Light line Handling Secrets

I've been playing with 4# Varivas Twitchmaster on my rods. My monofilament needed replacing so I decided to give it a try after reading reviews here.

I very much like how it handles and casts with my rods. But I just have to ask if any of you have any secrets for handling these fine lines. I have one heck of a hard time tying any sort of knot with this stuff. I can hardly see it unless the light is perfect. And I can't tell what it is doing in my fingers. Sometimes I can't feel it at all. Most of the time it takes several attempts to get anything done. If I struggle like this with Twitchmaster I'd never be able to handle any of the even thinner braids.

Do you use any gadgets of some kind to help? Does it get better the more you use this stuff? Or do I just have to take the good with the bad and deal with it?

:popcorn

I struggle mightily as well…..hoping for some tips as well.

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Originally Posted by BuckeyeCrappie

:popcorn

I struggle mightily as well…..hoping for some tips as well.

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X2 for me

Take a black hand towel along and use it for a backdrop. Also, try something like the Orvis Flip Foculs that attach to the brim of a cap.

You might try using a fly fishing tippet ring to attach your leader to your braid line. The tippet rings are tiny but once attached are easy to attach a leader to. I leave the tippet ring on the snap if possible otherwise lay out a small light colored towel as a platform. They are so small they flow thru rod guides easily.

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Originally Posted by MtnFisher

You might try using a fly fishing tippet ring to attach your leader to your braid line. The tippet rings are tiny but once attached are easy to attach a leader to. I leave the tippet ring on the snap if possible otherwise lay out a small light colored towel as a platform. They are so small they flow thru rod guides easily.

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Interesting thought. I will keep it in mind but the Twitchmaster is a monofilament line and I'm not attaching any leader to it. I'm just basically trying to deal with tying knots in the end of the line. You can hardly see or feel this stuff.

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Originally Posted by UpstateSC_Bill

Interesting thought. I will keep it in mind but the Twitchmaster is a monofilament line and I'm not attaching any leader to it. I'm just basically trying to deal with tying knots in the end of the line. You can hardly see or feel this stuff.

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I have the same issue with the Floroclear 2# I use when I’m tying a knot indoors. Outside in natural light I can find a dark background that help see the line , but feeling it is a different story .
I get frustrated, but have learned to deal with it.
I like the black towel idea , the towels I use now are gray , I need to order some black ones .

I try to get a dark background. I use the 3# test which is even smaller. They make a Sight Advance line which is hi-vis…which is a very good line but the Twitch Master is better. This deal right here is what will eventually make me give up using UL lines. I remember when Sam Snead said he could have competed well into his upper 60’s but he could no longer read the greens correctly because his eyes were just not as sharp. My vision is corrected to 20/20 but I still have hard time seeing small things.

Regards


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I use a Daiwa Knot tying tool purchased from Chris Stewart. It has a tiny little hook that deploys from the end, allowing capture of the thinnest lines.
Amazon, of course, sells them too.
Daiwa Sokko Hatino Jimusubi, M https://a.co/d/eL8U1rW

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Originally Posted by slowhand

I use a Daiwa Knot tying tool purchased from Chris Stewart. It has a tiny little hook that deploys from the end, allowing capture of the thinnest lines.
Amazon, of course, sells them too.
Daiwa Sokko Hatino Jimusubi, M https://a.co/d/eL8U1rW

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I bought several of those years ago. Just could not get used to using them.

Regards


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Originally Posted by UpstateSC_Bill

Interesting thought. I will keep it in mind but the Twitchmaster is a monofilament line and I'm not attaching any leader to it. I'm just basically trying to deal with tying knots in the end of the line. You can hardly see or feel this stuff.

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I see know, I think Gills black towel would help alot.

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Just a thought, in conjunction with the black background, and the flip up magnifiers, what about a UV light?

I also hold the lines so that the water is the background and it’s usually dark enough for me. My wife picked me up a set of flip ups from hobby lobby for about ten bucks and I use em wrapping rods (priceless) and tying jigs. Inexpensive and they get it done for me. Haven’t found the need for them in the boat yet but they may get there. I like the dark towel idea, I always carry some anyway.

I will have to go digging through the closets and see if we have a small black towel somewhere. I tried flip up lenses quite a few years ago. They seemed like a bit of an inconvenience then. Maybe I will try them again.

Well I was in Walmart today so I bought a cheap black towel. It does help visibility but I still have to figure out how to get my fingers to work with this stuff.

The Palomar knot works well with hard to see lines.

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Originally Posted by kevk

The Palomar knot works well with hard to see lines.

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The Palomar is easier to tie (for me anyway) but first you you have to get it threaded through the hook eye. That is where the old fingers and eyes struggle. I think I am going to try using a TyePro.

Richard Gene's loop knot is easy to tie.

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Originally Posted by MCG1

Richard Gene's loop knot is easy to tie.

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Loop knots are great…unless your using true 2 and 3 pound test lines. You hook into a Smallie….a Spotted bass….in all likelihood it ain’t gonna hold. I fished loop knots until I started fish lines with diameter of 0.125 and it just didn’t end well when hooking larger fish.


Regards




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What knot do you use Randy? I know I found Palomar knots really hard to tie with the tiny line I field tested.

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Originally Posted by MCG1

What knot do you use Randy? I know I found Palomar knots really hard to tie with the tiny line I field tested.

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I use the Palomar. It is the easiest for me to tie......and I find it very strong.

Regards