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Combi Link Question

M

Matt White

Senior Member
Hi All

Is it safe to create a combi-link by joining 10lb sensor mainline to 10lb sink-braid using a loop to loop connection?

Matt
 
Well you could do but why would you want to ? There are loads of purpose made combi link materials out there that will do the job better.
Phil.W
 
Dave - I meant safe as in would one material cut into the other.

Philip - What do you mean by 'purpose made' materials? I dont want to use coated braids as I want to start and use a long hooklength, around 3ft. Using coated braid for this would mean a spool would only last 5 minutes!

Matt
 
Ahh! Got you.

I always join mine with a micro swivel or rig ring which I wrap with a small amount of plasticine or rig putty which will help the hook to turn and the rig work more effectively. However, many do attach loop to loop and seem to get on okay with it.
 
Matt,

You will find that the rig favoured by Phil Smith is a combi link with Mono and Braid joined by loop to loop knots, he caught lots of doubles from lots of rivers with it....so it should be safe enough.

Personally I prefer the albright knot which is pretty much what is shown in the Quest video clip and designed specifically for joining different thickness materials such as you are using. If you put a blob of tungsten putty over the knot and a couple more bck up the fluoro/mono, it will keep it nicely pinned down too.
 
So if you were to use this rig with a swivel or rig ring, would your mainline go straight through to the short braid hook link? How would you stop the feeder/lead?
Would you just use a swivel and beads as in most other rigs?

Matt
 
Matt

Thread your link swivel and a couple of beads or a tail rubber onto your main line then attach a swivel to the end with a grinner knot or similar. Tie up your combi rig and then tie the mono end of the combi to the swivel at the end of your line.
 
Matt White said:
Hi All

Is it safe to create a combi-link by joining 10lb sensor mainline to 10lb sink-braid using a loop to loop connection?

Matt
Click to expand...
Matt, the best way, is to test the rig yourself. I have, sad or not, spent a fair bit of time, tying combi rig knots and pulling spool to spool seeing which one breaks first. That way you can see the knot break under your nose and get a better understanding of whats going on. Obviously each different mono/braid acts differently. DIY is the way forward.
As for the albright knot, there seems to be a few takes on this, but i do prefer the 6 up and 6 down way.
 
I've been tying mine recently with 12lb ESP Ghost soft and 12lb sinkbraid using the 5 up 5 down knot, it's been working well catching me a few big chub so I decided to do a throughly un-scientific test on the rig last night and found it broke at around 11.5lb, which is plenty for me!
 
Jon,

I generally use 12lb sinkbraid about an inch to inch and a half long and 12lb Korda IQ2 about 2ft long, I have never done a scientific test on the breaking strain but can say that when I have been a little over zealous pulling everything tight I have broke the rigs, they have always broken in the middle of the sink braid, i.e. not at a knot. The same on the rare occasions when I have had to pull for a break from a snag, the link comes back with about half an inch of sink braid still attached.
 
Nick, Julian, how big are the chub you've been catching........ 12lb line:eek:, I know they get big on the rivers Stour and Loddon.
BUT:rolleyes: they ain't that big;).
 
Thanks Ian. I was just curious. You can obviously tie a great knot. As for the BS, thats your choice and works for you, i dare not tell you mine on this forum, as i may get some flak from non trent men.
Thank you
 
Hi Jon, sorry for the late reply. Like Ian, none of my rigs broke at the knot, one of them broke in the fluoro and the rest in the sinkbraid.
And Colin 12lb line is a bit excessive isn't it, but in my defence I was barbel fishing... Not that i managed to catch any!
 
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