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.
They're not tied correctly
You have to follow all the steps. Practice so you're tying the knot correctly, according to the instructions.
Get enough muscle memory so you can do it both-handed as fishing conditions dictate (e.g. in the cold and wet, holding the fly in your left or right hand in the case of the Clinch Knot, etc.
They're not seated correctly
Most knots need moistening, otherwise the friction of that last tug you give to seat the knot will create weakness in the tippet material.
Put some spit or water in there. Use your thumbnail on the Clinch Knot to snug the knot down so there aren't any gaps in the wraps. The knot should not budge as you apply more pressure on it. Don't yank, as that'll often break off a lighter tippet (5x, 6x).
They're mechanically compromised
Oftentimes overzealous nipper action can create nicks on the actual working knot, by cutting the tag end too high up. Your cut on the tag end doesn't need to be perfect. If there's a millimeter of tag end left it won't hurt the knot or cause the fish to refuse it.
Check your knots when you snag, or when you catch a fish. Trout have sharp teeth and can abrade a knot or tippet section when they're caught.
They're chemically compromised
DEET in bug spray will melt your line systems. Keep it away from your gear at all costs. The jury's still out on sunscreen, too, and as general practice I try to make sure my hands are clean after applying to not get any on terminal tackle. The scent of sunscreen can cause its own problems, too.
Old knots, that have sat in the sun for a while, or just stiffened when the rod hangs in the garage over the winter, should be checked and / or retied if they seem in any way brittle. Don't be precious about reusing a leader from last season if it might be compromised.
The best knot-tying companion on the internet
I'm a visual learner when it comes to knots, so I like to see them tied a few different ways, in different orientations. That's why my favorite resource for practicing knot is the amazing Animated Knots by Grog.
It's got almost all the essential fly fishing knots and their variants articulated in a lot of different ways. Core to what makes Grog great is the interface where knots are visualized. You can flip the orientation horizontally or vertically, step through each knot piece by piece, and even set your autoplay speed, so the images can cycle slowly as you make the movements for the first time, then speed up as you get more practice.
Essential knots for different fly fishing connections
This isn't the best diagram, it's a bit outdated, but it'll give you a good sense of how the knots in your rigging system come together:
It'll help you understand, piece-by-piece, what goes where.
