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sefly.com
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Back in the day when the Miami Beach Rod and Reel Club was laying down the dogma for what is and is not kosher angling practices; it was decreed that "fly fishing" should be limited to tippets of 12 pound or less, and should be fished without the benefit of shock leader. As attitudes evolved about the definition of what was "sporting" fly tackle, shock leaders became the norm. Famed Florida Keys fly fishing guide Jimmy Albright developed one of the first, and still widely used knots for connecting a light tippet to a heavy shock tip. |
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| The Albright Knot
is a suitable connection between smaller diameter tippets and heavy mono
shock leaders as well as between mono and wire. It is the only knot
I use to connect wire to mono when constructing fly leaders. To eliminate the possibility that the wire may pull free from the mono, some anglers prefer to make a haywire twist loop in the end of the wire prior to tying the Albright Knot. I usually forgo the haywire loop, preferring instead to make a slight bend in the doubled over wire. I started doing this to allow the wire and the leader to pull in a straight line and help relieve pressure at the end of the knot. Thus far, I have yet to have the wire to pull free from the mono when properly tied in the fashion.. Tying the Albright is rather straight forward. Careful attention to alignment of the wraps is essential for a strong knot. All wraps should remain side by side, miss aligned wraps will dramatically reduce the ultimate strength of this knot. Ten wraps will work for 20 lb tippets and twelve turns should be used for anything smaller. By using hard mono for your tippet, carefully making the bend in the end of the wire loop, and keeping all wraps in alignment when tightening. This knot will test close to 100 %. Soft mono is a poor choice for attaching to wire.
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| 1.
Fold leader wire about two inches from end. Squeeze loop finger tight. Don't squeeze
so tight that that your tippet will not easily pass through the loop. 2. Using pliers, bend the very tip of the loop about 30 degrees.
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| 3. Pass
about 4 inches of the mono through the wire loop
4. Pinch wire and mono together, then wrap the tag end toward the end of the wire loop.
5. Keep wraps properly aligned. On the bent side of the wire, insert the tag end between the standing end of the mono and the wire.
6. Begin tightening by pulling on the standing end of the mono, allowing the mono to slip through you thumb and fore finger of your holding hand. Keep all wraps in alignment.
7. A tug now and then on the tag end will be necessary to keep everything lined up as the knot cinches down.
8. All wraps must remain side by side for a strong knot. Do not trim the tag end of the mono too short. Harry Hall
sefly
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