longline snaps

den

Nomad
Jun 13, 2004
295
1
48
Bristol
I am sure that in a previous thread, maybe last year Rapidboy was using snap links, which he made himself.

Snap links are a good piece of kit but not essential. I have got away for years using strong plastic zip ties.

Cheers
Den :)
 

rapidboy

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jun 14, 2004
2,535
27
BB
The snaps i use are for clipping the snood lengths to the main line (rope).
They are copied from a system that was being used maybe 20 years ago .
I don't think they are available and would have to me made.
The best way is to start by making a jig so that all the clips will be the same.
The system works well but is really intended for speed in a commercial set up and not necessary for occasional use.

This is my original thread.

First the anchor ,this is a home made anchor.
A rope is attached to the "tripping eye" and at the other end of the rope is attached the buoy.
413_1371_1.jpg


Another rope (the main line) is then attached to the anchor "ring".
The ropes are all the same length (approx. 70 feet) and have clip's at each end for quickly attaching and detaching.
413_1345_1.jpg

413_1342_1.jpg


You "shoot" the line and when the anchor is on the bottom the boat will lie to it and you can begin to attach the "snoods" to the main line.
These are the snoods.
413_1347_1.jpg

413_1351_1.jpg

413_1349_1.jpg


They are simply clipped in place.
413_1353_1.jpg

413_1357_1.jpg

413_1358_1.jpg

413_1359_1.jpg


Attached to the snood is a "hook length" and to that is attached another clip.
413_1362_1.jpg


To this is attached a swivel and a hook.
413_1366_1.jpg


As the main line is fed out the snoods are clipped on and spaced as required (best to clip far enough apart so the hooks can't tangle with each other).
As you come to the end of a rope simply snap on another untill you have used all the snoods.
Then attach to the ring of another anchor and attach another rope with a buoy to the tripping eye.

All the clips ,snood's and hook length's are all home made from stainless wire.
They are made on a jig so they are all the same size.
The clips are made larger than necessary so as to be easy to use when working with gloves on ,(very important as the rope's get covered in jelly fish stings)


Advantages over a normal mono filament long line setup are:

1.The snoods are all pre baited ,i used to bait them on the way out to the fishing grounds and this is much quicker than baiting each hook as it's fed out like on conventional mono long lines.

2.When you haul the lines you simply unclip the snoods ,complete with fish and drop them in a fish box rather than stopping to unhook them as you haul.
When you are heading home the fish can be unhooked and the swivel and hook can be dropped into a jar with some fish oil which will protect them until it's next needed.
Conventional long lines that leave the hook's attached need to have the hooks replaced as they corrode quickly in salt water.
The hooks in my pictures are 20 years old and as good as new.

3.You can coil the ropes as you haul them and when you reach a clip ,simply unclip and drop it in a basket.
This means you are actually packing the lines away as you haul them ,ready for the next time.

4.Being a modular system you can adapt it to suit ,increasing or decreasing th length of main line and the number of hooks to suit the ground and your requirements ,and any damaged parts are easily replaced.

5.Using ropes and large clips rather than mono and small snap swivels is much easier when wearing gloves and the whole system is much stronger and lasts much longer.

rb
 

Longstrider

Settler
Sep 6, 2005
990
12
59
South Northants
If you want to make something like these clips, you might find that stainless steel wire is the best thing to use. Piano wire and the like will always end up rusting, and even galvanised wire rusts as the galvanisation splits and falls off when the wire is bent to the sort of degree needed to make the clips.
Stainless wire can be difficult, expensive or both to find. I use the stuff when making fishing lures and get all mine from a steel fabricators in a nearby town. A look through the Yellow Pages will usually turn a few fabricators up in your area and as long as they work in stainless, they will have stainless welding wire. This comes either in perfectly straight lengths of about a yard long, or thinner wires can come on a roll.
The guys at the workshop will usually let you have a handful of the stuff for a few quid. The guy I get mine from has an RNLI collection box on the office counter, and a few quid in that secures me enough wire to work on for quite a while.
 

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