MYDO Figure of Eight Leader System (again) – extraordinarily fast and reliable braid to leader
The braid to leader question has been answered a thousand times. Simple fact is, that you can so easily tie two simple uni-knots back to back and you will be fine. However, there some fantastic joins to learn and this is but one of them…
The Art of Tying Fishing Knots
Anybody’s right-of-passage is the famed Bimini Twist to create a double-line So good-looking. So strong. You can get fast enough too, this knot can take seconds if you practise. Well, at least 30 seconds.
Then there is the traditional fly-fishing knot – the Albright. Which we adapted to become the Albright Special. Since it gets a bit of shoulder bolstering at the end part. Which takes the pressure off the main part of the knot, as the leader system traverses the rod guides. Increasing longevity remarkably.
But after years of being in the thick of things, we settled on this next combination. That we learned fishing the Southern Natal Light Tackle League in the mid-80s.
Braid to Leader with the MYDO Figure-of-Eight Leader System
A surgeon’s loop is quick and strong. If your leader knots are going to go through the eyes of the rod during the cast, then this loop has to be built tiny. Like an inch only. If its a trolling rod, take the full length of double-line allowed. 5 ft up to 20 lb line class. 10 feet over that line class. Please correct me if I am wrong again — they keep changing the rules them IGFA chaps.
Then, funnily enough, the exact same knot in one end of the pre-cut leader. But this time using only the single leader line. As you tighten, you will see a very clear figure-of-eight materialise right in front of your eyes.
Now we need to thread the double line up through the bottom hole of the figure of eight, from the inside. When the loop is through, pass the entire pre-cut leader through said loop. Gently close the loops up. You have now created a cats claw join. Very slick!
Lubricate the figure-of-eight and tighten using the tag end. If the double line is not equal at this point, just pull on it and it will become equal. Tighten real tight – I like to melt the line and the braid together!
I sure hope the video helps explain all this, and that that sub-par audio is compensated ok by the sub-titles.
You can buy Mydos at https://thesardine.co.za/mydo if you live in Southern Africa. That website is in Rands. This one is in USD and takes international deliveries into account.