Leger stops

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Stathamender
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Leger stops

Post by Stathamender »

I'm paranoid about weakening the last few feet of line before the hook, breakoffs always seem to happen there, usually at where I've put a shot. I usually put my bulk shot as far away from the hook as practicable and where weight near the hook is needed (sliders or need to get the bait down through tiddlers higher up) I increasingly use olivettes stopped by a bead and stop knot, I stopped using shot as leger stops some time ago but have found it difficult to come up with an alternative, the hard plastic leger stops probably weaken your line even more than shot (especially when using a heavy feeder through the pressure down on the holding pin when casting the full feeder, striking or retrieving from distance). The rubber alternatives don't seem to actually hold the line very firmly. Obviously the bead and stopknot approach seems a good alternative although I'm finding stop knots increasingly difficult as my dexterity decreases with age but I lately came across this video (notable for Drennan bad-mouthing one of his more successful products) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeM-wvLI4Mo where he uses 5mm shock beads in conjunction with float stops. He seems to imply that fitting the bead over the first stop increases its grip on the line (otherwise why not simply have a free bead then two stops)? Anybody tried this or have a better alternative?

While I'm on the subject, why do feeders have to have so much lead on them now? Not everyone wants to sling them 100 yds. Worse than that it's just about impossible to get off these days. When I bought my first feeders 45 years ago the weight was excessive even then but the lead was in the form of a strip hooked over either end of the plastic cage (or at most stapled on) and could easily be taken off and a link with a few swan shots substituted (I was gratified to see a few weeks after I first did this that Walker's column in the AT proposed doing exactly the same). Shortly afterwards I started using longer links and putting drinking straws painted green over them. I'm talking about closed end feeders here obviously. Also lids are more difficult to remove too (what I like to do is have the top lid partially open so the passage of water as it sinks pushes the feeder load out). I suppose I could cut the lids off but that seems a bit if a waste. So anyone know where I can get the more old-fashioned kind of feeders?
Iain

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DWW
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Re: Leger stops

Post by DWW »

I must admit I am going down the same path . I am using float stops more and more and again I am moving over to using olivettes when suitable to do so . Many of the companies produce a combined bead and link to which you can tie the main line and then link your hook length which is ideal for my fishing .

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Keston
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Re: Leger stops

Post by Keston »

I used shock beads and float stops when using large pike floats . I found if the stops became too tight on the line when I tried to slide them up or down it would fray the line . It seemed odd that this would happen with rubber on mono but it did .

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Olly
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Re: Leger stops

Post by Olly »

I use the older Drennan hard ledger stops as a break point, knowing anything below that can be lost when pulling for a break. So a sliding link ledger of shot or lead with a ledger stop above will break at the ledger stop.

The ledger stops for braid work better and are tighter on a thick (15lb) monofilament line.

Feeders - I have used the Black Cap (by Kamasan) feeders for many years now without any problems with their variable weights and sizes. I recently purchased some Drennan Feederbombs with a power gum base lid (?) but I am yet to use them. They look better for stillwater or slow river use than the Dorset Stour.

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Stathamender
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Re: Leger stops

Post by Stathamender »

Keston wrote: Fri Aug 04, 2017 2:20 pm I used shock beads and float stops when using large pike floats . I found if the stops became too tight on the line when I tried to slide them up or down it would fray the line . It seemed odd that this would happen with rubber on mono but it did .
This is, I would think, the result of friction. A wet line should provide lubrication but the best solution might be the one used by Billy Lane with stop knots: ensure that the line is under tension (which should marginally reduce the volume of the line) although lines may be less stretchy now than in his day.
Iain

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Stathamender
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Re: Leger stops

Post by Stathamender »

Olly wrote: Fri Aug 04, 2017 3:16 pm I use the older Drennan hard ledger stops as a break point, knowing anything below that can be lost when pulling for a break. So a sliding link ledger of shot or lead with a ledger stop above will break at the ledger stop.
I can understand why you do that especially if you have the reel line straight through to the hook, given that I always use a lighter hook length attached to the reel line with a double loop knot I would expect a break there. I'd also be worried that this stop method might over weaken a line by doing that.
Iain

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I suspect it could be “love”, despite its drawbacks in the rhyming department.
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Olly
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Re: Leger stops

Post by Olly »

Not quite sure about the line running straight through to the hook?

I too use a hook length attached to a swivel or a rubber quick change bead with the mainline at the other end of the swivel to the reel.

The lead/shot nylon link is tied to a run ring which slides up and down the line to an Enterprise rubber bead covering the swivel/bead. The nylon link ends with a weight/shot and between the run ring and the lead is the ledger stop which weakens the nylon link - perhaps a knot would do the same.

If the lead gets stuck, with or without a fish, a hard pull on the line will make the lead link break and not your hook length.

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Aitch
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Re: Leger stops

Post by Aitch »

I use the float stops but for ledgering I put a loop in the end of the line for the hooklink and use 3 rubber float stops above it... this has the effect of stopping the feeder even on a long chuck and has the added bonus of making the line stand out from the feeder reducing tangles...
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Re: Leger stops

Post by JAA »

Yep, float stops for me. Beware the really tight ones, if you move them fast on dry line the heat will damage the line. I make my own from thin silicone rod.

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Mitch300
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Re: Leger stops

Post by Mitch300 »

I usually use a link ledger, with the main line running directly to the hook, for strength. As a stop, I use half an inch of bicycle tire valve rubber on the line, and slide the end of a wooden toothpick (cut to half an inch or less) inside it. To achieve the required force to stop the weight slipping, you are effectively replacing a large stress over a small area of the line (a split shot) with a much smaller shear stress over a larger area of line. Hence there is less stress on any part of the line that is in contact with the stop and much less line damage. Half an inch seems to work well for up to half an ounce of weight. If you go much over an inch, you can get the occasional tangle when casting.

G. B.

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