Best Knots

[Wharfrat]

I was curious to know what knots you all use to connect tippet to the leader and your tippet to the fly ? I used to use the blood knot for tippet to leader but switched to the Double Surgeons will a little better result . I have been using the improved clinch knot for tippet to fly but I am ready to switch.

I am embarrsed to tell you how many big fish I have had broke off at the knots.

I am interested to hear what knots that you more experienced and succesful fisherman use.

Thanks in advance.

 

[wsender]

I like the double surgeons. It's so much easier to tie on the stream then a blood knot. But, why don't you use a tippet ring or furl a leader so you can use loop-to-loop connections? It makes it so much easier to change tippet lengths and size for the appropriate situations.

I use the improved clinch knot and never had a problem. I tried an Orvis knot once and liked it, but never saw a need to switch.

You can find the Orivs knot, plus a myriad of other knots here. http://globalflyfisher.com/fishbetter/knots/table.php

Also, if you don't know how to tie a perfection loop, that's definitely a must if you want to get into loop to loop connections. Knowing how to tie a bowline in a more traditional way wouldn't hurt either.

 

[MKern]

leader to tippet = tripple surgeons

tippet to fly = clinch

If tied correctly they are very strong, well like any knot.
I used to lose fish and flies because of bad knots and one day I just started tying better knots.

 

[gfen]

The smaller the tippet, the more you have to be careful about pulling it nice and tight before clipping, and hte more need for some spit or water or something to help lubricate it as you cinch it down.

Also, especially for the smallest tippet, check the knot often. It'll begin to weaken and it only takes a little tug to undo it at the most inopportune time.

My knot repetroire consists only of cinch knots, surgeon's (double and triple), the perfection loop and the surgeon loop (double and triple).

 

[WildTigerTrout]

I build my own leaders. I use blood knots. I also use tippet rings so when I change my tippet the leader stays the same length! I use an improved clinch knot to connect the tippet ring to the leader and also to attach the tippet to the ring. I use the same knot to attach the fly. Seems to work well. Wet your knots before you tighten them!

 

[Redsun]

i use a tippet ring. but a ferruled leader would give u the same connection between leader ---- / / --- tippet. without the ring or a loop double or triple surgeons.

for tippet to fly i use a DAVY KNOT simple and strong. also it dose not use a lot of material to tie.

when fishing nymphs i tie a 2-3ft section of tippet (A). then i take a another section of tippet about a ft to 18in (B). i then overlap A & B about 7in. and tie a triple surgeons .

-(A)--------------------------
( Tie here. ) keep tag ends long this way ---> )
------------------------------(B)------------------



then i clip one of the short sections. usually the one going up line. so now i have a tag line and the main line and can tie 2 nymphs on. the Davy knot makes this rig because the short tag end(first fly). you don't use much tippet and can change flies a fair amount of times be for having to retie rig.

i know it is more info then what your looking for but hope it helps.

 

[sandfly]

I tie a perfection loop at the end of the leader. then tie one in the tippet, then just loop to loop them. you can get the perfection down very small with practice.

With my furled leaders I use a Bimini knot with a loop to the furled leader on large fish (steel/salt) and a perfection loop with smaller fish (trout). No metal rings for me.

using a double surgeons though good will off set the tippet compared to the triple surgeons which lays straight and is 100% strong.

For the fly I tie improved clinch or a non slip loop knot depending on what fly I am using.

 

[firandfeather]

I have caught fish from PA to Alaska on two knots. Blood knot and clinch knot. Landed dinds to 50lbs. king salmon. Two things. One-tie knot right and two always wet the knot before pulling it tight. Two is number one because if you dont you can burn the mono.

Mike

 

[RLeep2]

For reasons that probably have no demonstrable rationale outside the realm of religion, I join leader sections with a double surgeons knot, UNLESS I am working with material .008 (3X) or smaller. Then I use a triple surgeons knot.

I use a Uni-Knot to tie the fly to the leader. I use a Uni-Knot (under the name "speed nail knot") to tie a leader butt to the fly line. I use Uni-Knots to tie the piece of 0X to the frame of the Christmas wreath we put up each year, so I can hang it on a thumbtack stuck in the front door. And I use Uni-Knots to tie the rope to the cat's collar so I can take him outside for a couple bites of the lawn. Then the cat comes in and blows lunch on the rug. I guess this is what they do..

I like Uni-Knots.

Whatever knot you use, as the guys have said, make sure it is well lubed and correctly tied. I'd also add to be sure to draw it down gradually to tightness and give a tug on both tags before clipping them. All this helps.

 

[midnightangler]

I doubt that the improved clinch knot, by itself, is causing you to lose big fish. 90% of the time i use a standard clinch knot. its very rare for me to lose a fish due to a knot breaking, and I play fish pretty hard. I'd be very surprised if a new knot solved your problem.

I'd recommend that you make sure that you have relatively new tippet material. It gets fragile as it gets older. Second, a lot of people use tippet that is WAY too light. I don't ever go below 5x for nymphing, and I only use 6x to fish tricos and midges. My default is 4x for fishing nymphs, 5x for dries and 1x for fishing streamers.

The improved clinch knot and blood knot are good knots. I suspect that the source of your problem lies elsewhere.

 

[jayL]

The only knots I use in most situations:

line to line (similar diameter): blood knot, almost exclusively. I enjoy tying them, and think that a well tied blood knot is a thing of beauty.

line to line (large difference in diameter): albright special. I mainly use this for amnesia to mono and backing to fly line.

line to fly: improved clinch or palomar.

loops: perfection loop

backing to reel: arbor knot.

I whip loops in my fly line and loop to loop to leader.

 

[troutslammer]

i improve clinch my hard nylon to tippet ring , improve clinch tippet to tippet ring and ........thats right improved clinch my fly to tippet and .......thats right improved clinch my leader to fly line loop , no issues whatsoever with knot breaking , 5 turns back through the loop , then through the next loop ,lick it and pull it tight then take finger nails and really jamb the the knot against the hook eye , leave a little longer than normal tag because they do stretch a little or seat in as i call it !

 

[Wharfrat]

Thanks for advice. I have been using the Triple Surgeons for leader and tippet and the Duncan Loop for tippet to fly . So far so good. I landed a very hard fighting, 18 inch Little Lehigh Brown in high water and everything held together just fine. This may just be due to the fact that I am paying more attention to tying better knots more so than the type of knot I am using.

 

[Wharfrat]

Thanks for advice. I have been using the Triple Surgeons for leader and tippet and the Duncan Loop for tippet to fly . So far so good. I landed a very hard fighting, 18 inch Little Lehigh Brown in high water and everything held together just fine. This may just be due to the fact that I am paying more attention to tying better knots more so than the type of knot I am using.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

If your knot doesn't look right RETIE IT.Make sure the wraps are tight and the tag end should make a 90 degrees with the main line or standing part of the leader.I use uni knots almost exclusively and the more you tie any knot the better you will get at your ties.

 

[albatross]

For regular trout fishing, I join tippet to leader with a double surgeons knot and fly to leader with the Orvis knot. For steelhead and salmon, I use a swivel between the leader and tippet and favor the palomar and trilene knots for connections to swivel or fly.

 

[NCPAtrtbum]

For small streams.. 6lb mono with a nail knot from fly line with a perfection loop on the end for loop to loop. I love the nail knot, if tied correctly it's a beautiful thing. I tie my own leaders before I head out with blood knots/perfection loops. For fly attachment, the polymer knot/clinch is nice for drys.. easy to tie, very high breaking strength. I use duncans loop for streamers and nymphing, gives the fly some action.

All a cinch to tie with practice just always remember and I can't stress this enough.. use spit or water when finishing the knot. Lost way too many fish when eager to switch flies/tippets and forgot to lube up.

 

[BlkLgbEaDheAd09]

idk if there is another name for the knot that i tie for a line to line connection but i call it a double uni knot, http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Tie-a-Double-Uni-Knot-64271747and i never have problems with it. ive had like 4-5 double uni knots in my leader before because i ran out of tippet on the stream, worked well for the few hours i used it. as for tippet to fly, clinch knot.