The Four Best Knots for Fly Fishing | Chris Dore

Practise makes perfect, and you may get away with a little bit of rustiness come the start of the season in spotting, casting and presentations, however becoming a little bit rusty or out of practise with your knot tying will never bode well.

In the booking confirmation and trip preparation email I send to all clients I include the following:

“I highly recommend you brush up on your knot tying skills before you arrive. Read up on, learn and most importantly, practice to quickly and efficiently tie blood knots or surgeons’ knots (for quickly changing tippet) and clinch knots, or similar tippet to fly connection.

While I quickly and effectively change over your rig as needed, this is not always practical (If I’m crouched down in full view of our sighted fish, or if you are on the opposite bank and I’m over here spotting). If you can change knots quickly yourself, you will catch more fish.”

Chances are, if you haven’t been fishing over the winter period, your knot tying will have suffered.

As a professional guide, getting things done quick, efficiently and to the highest of standards is important to my client’s success. I know exactly where every fly is positioned in the box for easy selection, my tippet is stored exact and is readily accessible, and I know which knot to tie, and how to tie it fast and effectively.

Confidence in your knot, and practised technique ensures in windy conditions, or on colder mornings when the fingers are a little tender, I can tie the knot I require without delay, and it will hold.

I’m personally not too worried if Knot A is rated 4% stronger than Knot B in one test or another. Find a few knots that you are CONFIDENT tying, and this will likely result in greater strength and fewer breakoffs. For this reason, I’m a huge fan of blood knots for leader to tippet connections and locked, half-blood knots for tippet to fly. I have been tying both for close to 40 years now. They are well practised. I can tie them quickly. They suit all the tippet brands and diameters I use, and they rarely fail me, so why change? However, some days your blood knot skills may not be on point, and so it is wise to be fluent in tying an alternative.

Your challenge is to grab a few spools of tippet, your nippers and a couple of flies over the next month and simply sit there in the evening, maybe in front of the tv and repetitively tie knots. One evening it may be tippet knots, the next session, dropper knots. Sessions should not be long and drawn out, but 10-15 minutes to maintain enthusiasm and good technique. Repetition creates muscle memory and over time you will find yourself tying knots quicker, with less or little thought, allowing you to focus more on other essential tasks at hand.

Four critical knot types for fly fishing.

You can find step-by-step instructions for of these knots online. There are plenty of videos about each of these knots available on YouTube.

 Fly line to leader knots (loop to loop connection knots):

• Perfection Loop
• Surgeons Loop

These knots allow you to connect your fly line to your leader via loops. Both knots have their advantages. The Perfection loop creates a straighter, neater loop, while the surgeon’s loop is easier to tie.

It’s also worth learning the “Nailless” Nail Knot - a nail knot tied without any special tool or nail. This knot can be a lifesaver if your fly line loop fails on the water and a loop-to-loop connection isn’t possible. It lets you attach your leader directly to your fly line. You won’t use it often, but when the situation calls for it, you’ll be glad you know it.

Of course, if you have a nail knot tool on hand. It’s even easier.

Leader to tippet Knots

• Blood Knot.
• Double Uni Knot
• Surgeons Knot

These knots allow you to add tippet to your leader and therefore lengthen it. Every angler has their own personal preference on which of the above knots is the best. The truth is that they all work. Find which one works best for you, but as mentioned, it is good to familiarise yourself with alternatives.

Tippet to fly knots:

• Locked Half Blood Knot (also known as an Improved Clinch Knot)
• Uni Knot
• Davy Knot
• Lefty’s Loop (A loop knot. Perfect for creating movement with streamer flies)

These are the knots that attach your fly to your tippet and will be the knots you will tie the most during a day’s fishing. Again, these knots will all do the trick. The Lefty’s Loop is different than the others, as it is a loop knot (creates a loop, rather than a tight clinch down on the fly) and is a great option for added movement on streamers or saltwater flies.

Dropper Knots (for adding an additional fly to your rig): 

• Water Knot (also known as a Surgeons Knot)

A Water Knot (or Surgeons Knot) allows you to attach a short piece of tippet (a "tag") at a right angle to the main leader to hold a second fly. This is a great option for Euro Nymphing.

• Uni Knot

 A Uni Knot allows you to tie another piece of tippet off the hook curve of one fly and attach a second fly (a clinch knot will also work for this). This is perfect for a dry/nymph or double nymph rig.

Tips on improving your knots.

• Practise with the tippet brand, and diameter you are likely to be fishing with. It’s no use spending evenings tying half blood knots with 10lb maxima then reaching for the 6x Trout Hunter Fluorocarbon come opening. Likewise, of you normally wear gloves on the river, wear these during your practise sessions.
• Figure out how many turns of each knot are required to hold fast and will seat correctly. For example, I generally employ 4 turns for 2-3x, and 5 turns for 4-6x. Coils must seat snug and if there are too many turns for your tippet diameter, they won’t position tight. If there aren’t enough, you will compromise knot strength.
• Wet your knots for lubrication and simply pull them tight, slow and smooth. If they don't feel right, or look right, cut the knot off and retie it. Another tip is to use your fingernail to slide your coils together rather than directly pulling on your knot and stressing a low diameter tippet.
• Use Loon UV Knot Sense, to instantly smooth and strengthen freshly tied knots. Simply apply it, then cure it in seconds using Loon’s UV Nano Light, UV Bench Light, or direct sunlight
• I change my knots often to ensure they are as strong as can be, even if I haven’t made a cast. Over the course of even a couple of hours you will be amazed at how much a knot can fatigue, especially on softer, lighter material. If you lose a fish due to a fresh knot parting, well, that’s fishing. However, if you lose a fish to a knot that hasn’t been changed for several hours and a couple of fish then buddy, you may have been able to avoid that.
• Carry a trash receptacle, like the Simms Flyweight Fly Fishing Trash Pod to safely store offcuts and discarded leader material, so it can be disposed of later at home, and not just left lying on the riverbank. A simple reusable Ziplock bag is also perfect for this.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Chris Dore is a battle-tested fly fishing guide with over 20 years of professional guiding experience, battling the demanding, ever-changing conditions that our New Zealand rivers throw at us.

In 2006 Chris became one of the first New Zealanders to successfully pass the internationally recognised Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructors examination and has since taught many thousands of anglers to up their skillset.

For more in person and on river fly fishing advice and upskilling why not book Chris for a day or three?