How to cut your lillian

by Les Albjerg
(Caldwell, Idaho)

I have been enjoying Keiryu fishing with thinner and thinner lines. However, I learned the hard way that you need to tie a loop attachment so you can use a girth hitch with a heavier line with these thin lines. I lost a line, fish, natural Mummy Worm, hook and half a lillian today. My line with a slip knot cut it. I just made up some new lines tonight and used some 50 pound Dacron so I don't ruin anymore lillians. I found a new line that is showing a lot of promise. It is Spectra Propower. It is a very thin, .19mm diameter, and is rated at 15 pounds. It is a nice bright yellow color. I have also used yellow Stren Crappie monofiliment in 2 pound test. I like the Propower better. The Stren is .15mm in diameter. So for .04mm more in diameter you get 13 more pounds of strength and a lot less stretch. I really like the level lines I have bought from TenkaraBum for fishing with flies, but I am finding these thinner lines really work well for using bait. You can really keep the Propower off the water. Has anyone else here been experimenting with different lines? How thin of a line is reasonable to use with just a slip knot?

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin

"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662

As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.

We've all had situations where seriously chewed up flies kept catching fish after fish after fish. It is no sin to tie flies that come off the vise looking seriously chewed up.