Pongolo River Tigers: Budget fishing style.

[Andre]

Agree, the nylon coated stuff is absolute ribbish, you would be doing yourself a favour by not going that route as Berto suggests. My recommendation is a roll of that "paino wire" that you get from tackle shops (not sure what its real name is), and attach a 6 to 8 inch section directly to each fly (they can show you hiw to do the attachment, and if you get it right, it doesn't leave a sharp end to prick you on the fingers). Do this with a lot of flies, as the flies get severely chomped, and you can simply tie another one on. Get yourself a packet of small swivels, and tie then onto the other end of the wire. You would then have at least 30 or so flies rigged with wire and a swivel to effect a quick fly change. You going to be horrified as to how many flies you will go through, and to rig up a new trace for each fly change, is going to be a real ball ache.

Best tip so far, the Nylon coated stuff is crap. Once it has been damaged the Tigers also hit the damaged bit and it's just not as tough as the regular trace is.

I pre tie my lengths of leader beforehand with a power swivel at the line and a doo-hickey wrapping of the trace itself, shown to me by a mate, which allows you to easily change flies if your trace hasn't been fudged by a fish yet, without having to retie a fresh trace and fly onto your line.

I don't fish that light though, usually chucking 45lb (I think it's #5) or maybe one class lighter, having been bitten off on the trace enough times while fishing the dam to NOT want that horrible feeling.

You can also try the Titanium wire, that stuff is impervious to the kinking you get from having a Tiger gnawl your fly and trace, just horribly expensive and more difficult to manipulate while making up your traces.

Have recently started using it in articulated/segmented double hook flies for the Tigers, it works well and fixes the tail nipping issue.

[edd]

Agree, the nylon coated stuff is absolute ribbish, you would be doing yourself a favour by not going that route as Berto suggests. My recommendation is a roll of that "paino wire" that you get from tackle shops (not sure what its real name is), and attach a 6 to 8 inch section directly to each fly (they can show you hiw to do the attachment, and if you get it right, it doesn't leave a sharp end to prick you on the fingers). Do this with a lot of flies, as the flies get severely chomped, and you can simply tie another one on. Get yourself a packet of small swivels, and tie then onto the other end of the wire. You would then have at least 30 or so flies rigged with wire and a swivel to effect a quick fly change. You going to be horrified as to how many flies you will go through, and to rig up a new trace for each fly change, is going to be a real ball ache.

Yea I'll have to agree with both of you on this, tying piano wire onto the flies with haywire twist and power swivels is just the easiest thing ever.

Takes some time to get the whole haywire thing right though, and your fingers tend to bleed allot from poking that sharp sh!t into them, but once you get the hang of it it's actually easy.

[Andre]

Theres a way of breaking the wire off at the twist, with a pliers, so it doesnt prick. It takes some practice, but its great once you can get it right. Thanks for giving it a name, I didn't know it was callad a haywire twist.

Yea I'll have to agree with both of you on this, tying piano wire onto the flies with haywire twist and power swivels is just the easiest thing ever.

Takes some time to get the whole haywire thing right though, and your fingers tend to bleed allot from poking that sharp sh!t into them, but once you get the hang of it it's actually easy.

[redhumpy]

I have a eztwist tool and a straightener - bought both from Sollies.
Was a once of investment that lasts a lifetime and well worth the bucks.

dubro_eztwisttool.jpg

41b6t6aUMWL._SL400_.jpg

[edd]

Theres a way of breaking the wire off at the twist, with a pliers, so it doesnt prick. It takes some practice, but its great once you can get it right. Thanks for giving it a name, I didn't know it was callad a haywire twist.

I actually get them to break off without using pliers also breaks off nice and neat, you just bend the wire 90 degrees once the twist is done and then wiggle it till it breaks.

I tend to get the wire into my finger while working with it and not looking at what I'm doing, but then I only do it once or twice and then realise I need to pay more attention

[edd]

I have a eztwist tool and a straightener - bought both from Sollies.
Was a once of investment that lasts a lifetime and well worth the bucks.

dubro_eztwisttool.jpg

41b6t6aUMWL._SL400_.jpg

I also used once of those, great when you're just learning how to make the haywire, but found that making them by hand was quicker, easier and the end result was neater.

Maybe I just suck at using tools :tongue:

[Andre]

Agreed, I also have one, used it a few times and it was great, but once I got the hang of it by hand, it was easier and quicker. I didn't like the way it twists the wire, I prefer the twists to be lying alongside each other, but for the guys who cant do it quickly by hand, its a lifesaver It can be a help if you are rigging a hundred flies with wire, then your fingers don't get so tired..

I also used once of those, great when you're just learning how to make the haywire, but found that making them by hand was quicker, easier and the end result was neater.

Maybe I just suck at using tools :tongue:

[edd]

Agreed, I also have one, used it a few times and it was great, but once I got the hang of it by hand, it was easier and quicker. I didn't like the way it twists the wire, I prefer the twists to be lying alongside each other, but for the guys who cant do it quickly by hand, its a lifesaver It can be a help if you are rigging a hundred flies with wire, then your fingers don't get so tired..

lol, same reason I stopped using mine the wire can be twisted way neater by hand. Wired up around 50 flies a while back and I'll agree you're hand hurt like hell afterwards, so the tool makes doing that a tad easier.

[OliverO]

Honestly
Nylon coated is a waste of money rather use your bucks to buy a fly or something or add it to the money for the SWAMBO's convincing prezzie, even small puppy tigers will kink it on the first couple of hits, its just going to frustrate the piss out of you. And don't bother with the Nickel Titatanium stuff either not worth the high price either.
Up to November will give you plenty of time to pre-rig your flies and learn how to make the haywire twist and break of the tag so that it doesnt leave a sharp bit to stick you when you least expect it. The method I use to accomplish this is to follow the description in Lefty Kreh's Fly Fishing Knots and Connections pg118

haywiretwist.jpg

This is just my opinion on the water but small swivels sometimes form a bubble trail in the current or when fighting a better sized fish, being bitten of by a rat is even more frustrating than the torn up flies, kinked wire and 50% drop.

[Andre]

That is a very useful drawing. Explains it perfectly. One think to add, you might want to hold the wire at the swivel with a long nosed pliers, or the pliers on your leatherman, otherwise its quite difficult to twist the wire while the swivel is rotating.. in fact near impossible. I agree totally on your comment re the swivels in the water, but hey, these are tigers and they have no manners. Anything that makes the slightest splash in the water is fair game. I have even had my line nailed by a tiger while it was splashing up and down on the surface during the retrieve. That really peed me off... one perfectly good line... destroyed.