Mike F: How do these guys keep the loop on the line? I hope they don't use the plastic sleeve technique!? :-) I think you may have misunderstood what I was suggesting. The original question referred to the use of the commercial mono loops bought in fly shops. These suck. I've had the 50# loops break on small schoolies. I suggested using a piece of 50# or 80# mono (doesn't matter if you use stright or braided) as a permanent butt, and using three nail knots to secure it to the fly line. I'm sure that if you use the braided mono and snake the fly line into the braid before nail knotting, you'd create a very strong connection. That takes care of the butt to flyline connection. as for the actual loop, I tie a perfection loop into the 50 or 80# permanent butt. I think the regular mono is easier to tie a loop knot (like a perfection), but how do you suggest making the loop with the braid? I've caught blue sharks up to 150#, tarpon up to 150#, sailfish, wahoo, hammeheads, etc. and neve
r had a failure with this system. I know Blanton's a big advocate of the shooting head systems (which I don't care for here in the Northeast in the least).