About Fly Lines

Fly lines are usually made from braided dacron & coated with PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) the quality of both is the price paid.                                           
                                                                      
                                               A few facts

Some years ago I was stripping the PVC sheath from the braid of a fly line (to make a float), & noticed how tight the PVC was on the braid.
I have worked on forcing machines that sheath wires & cables for the auto & commercial trade. On ordinary stranded copper wires, the sheath can easily be removed, (for example when stripping the sheath off, to fit a plug). This is because the melting temperature of the PVC, cannot reach the melting temperature of the copper. When sheathing cores for example Blue, Brown, & Lt Green/ Yellow, a chalk has to be applied to the three stranded cores to allow the outer sheath to be removed from the three inner cores. On very rare occasions not enough chalk would coat the three cores, when this happens; the outer sheath melts & fuses to the three inner cores. This is because the PVC can match the melting temperature of the cores, making it very difficult, or even impossible to be removed. If the sheath could be removed by using more force the inner copper wires would be slightly stretched & become thinner. Quality would have to check if the cable meets the BSS (British Safety Standards) requirements. If the copper wires falls below the minimum size; or the pull test of the PVC sheath exceeds the BSS tolerance, it would certainly be rejected.

The PVC sheath of a fly line does not need to be removed from the inner braid, so nothing needs to be applied to stop the fusion made by the high temperature of the PVC on the inner strength of the fly line which is the braid.

I believe manufactures are wrong to tell the purchaser of a fly line to stretch the lines in order to remove coils caused by the fly reel; they should not be there in the first place. A braid has virtually no give (once it's sheathed) slight tension would have to be placed on the braid in order for the sheath to be applied. Ok PVC may give, I certainly wouldn’t disturb the natural form in which the PVC was applied, stretching the fly line (not only exaggerates its true form) it cause stress to the PVC. Rubber should be used for the above method to be applied.
                           The Precision Knot
The above knot was tested a few times having cut down the fly line in order to allow the knot to leave the rod every time a fish took off. So I know for a fact that this join is absolutely sound for this fly line however I haven’t tested it on any others therefore I would suggest testing it before giving it the OK.

In testing everything well before using them I am surprised how the Nail knot ever got used in the first place? 6lb mono line strips the sheath off a fly line of mine and I have made a video demonstrating how a large amount of sheath can actually be removed in this way. Therefore in my opinion the nail knot really is a nail.
Luckily not all fly lines leave the rod because if they did I know for a fact not many would return that are joined with the nail knot unless the fish are beat beforehand...



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