This connection creates ultra-smooth, neat loops on fly-line tips, shooting heads, and shooting fly lines. Use this procedure to join sections of a broken fly line or two different fly lines, i.e. floating to sinking fly line.

1. Soak a 5-inch section of fly line in acetone or lacquer thinner for ten minutes. Remove the line and immediately strip the coating from the 5 inches of fly line.

2. (a) With the point of a needle, separate about an inch of the strands of the braided core. (b) Using a wire brush, comb, or needle, separate all the filaments of the core.

3. With scissors, cut about 1/3 to 1/2 of these filaments so the remaining core filaments are small enough to pass through the eye of the needle.

4. Insert a dulled #8 or #9 needle point into the fly-line core where the exposed core meets the fly line. Push the needle into the fly line 3/8 inch and out the fly line.

5. (a) Remove the pin vise from the needle, leaving the needle in the fly line. Push the needle through the line so that 1/2 inch of the needle eye is showing and attach the pin vise to the point end of the needle. (b) Pass a needle threader through the needle eye, wet the remaining core filaments to stick them together, and pass this wet end of the fly-line core through the threader.

6. Carefully pull the eye of the needle and threaded core up through the fly line and out the exit hole. Pull briskly once the eye of the needle is just inside the line to help pop the larger core up through and out of the fly line.

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7. (a) Continue to pull on the fly-line core until the braided loop is just slightly larger than you want it. Now, apply a bit of Zap-A-Gap at the base of the loop. (b) Pull on the core end a little more. This pulls Zap-A-Gap inside the fly line, welding the loop core inside the fly line.

8. (a) Cut the excess braided core so it is flush with the exit hole on the fly line, without cutting the fly line. (b) Place Zap-A-Gap on the exit hole. (c) Pull hard on the loop and fly line to stretch the core and pull the tip down inside the fly line for a smooth, sealed exit point.

Note: To repair a broken braided-core fly line or join one to another, i.e., a section of sinking line to a floating line or to make a sinking-tip fly line, follow the above directions to step 4. Then do steps 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 into the end of the second fly-line section. With a little practice, you'll be amazed at what neat line-to-line connections you can make. It even allows you to make your own custom-designed tapers.