Courtesy FryingPanTower.com user offshore (Mark)

I have done this tutorial before but I have had a few who asked me to post it here on FPT so I thought I would for anyone interested. I hope it helps anyone who wish to make their own windons.

Since there is always a interest in wind-on leaders I thought that I
would put together a tutorial for those who are interested. I hope
this will help aid in making your wind on leaders.......Mark

Step one:
Get all your materials together. You only need a few items to make
your leaders. Items are from top to bottom and left to right

1. Wind-on needles ( these are optional but make the process of making wind-ons much easier)
2. 4ft of single Stainless Steel leader material. (I Like 58lb single strand wire it works well for all wind-ons.
3. Lighter
4. A soft glue I use Brownell liquid lock. Some people use super glue
but I like a softer glue.(this is optional) (JB spectra makes the best glue)
5. Your wind-on material I like Dacron but you can use Jerry Brown
Hollow Core. Try to find uncoated Dacron if you can.
6. Un-waxed dental floss. A Bow String serving tool with Spectra works the best.
7. Your leader material in our case Fluorocarbon.(mono is fine)
8. 400grit wet sand sandpaper.
9. Clippers to cut your Dacron and leader material. Clippers give you a
clean cut on your materials. (not shown)
10. Rubber Bands (not shown)



Step two:
Cut your Dacron to length you will need a 12ft piece to do a 5'3"wind-on loop end. After you cut your Dacron to length double it leaving one side of the doubled Dacron 4 inches longer than the other. You will ask why leave one end longer, This will be explained later. Now take a rubber band on loop end of your doubled Dacron and loop tightly around the Dacron for the length of the loop you want for your wind-on (like picture below). I like a 4inch loop. I can thread just any trolling skirt I use though a 4 inch loop.



Step three:
Take the 4ft of stainless wire and double it in the middle making a tight bend in the middle. (You now have a 2 ft threading needle.) This will be a threading needle for making your wind on. Make sure you bend the loop fairly tight but open enough to feed a piece of Dacron through the end. Now take the needle end of the wire and push it into the inside of the long side of your doubled Dacron. Just like photo below.



Step four:
Continue pushing the stainless needle into the Dacron until you reach the rubber band now push the wire needle out the side wall of the Dacron until about one inch is exposed. Be careful not to let the Dacron slip off the far end of the 2ft needle as you thread it towards the loop. If you do you will have to start over.) Photo below.



Step five:
Now take the end of the short side of Dacron and feed it though the needle about one inch. Photo below



Step six:
You are now going to pull the short end of Dacron through the inside of the long end of Dacron. Be careful not to break any of the strands of Dacron as you start to pull the short end through the hole of the long end of Dacron. Make sure that rubber band stays tight. Photos Below




Step seven:
Now that you have pulled the short end of Dacron through the inside of the long end of Dacron, you want to slide the outer piece of Dacron down towards the loop end against the rubber band. As in photo below.



Step eight:
Now you are ready to thread the mono or fluorocarbon leader into the inside piece(short end) of Dacron. This can be done by two methods.
1. You can round the end of the mono or fluorocarbon with a piece of 400grit sandpaper and push it up into the center piece of Dacron just like you did with the needle.
If you use method 1 the end of the mono MUST be rounded with no Rough edges.OR
2. You can use a hollow metal threading (Windon) needle. You push the mono or fluorocarbon into the needle and use the needle to run the mono into the center of the inner piece of Dacron.(I prefer this method the needle makes it easier to thread the mono.
Now start to thread your mono into the inner piece of Dacron.
Photo 1
Keep pushing the leader material into the Dacron until you hit the rubber band. Now remove the rubber band and push the mono or needle through the side wall
of the Dacron. Photo 2

Photo 1:

Photo 2:


Step nine:
On the loop end of the wind on push your mono out of the Dacron so you can Ball the end of the mono with a lighter. You do not have to ball the end much and most people leave this step out. Now apply a little glue to the mono and slide it back into the Dacron. Photo below.




Step ten:
There is no picture for this part. But this step is extremely important do not leave it out!! Take your wind on and attach the loop around a smooth object so it will not get cut of frayed. You will have to pull on your leader so the object must be anchored.( I use a door handle.) After the loop is secure slide the Dacron away from the loop end down toward the leader end. Pull slightly on the leader material and work out all the bumps and slack spots in the Dacron. Make sure not to pull the ball at the end of the leader material to far into the Dacron. (As you smooth out the Dacron you will notice the reason for the long and short sides of Dacron. It takes more length of Dacron to cover the inner piece of Dacron and leader material because of the diameter.)

Step eleven:
Now that you have tightened the Dacron around the leader material you will have to use the dental floss or a (Serving tool with a spool of spectra MY CHOICE) to finish off the loose threads on the leader end. I trim off most of the frayed end with clippers then tie about 15 over hand knots for a neat end. This will keep the ends from fraying and the dacron from sliding. You can also add a drop of glue to the end where you flossed the end if you wish. Photo Below.This will keep the dacron from sliding back towards the loop which will compromise the windon.



Now you are done and here is the finished product. Good Luck!!!! Mark