The ultimate guide to fly-fishing knots
The do's and do-knot's fly-fishing knot tying. Find out what you need to know, what you don't, and how to build your skills and have confidence in your fly-fishing knots
Having confidence in your knots is crucial for successful fly-fishing.
After casting, it's the number one thing you should work on to lower frustration and help you spend your time on the water fishing, not rigging.
And, as a bonus, it's an area where a beginner can build skills from the friendly confines of their couch or desk chair.
This guide will walk you through the essential knots you need to know, from connecting your backing to your reel all the way to tying on your fly.
Inside this lesson
- Why knots matter
- When knots fail
- The best knot-tying companion on the internet
- Essential knots for different fly-fishing connections
- Practice techniques
- Troubleshooting common knot issues
- More knots to learn
- Putting a bow on it
Why knots matter
At the core of fly-fishing is the cast, the transfer of energy from your body through a dynamic system designed to squeeze every ounce of energy you put in, to propel a tiny fly on a hair's-breadth of tippet connected to twenty-odd feet of plastic line.
Any basic trout rig has no fewer than five knots from the reel to the fly (OK, six, if you count the whip finish used to complete the fly). From the clinch knot connecting the fly to the tippet, to the double surgeon's loop connecting tippet to leader, you'll tie and retie several of these knots multiple times every trip.
But the importance of knots in fly-fishing isn't just in that we have to frequently tie them.
It may sound fundamental, but it's worth stating clearly: We need our knots to work so we can successfully catch fish. We need them to be tied correctly to hold on to that special result we're after.
When knots fail
Every angler has lost a fish due to a failed knot.
Usually, it's something they'll dismiss as the fish's cause. "Wow, he broke me off!" But as you get accustomed to the limits of your tackle, you'll get a stronger sense of the size of fish you're catching earlier in the catching process. You'll see a fish take a fly, or feel it based on the aggressiveness of the strike and response. And you won't be able to make excuses for bad knots.
So, even if you make that excuse to your fishing partner, you'll know in your heart of hearts there was probably more breaking strength in that piece of tippet. It didn't have any nicks or wind knots in it. And that you rushed the riffle hitch to get the new fly back in the water. And you may feel great shame.
Knots fail for a lot of reasons. But knot theory—yes, a thing, a very cool thing—and the engineering limits of materials (the "pound test" ratings that come with every fishing line) only take us so to the edge of the lab.
Out in the real world, on the river or lake, there are more factors to consider.
