conclusion
Today we got acquainted with such material as fluorocarbon, examined its advantages and disadvantages, learned what fluorocarbon to choose for leashes for pike, and most importantly - learned to knit leashes on your own. In fishing, practice is of great importance, so do not be too lazy to learn how to knit good leashes. And then you can protect yourself from the loss of expensive spinners.