Smaller leader knots = less top eye grief.

Courtesy of T.E. Jones, fishing guru from http://www.beach-caster.com. If you have trouble getting your leader knot through the top eye of your rod , create a tapered shock leader. Do this by dipping one end into boiling water then stretch with a pliers. I would imagine this also might reduce the amount of weed build up at the knot also.

Have you tried this yourself successfully. I don't want to get into an argument as I know alot of you respect him but from my dealings with TE I was always suspicious about his advise.

Donagh

Nope have not tried it yet. Will try it this evening and post results tomorrow.

Not my area of knowledge at all, but I'm curious why tapering the leader will help. Isn't the problem with the knot in the first place. Looking forward to the results Ed.

Kev

hi lads
stay away from that taperd leader used it once and never again 16/49lb is the one i used kept snapping off tired of tying leader knots

Have you tried it out yet never mind the pollacks? sounds a bit suspect to me, surley heating line with boiling water then stretching with pliers would seriously weaken line? also as Mac noted is'nt the build up due to the knot rather than line diameter.

In the Famous words of someone at some point. Bimini Twist - Just do it.

good example in march edition of "sea angler"

I finally tried to stretch the mono without success. The mono cools almost instantly after it is taken form the water. It is very hard to grip the mono without corrupting its strenght. Will learn the bimini twist...........

lads - I use tapered shockleader from daiwa - brilliant if a bit expensive - worth a go if you are concerned about a large leader knot :D