Here's a quick tutorial for making your own float stoppers. These are really just fly fishermen's nail knots tied on a small beverage straw.
Here's what you need. I like to use bright orange 20 lb. Dacron flyline backing because it's easy to see where my stopper is. Any color will do. I'm also told that old 30 lb. Powerpro braided line will work, though I haven't used it.
Lay two straws side by side and begin wrapping a 6 inch piece of the Dacron around both straws, trapping the first wrap under the second as shown.
Continue wrapping back toward your left hand (if you're right handed) until you've laid down five neat wraps. Then slip the end of the Dacron in the little valley between the two adjacent straws as shown.
Pull both ends to snug them neatly against the two straws. Grasp knot between thum and index finger and slip one straw out of the knot.
Pull both ends to snug knot on straw. Cut straw length off, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of Dacron on each end. (I don't trim these ends short as some do, preferring to leave them long so I can tighten the knot at any time in case it works loose. The limp Dacron will slip easily through your rod guides.)
Put your float stops in a small container. The one I use is a round Altoids Mint tin. I keep my barrel swivels, a couple of inline weights, float stops, and beads (in a Tic Tac Mint box for easy dispensing) in the Altoids box for easy, all-in-one-place access. The Tic Tac box fits perfectly inside the Altoids tin, making all your float terminal gear available with one grab from your tackle bag.
On the stream, just slide the straw onto your line, slip the straw out, leaving the knot on your line. Pull tag ends of Dacron to tighten, then finish rigging your terminal gear.
Now go fish!
zonker
«Edited: December 28, 2004, 08:55:35 PM by Brian »
