WO2017091069A1

WO2017091069A1 - Leader for fly fishing

Info

Publication number: WO2017091069A1
Application number: PCT/NL2016/050825
Authority: WO
Inventors: Johannes Theodorus Maria VAN MANEN
Original assignee: Van Manen Consultancy
Priority date: 2015-11-25
Filing date: 2016-11-24
Publication date: 2017-06-01
Also published as: NL2015849B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fly fishing leader (12) comprising a narrowing line, wherein the line is manufactured from a synthetic fibre on the basis of polyethylene, and wherein at least part of the synthetic fibres are fused, and wherein the fly fishing leader comprises two or more than two segments (14, 16, 18), wherein at least one segment comprises fused synthetic fibres, wherein at least one other segment lacks fused synthetic fibres. The fly fishing leader is more preferably manufactured from Dyneema.

Description

Leader for fly Ashing

The invention relates to a leader for fly fishing.

Fly fishing is a form of angling wherein the bait consists of an artificial fly. This is a fishing hook to which feathers and/or hairs are tied so that the hook resembles a fly, an insect and/or other food source. Such bait is also referred to as artificial fly. Fly fishing is done worldwide in both fresh and salt water.

Artificial flies exist in floating form (dry flies), sinking form (wet flies/nymphs) and larger flies, which mimic larger bait such as for instance dragonfly larvae (damsels) or smaller fish (streamers). Because the bait is light, use is made in fly fishing of the weight of the main line for casting of the bait, the 'fly' .

The main lines are manufactured in different weight classes according to an AFTMA code developed by the Associated Fishing Tackle Manufacturers of America (AFTMA). This code is nowadays used by all manufacturers of fly fishing lines. The codes runs from 1 - 12, wherein the weight of the first 9.12 metres of the fly line is weighed. In addition, there are codes for the type of line, for instance with the designations floating, sinking, intermediate, fast sinking and sink/floating (SF) lines. There are also codes for the composition of the fly line: Level (L), Double Taper (DT), Weight Forward (WF) and Single Taper (ST). The floating lines can be Double Taper (DT) or so-called Torpedo lines (Weight Forward). In addition, there are also so-called Shooting Heads (SH) which are often expressed in weight in grains, depending on the height of the AFTMA code. There are also further diverse variants of said lines.

Fly main lines are unsuitable for attaching the artificial fly nymph directly thereto. The presentation of the artificial fly would then be so unnatural that a fish would not bite. In order to obtain a natural presentation of the bait a so-called leader or cast is attached to the main line. The leader is a line which tapers, also referred to as conical tapering, in the direction of the outer end where the bait is attached.

The first leaders in history were made of hair, for instance horsehair. Later, from the start of the 20^th century, gut was used, for instance catgut. Nylon fishing line (DuPont®) became available in 1958, and leaders were made by knotting pieces of nylon together. Later still, nylon leaders became available which were made in one piece in a factory and which were manufactured with a tapering form and in one piece, i.e. not knotted, in a factory.

The object of the leader was and is always the same, i.e. to form a gradually tapering connection between the main lines and the artificial fly forming the bait. So from thick to thin, wherein the thickness of the leader is thinnest close to the bait and determines the strength (weakness) of the whole leader. The outer end close to the bait is also referred to as the tippet. When casting a fly line, the main line and the leader connected thereto follow the movement(s) of the fly rod. If the fly rod is suddenly decelerated, a type of travelling wave is created which is referred to in fly fishing jargon as a loop. This momentum passes from the fly line to the leader. The momentum is transmitted to a narrowing, increasingly thin line, whereby the speed of the wave increases. This behaviour is similar to a whiplash. As a result of the increasing speed of the wave, the main line and the leader will straighten and the bait can reach the maximum casting distance. If desired, this casting distance can be increased further if the fly fisher then shoots loose fly line using the hand which is not the rod hand.

The leader can also take a floating, very slowly sinking or sinking form, as desired by the fly fisher. In practice this is done by coating the leader in special grease so as to allow it to float or by applying a paste to the leader, which causes it to sink. The same effect is sometimes achieved by applying a material other than nylon, as will be elucidated hereinbelow.

The currently most commonly used leaders are manufactured from nylon. The success of nylon leaders lies partly in the good processability thereof. A nylon leader has the intrinsic property that it floats on the water. If it is desired that the leader sink, a further processing such as applying a weighting adhesive paste to the leader is necessary. This however does not necessarily mean that nylon leaders are ready for use as such for dry artificial flies. Many fly fishers prefer the nylon leader to run at least partially below the water surface because they expect it to then be less visible to the fish.

Nylon has several drawbacks, such as the limited strength, which is moreover adversely affected in that nylon absorbs moisture and thereby loses 5 - 10% tensile strength. Nylon also intrinsically stretches, and in its pure form suffers from a 'memory effect'. This latter means that all nylon leaders newly removed from their packaging have to be stretched before they can be used for fishing. This also has to be repeated regularly from then on. Finally, it is once again noted that nylon intrinsically floats, necessitating a processing to make it (partially) sinking.

Leaders are also made of so-called uni-thread tying thread, i.e. the thread used in fly fishing in, among other things, the manufacture of for instance artificial flies. Uni-thread is intrinsically less strong than nylon, but when twisted results in a much stronger thread, similar to nylon, which is also much more flexible than nylon and has no memory. This twisted leader intrinsically sinks and thus has to be greased if floating fishing is desired. Nor is the tippet of a twisted leader suitable for knotting a fly directly thereto, so that nylon must once again be used as tippet of such a leader. This nylon forms the weakest link in the overall line combination. It is advantageous that the buoyancy of a uni-thread leader can be adjusted by the fly fisher. When the leader is greased to some extent, the buoyancy thereof will increase, while a uni-thread leader which has not been greased will conversely absorb moisture to some extent and will thereby lose buoyancy. Leaders are also manufactured using fluorocarbon. The chemical compound is referred to as PVDF and was developed in Japan. The first fluorocarbon fishing line was the Berkley® Vanish (2000). The advantage of fluorocarbon is that this material is almost invisible below the water surface. Fluorocarbon also has a higher density than nylon and intrinsically sinks. Fluorocarbon does not absorb water either, this in contrast to nylon. Fluorocarbon leaders can thereby intrinsically not be used for surface fishing unless the leader is first made floating and greased.

The European patent application EP-A1-2 009 156 forms the closest prior art, and at least the measures of the characterizing part of claim 1 are new relative to this document. The patent applications EP-Al-0 753 251, US-A-5,659,994, JP-A-2006 314324 and JP-A-20013 339285 are recognized as further prior art.

An object of the present invention is to provide a leader with a buoyancy which can be adjusted as desired by a fly fisher but which approximates at least the strength of nylon.

The stated object is achieved according to the invention with a fly fishing leader according to claim 1 comprising a narrowing line, wherein the line is manufactured from a synthetic fibre on the basis of polyethylene and wherein at least part of the synthetic fibres are fused, wherein the fly fishing leader comprises two or more than two segments, wherein at least one segment comprises fused synthetic fibres and wherein at least one other segment lacks fused synthetic fibres.

The fly fishing leader comprises two or more than two segments, wherein at least one segment comprises fused synthetic fibres and wherein at least one other segment lacks fused synthetic fibres. The segment comprising fused synthetic fibres intrinsically sinks, while the other segment lacking fused synthetic fibres conversely intrinsically floats. A leader can hereby be provided with varying buoyancy over the length thereof. As already stated above, many fly fishers prefer the leader to run at least partially below the water surface because they expect it to then be less visible to the fish, while floating properties are conversely desired for another segment of the leader.

The line is preferably manufactured from Dyneema®. Dyneema® is a very strong fibre manufactured from Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMwPE) and was developed and is marketed by DSM®. 'Narrowing' is understood to mean that the leader tapers, i.e. has a decreasing diameter.

The application of a high-strength synthetic fibre on the basis of polyethylene, such as

Dyneema®, has many advantages.

The buoyancy of such a leader can be adjusted by a fly fisher to his/her wishes in simple manner because the synthetic fibre can on the one hand absorb grease for the purpose of obtaining a floating line, but the synthetic fibre on the other hand also bonds well with weights for the purpose of reducing the buoyancy. A fly fisher can thus for instance rub adhesive paste or mud on the line in order to weight the line. Because Dyneema® consists of fibres, both the grease and the adhesive paste bond much better with the material, whereby the desired effect is achieved more quickly/effectively.

In addition to the possibility of influencing the buoyancy, such a leader has the further advantage that the leader not only equals the strength of nylon, but is even up to a factor of eight stronger at the same line thickness. A line with a diameter of 0.17 mm of Dyneema® achieves a tensile strength of 21.7 kg, while one of the strongest nylon fly fishing leaders which is currently commercially available achieves a tensile strength of Only' 2.7 kg in the thinnest part at a diameter of 0.18 mm.

Owing to the greater strength, a high-strength synthetic fibre leader on the basis of polyethylene, such as Dyneema®, can simultaneously be stronger and thinner than for instance a nylon leader, whereby the bait can be presented in a still more natural manner. If a leader having a tippet of 0.40 mm is advised in salmon fishing, this has a tensile strength of about 8.17 kg (18 lb).

If use is made of a Dyneema® leader, the tensile strength of the leader, having a tippet of 0.17 mm, is 21.7 kg, therefore over 2x thinner but 2.5 x stronger.

A further advantage of a leader of high-strength synthetic fibre on the basis of

polyethylene, such as Dyneema®, is that it has minimal elasticity. A Dyneema® line has almost no stretch for a long time under load, and it is only immediately before breaking that it briefly has a limited increase in stretch of 3-7% stretch. In comparison: nylon monofilament fishing lines typically have 19-27% elasticity. Because the elasticity is much lower in a Dyneema® leader than in nylon, a more direct contact with the hook is obtained. It is hereby possible to also hook effectively at a great distance, whereby fewer fish are lost.

A leader according to the invention can further be more readily visible than a standard nylon leader, which increases the convenience of use for the angler. Dyneema® can be manufactured in a plurality of colours.

Yet another advantage of a leader manufactured from Dyneema® is that there is no

'memory effect' , which makes it possible to use the leader for fishing newly removed from its packaging.

Finally, a leader manufactured from Dyneema® has the advantage that it can be made to be intrinsically floating or sinking, as will be further elucidated hereinbelow, by a relatively simple adjustment in the production process, i.e. performing or not performing a processing step. A fly fisher can hereby choose a Dyneema® leader which meets all his/her basic requirements in respect of buoyancy. If necessary at all, further tuning of the buoyancy of the leader to the personal wishes of the angler will only require a limited further adjustment. An advantage of Dyneema® is thus that it can be manufactured to be both intrinsically floating and intrinsically sinking, which is possible with neither nylon (floating) nor fluorocarbon (sinking). If according to yet another preferred embodiment at least part of the synthetic fibres are fused, the part of the leader in which the synthetic fibres are fused has sinking properties. By heating the Dyneema® line during the production process, at least a part of the fibres fuse into a core, the end result being a leader which sinks. This fused line is also referred to as a so-called 'fused' line. If the line however does not undergo such a heat treatment during the production process, a Dyneema® line is created which has intrinsically floating properties. A further fine- tuning of the buoyancy of the leader to the personal wishes of the angler, such as having the buoyancy increase (locally), is of course possible by (locally) greasing the leader.

If according to yet another preferred embodiment at least one free outer end of the leader is a segment with fused synthetic fibres, the leader has sinking properties close to this outer end. This is particularly interesting if the object is to present the bait in sinking manner.

According to yet another preferred embodiment, the fly fishing leader comprises at least a segment close to a free outer end of the leader with a diameter smaller than or equal to 0.15 mm. Because of this limited line thickness close to the artificial fly, the bait is presented in even more natural manner. The diameter is more preferably smaller than 0.14 mm, still more preferably smaller than 0.13 mm and still more preferably smaller than 0.12; 0.11 ; 0.10; 0.09; 0.08; 0.07; 0.06 or 0.05 mm. A Dyneema® line with a diameter of about 0.05 mm for instance still has a tensile strength of about 2 kg, whereby determined types of fish can be fished with a much thinner leader than heretofore usual.

Because thinner leaders can be used for fishing, the number of anglers on both fresh and salt water may also increase. Many fly fishers are currently simply unable to fish successfully using nylon with a line diameter of 0.10 mm because of the loss of fish due to line breakage. Because the leader according to the invention enables fishing with thinner and simultaneously stronger leaders, the number of anglers which could be successful with this material may increase significantly. In the case of fishing on salt water, a stronger and also thinner leader is of great importance because saltwater fish are generally stronger than freshwater fish. This does not apply to for instance salmon and other migratory fish, which are found in both types of water.

According to yet another preferred embodiment, the fly fishing leader comprises at least a segment close to a free outer end of the leader with a diameter greater than 0.15 mm. The diameter is more preferably greater than 0.16; 0.17; 0.18; 0.19; 0.20; 0.21 ; 0.22; 0.23; 0.24 or 0.25 mm.

According to yet another preferred embodiment, the length of the fishing leader lies in the range of 1 - 10 metres. This range spans the common lengths of leaders of 1.8 m (6 feet) - 6.1 m (20 feet). On English fishing lakes, where fishing often takes place with three flies at the same time via a system of droppers on the leader, use is made of leaders of 6 - 7 metres.

According to yet another preferred embodiment, the length of the fishing leader lies in the range of 1.5 - 6 metres. A leader of 2.74 m (9 feet) is the most commonly used leader worldwide. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are further elucidated in the following description with reference to the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows a view of fly fishing equipment with a leader according to the invention.

Fly Fisher 1 in figure 1 is casting a fly fishing rod 2. Fly fishing rod 2 is provided with a reel 4 onto which a main line 6 is wound. This main line 6 runs through guides 8 of rod 2 and at connection 10 transposes into a leader 12 which is provided at outer end 20 of tip segment 18 with an artificial fly 22. Leader 12 consists of three segments which are referred to, from main line 6 to artificial fly 22, as follows: the butt segment 14, the middle segment 16 and the already stated tip segment 18. Enlarged views of these segments 14, 16, 18, which show that leader 12 narrows in the direction of outer end 20, are included. Although the figure shows a continuous narrowing, it is also possible to envisage the narrowing portions occurring much more locally.

Although it shows a preferred embodiment of the invention, the above-described embodiment is intended solely to illustrate the present invention and not to limit in any way the specification of the invention. Where measures in the claims are followed by reference numerals, such reference numerals serve only to contribute toward the understanding of the claims, but are in no way limitative for the scope of protection. The rights described are defined by the following claims, within the scope of which many modifications can be envisaged.

Claims

1. Fly fishing leader comprising a narrowing line, wherein the line is manufactured from a synthetic fibre on the basis of polyethylene and wherein at least part of the synthetic fibres are fused,

characterized in that the fly fishing leader comprises two or more than two segments, wherein at least one segment comprises fused synthetic fibres and wherein at least one other segment lacks fused synthetic fibres.

2. Fly fishing leader as claimed in claim 1, manufactured from Dyneema®.

3. Fly fishing leader as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one free outer end of the leader is a segment with fused synthetic fibres.

4. Fly fishing leader as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, comprising a segment close to a free outer end of the leader with a diameter smaller than or equal to 0.15 mm.

5. Fly fishing leader as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, comprising a segment close to a free outer end of the leader with a diameter greater than 0.15 mm.

6. Fly fishing leader as claimed in any of the claims 1-5, wherein the length of the fishing leader lies in the range of 1 - 10 metres.

7. Fly fishing leader as claimed in any of the claims 1-5, wherein the length of the fishing leader lies in the range of 1.5 - 6 metres.