[Guest]

I just got through spooling some SpiderWire on my Curado, and I was trying to find a way to secure the knot. Although the knot that I tied is fairly fool-proof, that being the Uni-knot, I still had a bit of a tag end.

I remembered what my Dad used to do with ropes that he cut. He would take a cigarette lighter, and burn the ends so that it wouldn't fray, and so that if a knot was tied, that the end of the rope would "balloon" out so that it wouldn't slip.

Well, I did the same with the knots with the SpiderWire. I tied the knots, secured them with my hands, and then trimmed the tag end with some fabric scissors. After that, I took a cigarette lighter and burnt the end of the line.

I did the same with the hook.

You just have to be careful that you only use the edge of the flame and that you do it in small increments. If you do it that way, you have no worries about hurting the rest of the line.

 

[Ouachita]

I melt the tag end of braid knots for hooks to make a little button that won't slip through the knot, but on my Curados I remove the spool out the side then follow the line out behind it. I tie a Palomar knot on the spool, leaving about an inch of tag. Using the clear surgeon's tape that's very permanent on a sliced hand I cut off enough to cover the tag and tape it down across the spool, then slip the spool back in the housing. Once the line is put on with some pressure the tape is sealed down, not to come loose at all without using a razor blade to remove it. I've had stripers peel the line completely off the spool, yet the knot won't slip. I keep a roll of that tape in the boat for cuts while fishing.

Jim

 

[Guest]

What I did was to add the braid to my rod while still having a mono backing. I did a Uni-uni knot to mesh them together, and spooled on the remaining line that was left from doing the same to my Dad's Abu Garcia.

I am going to be using it tomorrow while I fish some new waters with my girlfriend. She's going to be showing me some of the lakes in the area where she lives, and I hope to get a few fish. I should be able to get a few pics, if I get anything of any size, as she has a cam phone.