nicepix
Well-known member
I've been using furled leaders for the past few weeks in an attempt to reduce the number of tangles when casting feeders and ledgers. It has worked a treat and in my opinion is better than rig tubing when fishing light for roach and chub. It can be used for carp rigs too if you step up the strength of line used to make it. With a conventional ledger link of about 7.5cm (3") and a furled leader I can reduce the number of tangles to zero.
A furled leader is used by trout anglers between the heavy plastic coated fly line and their tippet of light mono or fluoro' and allows the flies to turn over better so that they don't tangle.
To make one you need some stiff mono or fluoro' just over twice what you decide the length of the completed furled leader you want. If I'm using 6lb line for chub I would knot a length of around 50 cm (20") of 10lb - 12lb mono or fluoro' to the main line after the ledger link and bead had been threaded onto the main line. Then clip a pair of forceps onto the end of your leader, grip the knot and spin the forceps clockwise a couple of times. Then still holding the knot with one hand and the forceps with the other put the end of the line with the forceps still attached to the knot. Grip both ends of the line with one hand and smooth out the wrinkles and loops with wetted fingers of the other hand until you get a smooth and even furled length of line.
Ideally you want it to be tight enough that you can separate the line to make a loop at the end, but have no areas of leader where the lines are separated on their own account. Add or subtract twist by spinning the forceps one way or the other then once you are happy with the result take hold of both ends of line above the knot, remove the forceps and make a double loop knot so that it buts up against the knot that joins your line to the leader. Trim the end tag and smooth the furls using a wetted finger and thumb.
You can join your hook link to the furled leader using a loop to loop knot.
A furled leader is used by trout anglers between the heavy plastic coated fly line and their tippet of light mono or fluoro' and allows the flies to turn over better so that they don't tangle.
To make one you need some stiff mono or fluoro' just over twice what you decide the length of the completed furled leader you want. If I'm using 6lb line for chub I would knot a length of around 50 cm (20") of 10lb - 12lb mono or fluoro' to the main line after the ledger link and bead had been threaded onto the main line. Then clip a pair of forceps onto the end of your leader, grip the knot and spin the forceps clockwise a couple of times. Then still holding the knot with one hand and the forceps with the other put the end of the line with the forceps still attached to the knot. Grip both ends of the line with one hand and smooth out the wrinkles and loops with wetted fingers of the other hand until you get a smooth and even furled length of line.
Ideally you want it to be tight enough that you can separate the line to make a loop at the end, but have no areas of leader where the lines are separated on their own account. Add or subtract twist by spinning the forceps one way or the other then once you are happy with the result take hold of both ends of line above the knot, remove the forceps and make a double loop knot so that it buts up against the knot that joins your line to the leader. Trim the end tag and smooth the furls using a wetted finger and thumb.
You can join your hook link to the furled leader using a loop to loop knot.
