First get some leadcore, splicing needle, needle, swivels, scissors and your mainline ( i have used heavy braid here for clarity)


next, slide back the outer sheath to expose the lead, break off approx 4"


release the outer sheath and you will now have a limp section


where the lead core now ends, pass the splicing needle through the side, up the centre around and inch and back out the side


hook up the loose end in the gated end of the splicing needle


gently tease the needle back through


untill its all the way out, remove the needle


tease the loop gently to pull the loose end back in side, just as the loose end disapears, pull everything tight. repeat the above at the other end.


if you want to add a swivel (to go in a lead clip etc) slide the loop through the eye of the swivel


then pass the swivel through the loop


attach the swivel to the loop as shown, this will allow you to take the swivel back off if needed


to attach your mainline, get the free loop and your chosen mainline (the following knot is a 5 turn grinner, replace as you like with your chosen knot)


pass the line through the loop


create another loop


pass the free end through the loop 5 times


wet and tighten down the knot.


the next photos show an other method of attaching your mainline.
remove a length of lead as described earlier


insert a needle and gently singe the frayed end.


pass the splicing needle though the side and all the way out the end, attach your line and pull back through


as per the five turn grinner, create a loop and pass the line through 5 times.
wet and tighten knot


pull tight till it locks up


to splice on a swivel, remove lead, insert needle, slip a swivel over the loose end, attach loose end to needle


pull needle back through, pull tight and trim excess loose end.


hope this of use to everyone.

In reply to Post #1
Thanks to the mods (CarpyPat i presume) for stickying this, should be a useful guide for some

In reply to Post #2
it is a good guide andy, well done could do with making a post #1000 so it stays at the top

In reply to Post #3
believe it or not mate it took me about 3 hours or so to do. photos have gone a little fuzzy from being blown up and also not having a macro lense for my SLR but still gets the message accross i think

In reply to Post #4
good little guide their Andy.

In reply to Post #5
thanks mate!

In reply to Post #6
great guide mate been much help

In reply to Post #2
good guide mate if i get any lead core to do it wit i only buy ready mades

In reply to Post #8
great step by step guide even idiots like myself can understand it

In reply to Post #9
all the times i have tried to splice my own leadcore and nacked it right up just tried it then and done it straight away thanks to this step by step so thanks

In reply to Post #2
not to sure about the not that ties the mainline to the leadcore, is that the only or best? not?

In reply to Post #11
The knot is down to personal preference there is no end of possibilities. The needle knot, grinner and loop to loop are my personal favourites. The needle knot it better if there is any weed as it has a slimmer profile - thus less can catch on it.

In reply to Post #12
the needle knot looks confusing.

In reply to Post #12
the needle knot looks confusing.

In reply to Post #1000
tried it and i love it
i think is better than buying it

In reply to Post #16
great guide very helpful and easy to understand

In reply to Post #1000
ive just joined a new syndicate and they have banned leadcore on there. what is my best alternative to keep those last few feet pinned down and out the way.
send me messages please.
cheers

In reply to Post #2
nice very helpfull

In reply to Post #19
spot on

In reply to Post #1000
Bought some safezone heli leaders yesterday, decided to take them back this morning and exchanged them for some of this esp leadcore and splicing needles. Used this guide, spot on everytime. Cheers

"gently tease the needle back through"

Thats the hardest bit, ive broken no end of splicing needles doing this, is there an easy way something im not doing.
Last few times i think ive got a bit better!

In reply to Post #22
you need to feed the sheath over the needle as opposed to pulling the needle. if that makes sense. if you pull the needle you are tightening it down as you pull it through.

thanks for that i found it usefull.

but some of it look very confusing as i am new to carp fishing and am still getting the hang of thing like this.

In reply to Post #26
this way helped me soo much im now addicted to making my leadcore sections, from 6ft to 1ft all great when you catch on them just thinking that you made it

In reply to Post #27
When you make a loop and you gently tease the loose end back through, how does it manage to not pull all the way back through and undo the loop?

I hope that makes sense

In reply to Post #28
That made sense matey and I have absolutely no idea how but it does work perfectly!!! Still baffles me now why doesn't it pull through?

In reply to Post #1000
Ive wondered for a long time how to make my own leadcore leaders but havent got round to giving it a go but now I think there will be no more buying ready made leaders!! Thanks mate

In reply to Post #30
exact ssame thing on my mind

In reply to Post #32
Since I posted that, I think I have got my head around it!!

If you push the outer section of the leadcore together, all the strands sort of open up loose but if you pull it tight , obviously it tightens up. So when pulling the tag end through it's loose allowing it to be pulled through. However, when you try and pull it back apart, the outer tightens up on the inner not letting it back through.


I don't know if that made any sense

In reply to Post #28
It acts like the old chinese finger trap......if you've ever heard of that?

In reply to Post #34
Exactly what I was trying to say

The harder you pull, the tighter it gets.

In reply to Post #1000
lovely pics mate, should try doing the mags.very profesional.

In reply to Post #36
im gunna give them a try becouse im strugeling to make my own lead core good advce mate

In reply to Post #1000
Great Diagram :D

In reply to Post #38
leadcore is the only way that i fish now, didnt hear much about it till last year and wont go back great diagrams

In reply to Post #35
The harder you pull, the tighter it gets.

In reply to Post #1000
excellent pictures and explaination - A real credit to the site as these topics are very helpfull for members looking for help and advice (any more ??)

In reply to Post #1000
I have just posted a topic on trying to work out how to tie leadcore to the mainline and this has helped me a great deal

Thanx

In reply to Post #1000
Well done mate that's a great bit if instruction. Can't fault the process and can vouch that they work in practice.

In reply to Post #1000
hye mate just a quick one and i no that its nothing to do with ledcore but how do you add pics to your posts???

In reply to Post #44
have a look here http://www.carpforum.co.uk/Shared/Messages.asp?TopicID=157505

In reply to Post #1000
well done mate great pics and instruction, i have used leadcore for years and find it great when used properly, a couple of points i have found the gardner leadcore the best by a long shot its much thinner,the lead never pokes through the skin and being thin your end tackle will easily slip off if you should crack off or your main line break!! my other point is some people are still tieing the leadcore to their mainline using a SWIVEL!!!!! THIS SHOULD NEVER BE DONE AS IT TURNS IT INTO A DEATH RIG! should always be tied as you have shown! well done geez.

In reply to Post #46
POTENTIAL DEATH RIG

These pictures are very good, however I do disagree with the second method of attachment. The knot that is used is incorrect as the excess/tail end of the knot is pointing in the wrong direction.

In the event of a lost rig/snap up/crack off.

If this was to be used with the ever popular chod rig (or some other rigs) then the bead above the rig may not be able to get over this knot. The excess/tail end of line acts in the same way as a bard does and can cause the bead to get trapped behind it, creating a piece of leadcore with a lead attached at one end and a rig at the other that can not be disgarded by the fish. The chance of this increases with thicker/stiffer line or if weed gets caught around it.

If you are to attach leadcore in this way (via spicing) then the knot used most double back on itself in order for the tail/excess end to be pointing away from the lead and leadcore. If this is done then the tail end will not impeed the movement of the bead over the knot and will allow the fish to free the rig from the leadcore.

In reply to Post #1000
nice tutorial.

However I have one question. In the other thread about the Dangers Of Leadcore it says do NOT use a Lead Clip with leadcore as this makes it a death rig, with pictures of a fish with it all wrapped round it!

so can i or can't i use a lead clip with it, i NEVER use a swivel to tie to the mainline and I wouldn't use any sort os bead that would stop the clip coming off??

Thanks.

In reply to Post #47
fair point scott and points noted, i dont do it that way myself so im not really an expert at the needle knot, but when i have tried it clips etc do pull off. am i right in thinking that people use a blood type knot???

In reply to Post #1000
sorry to repeat what others have put up but.....first off I would never use a lead clip with lead core, this means the hooklink is still attached to the leadcore even though the lead is off....that means your carp is sitting there with 3 feet of 45lb breaking strain leadcore attached to its bottom lip!!!! it's why Marsh Prattley at Orchid Lakes banned the use of it, a 41lb Common was found dead in the reeds tangled up in leadcore.
The hooklink has to come off or don't use it!!

I also agree about the knot used, a needle knot is easy enough to tie and takes a couple of minutes to do.

I have also seen the spliced ends come undone under pressure so I normally melt the end and add superglue before pulling it back inside. Might not be the best method but i've never had one give on me.

for line attachment I prefer the palomar knot

otherwise mate a good article

In reply to Post #1000
i think the most safest way to use leadcore is the heli chod rig its the only time i ever use leadcore only ever use tubing

In reply to Post #1000
It doesn't get much clearer than that.

In reply to Post #46
In reply to people still using a swivel to attatch mainline to the leadcore, perhaps the diagram was ment the other way around, the swivel being used to attatch a hook link? Still not a great way of using leadcore i agree, as the fish is still left with the leadcore and no way of ridding it.

In reply to Post #53
The diagram is not included for people to attach their mainline to the swivel that is for lead clips / running lead set ups etc

In reply to Post #1000
Well done
that is a very easy to follow article with excellent photos. its by far the best explanation I have seen regarding this particular subject, including those published in some very expensive magazines

In reply to Post #1000
Gr8 guide thanks alot

In reply to Post #50
Thanks for that Nick!!

I had a leadcore loop on a chod rig go on me on the cast and the 3 oz lead went straight up in the air and landed 3 feet away from me (in the Dark with me the only angler on the lake at the time). I was looking around for quite some time and then THUD!!

I was bloody furious at the time and for 2 day's later and if the ebayer I bought it from had been within reach??? well you get the picture!!

NEVER EVER trust another anglers loops or knots!! if you do remember what happened to me - or could have done!! if I had moved 3 feet forward!!

In reply to Post #2
Excellent mate and spot on. I've been doing my own leadcore for about a year now. I personally only use on heli's myself. No matter what you use, these always going to be numpty's who don't listen and learn and use things that are dangerous to the fish. We've all seen them on the banks. My Dad was microwaving hemp

In reply to Post #1000
ive just started using lead core ,it works but when u splice it what keeps the loop from slipping , i cant get my head round it

In reply to Post #1158
As long as youve spliced a good length, 1 and half inches for me, the splice acts like the chinese finger trap. (if youve ever heard of that?)

As the outer is pulled tight it grips the inner very tightly.

In reply to Post #1159
So from where the needle enters the leadcore to where it exits and pulls back through should be about a inchn half !

In reply to Post #1160


(IMO anyhows)

In reply to Post #1161

ive been thinking of making my own rigs like these never really knew how to do it.
quailty photo step by step guide will give it ago
cheers

In reply to Post #15

Cheers mate, helped a lot..

In reply to Post #1000
instead of doing the loop to swivel technique to get the swivel on , is it still secure to slide the swivel on the leadcore then pull the leadcore through itself

In reply to Post #1000
where do you put leadcore!

In reply to Post #1168
where do you put leadcore!


in the nearest bin

When I'm splicing leadcore I snap numerous splicing needles is there a knack to pulling the leadcore back inside itself it just seems really tight all the time and ends up with the gate of the splicing needle breaking

In reply to Post #1189
some splicing needles are just pants & no amount of care will stop them snapping!

with the ESP ones i find that rather than just trying to pull the needle through, its more a case of pushing the leadcore over the needle & teasing it through.

i still break them though!

In reply to Post #1190
Do u recommend any splicing needles Brian I've snapped a few brands

In reply to Post #1191
i just use the ESP ones.
they work for me for most of the time! i break them after a while, normally when i become impatient & try to force it!

never used any others.

In reply to Post #1192
They are about the best iv'e used also good for putting sinkers back on the wire

In reply to Post #1192
Cheers

thank you kind sir struggled for too long but no more

In reply to Post #1000
very nice thank you will be try that tomorrow

I'll tell you straight away what I find annoying about leadcore:

Finding info on what beads and tubing fits

Anyway it is banned on all my locals, so I have given up on it

I do quite like using it as it is a nice material but I take all the pinning the line down with a large dose of salt now to be honest. The last few feet of line, even if you are bowstringing at short to medium range, naturally pins itself down very flat

As for protecting the line from a helicopter rig's swivel, also been taking all that with a dose of sodium chloride recently as there are some little ins and outs that avoid the need for all that too

Each to their own I suppose but I think leaders are way, way overused

The point of a leader in the first place was for safety in winding up a long distance boomer cast, they never had anything to do with what went on in the lake IMO

Expect a volley of abuse now, lol, please correct me if I am missing something but let's face it leadcore and tubing are always going to be a crude ''here I am'' addition to any end setup

In reply to Post #11
Thanks for the original post ;-)

In reply to Post #1000
Hiya! Very good illustration and instructions. Can you tell me how the braid is secured? Does it not slide out? Or does it fix there once the loop is created? Thanks... Andrew

In reply to Post #1199
You mean the loop in the leadcore? Its a spliced loop. When cinched down the loose fibres of the leadcore compress and stop it from coming undone. The more tension applied, the tighter the compression. You can glue the splice if you wish but I never bother.

In reply to Post #1200
Thanks, yes I eventually did as you suggested and it seems to work.

In reply to Post #1201
No problem, glad you're sorted. If you're new to using leadcore I can understand a degree of hesitancy but a spliced loop is exceptionally strong. Your mono will snap long before that gives way.

In reply to Post #1202
Thanks the the op and those who commented on this thread. I've been burying my head with splicing my own lead core for some time. After some messing around (and wasted lead core and 3 broken needles) i am now tying perfect leaders every time. From my own tribulations my tips would be be:

1) Put a kink half way down the leader during splicing to prevent the lead core moving during the process

2) Splay the fibres out at the end of the braid and catch these with the latch when pulling back through. Don't try to pull too much braid back through.

3) Use ESP splicing needles.

After watching loads of videos the one below helped me the most.

https://youtu.be/4XkmHPX_mSk

In reply to Post #1203
very thorough and helpful but for me the splicing needle is the issue and never comes through any tips?

In reply to Post #1204
A little twist helps and try to grab the leadcore at the very end with the needle that makes it a bit easier