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Email: Excellent Adventures

Easy Tie Twisted Big Game Leader

The total length of the leader is between 5 and 6 feet depending on how accurately you measure your raw material before making up the sections.

Material, 20 lb mono, any type of hard finish material will work.

Start with 20 to 21 feet of mono; divide by putting the ends together and then crimping the middle with thumb and finger.  Put right hand between the two strands and hold crimped end with left finger and thumb, turn crimp towards your body between your right thumb and finger until strands start to roll together.  As the twisted leader starts to form and lengthen, keep stands tight and keep pulling through right thumb and finger while twisting.  Keep the ends of the two strands from tangling by holding the apex of the twist with the left finger and thumb and separating the stands with the right hand.  Hold arms above head if it helps keeping the two ends apart.  It the strands start to get loose carefully separate to tighten the twist and continue twisting with the left finger and thumb. 

When the strands run out, hold ends to keep from unraveling.  Finish by twisting and making a small overhand knot.  If the ends do not come out almost even it means that one half of the line was twisted more than the other and this needs to be corrected.  Put a small nail into your workbench and put the knotted end over the nail.  Carefully run your finger and thumb over the leader to stretch out the lines to make them as even as possible.  Slight adjustments can be made when finishing the leader. 

Now divide the leader into 2 sections by doubling over the knotted end while leaving about 1/3 of the loop end as a single strand (this will be the loop end where you will tie in your bite section).  Start crimping and twisting again and you will notice that the double twisted lines come together to form a smooth butt section.  As you continue to twist the lines together you might notice that the twisted sections may start to separate a little, just keep going on until you reach the end of the knotted section.  This separation can be adjusted when you tie a nail knot to finish the leader.

Hold the tippet section at the knot with your left finger and thumb and using a nail knot tool tie a 4 turn nail knot.  Pull both ends tight slowly then lubricate and pull again to seat the knot.  If the double strand tipped section is a little uneven you can now adjust it by stretching it out to the tip. 

To finish leader put 50 to 80 lb bite section through the end loop and connect with a “No Name Knot”.  The finished leader will be; butt section (2/3) #80, middle section #40 and tippet #50 to #80 test.