Blood Knots on tippet

[EA88]

i im new to the sport like i said in my last fourm but i have alot of trouble tying blood knots in tippet to the leader is there any easier way to ty in the tippet

 

[JackM]

I prefer the blood knot with tippet/leader sections in 3X or larger. Below that, I switch over to the surgeon's knot. Let me see if I can find the tutorial.

Ah-ha, here it is: Surgeon's Knot Step-By-Step Instructions

 

[EA88]

thanks i just tryed it works great and is so much easier to ty in light tippet

 

[tomgamber]

While I prefer the blood knot but ...every once in a while, like after dark and when I'm in a big hurry...i use the Surgeons Join I have used it because my hands were cold, because I was lazy or because I wanted to drastically change from something like a a big fat bugger to a dry fly, right now. It hasn't failed yet.

 

[afishinado]

I use the double surgeons knot (three times through) all the time. I don't see any difference in knot strength between that and the harder to tie blood knot.

 

[fritz]

I use a nonslip mono loop for tippet connections. If I buy commercial leaders, I'll clip the line 24" from tippet end--mono loop both ends and loop together. With your extra tippet spools, mono loop the ends--when tippet gets too short (or if you want to change tippet size) you can clip off the short tippet at the mono loop, discard (in your pocket), pull off desired length of new tippet and loop on to leader.

 

[JackM]

afishinado wrote:
I use the double surgeons knot (three times through) all the time. I don't see any difference in knot strength between that and the harder to tie blood knot.

Just want to clarify that the reason I use blood knots on the heavier portion of the leader is because the surgeon's or double surgeons is not a linear knot, meaning that the section will join at a slight angler, sometimes refered to as a "hinge." With the more narrow tippets from 4X down, it isn't quite as noticeable. I honestly cant say that the "hinge" makes a difference with the thicker leader sections, I just think it does.

 

[afishinado]

Jack,

I agree with you about using a bloodknot on the heavier sections of the leader. I use bloodknots when building leaders too. The poster asked about the leader to tippet coneection.

 

[1stfly]

fritz wrote:
I use a nonslip mono loop for tippet connections. If I buy commercial leaders, I'll clip the line 24" from tippet end--mono loop both ends and loop together. With your extra tippet spools, mono loop the ends--when tippet gets too short (or if you want to change tippet size) you can clip off the short tippet at the mono loop, discard (in your pocket), pull off desired length of new tippet and loop on to leader.

I just read that in Lefty Kreh's book on flyfishing knots. Do you find the no slip mono loop difficult to close?

-Chris

 

[Wulff-Man]

The loop-to-loop leader-to-tippet connection is the only one I have ever used. I'm not sure what a "nonslip mono loop" is. All I do to make the loop is double over the end of the tippet and tie a simple overhand knot. Just be sure to wet the line before cinching it, and tighten it by putting your finger through the loop and pulling, instead of pulling on one or the other lengths of the line. It almost never slips while cinching it.

This is an easy and economical way to make the connection. It's economical because you never have to cut into the leader and shorten it when tying on new sections of tippet. The end of the leader always remains as a terminal loop.

 

[JackM]

Wulff-Man wrote:....All I do to make the loop is double over the end of the tippet and tie a simple overhand knot.

Do you only tie a single overhand knot? I have used this knot but always thought you make a double overhand knot. I guess I've been wasting time and effort.
Double Overhand Loop Knot Demo

I would urge you to consider the Perfection Loop Knot as it is an "in-line knot."

Launch Windows Media Demo of Perfection Loop

 

[tomgamber]

Thats easy...i'll have to try that...I do what Wulff does but only for the leader to line connection. I do blood or surgeons not for the tippet as I said above.

 

[Van_Cleaver]

I'm also a long time user of the loop to loop method described by Wulff-Man. It is economicl and simple, and break-offs still occur based on pilot error. When tied carefully a simple overhand loop to loop is plenty strong, though I do sometimes use the double. This system rarely fails me on a straight pull, and I've dragged in some pretty large fish on 6 or7x, when my dropper fouled them. Not sure if it's a strong as a blood knot on a jerk, or hookset, but don't seem to break off many that way, and I tend to fish light tippets most of the time.

 

[Wulff-Man]

JackM wrote:

Wulff-Man wrote:....All I do to make the loop is double over the end of the tippet and tie a simple overhand knot.

Do you only tie a single overhand knot? I have used this knot but always thought you make a double overhand knot. I guess I've been wasting time and effort.
Double Overhand Loop Knot Demo

I would urge you to consider the Perfection Loop Knot as it is an "in-line knot."

Launch Windows Media Demo of Perfection Loop

Yeah, Jack, I only tie a single overhand knot. It has never failed me. If I get snagged and have to break the fly off, the tippet usually breaks at the loop knot on the tippet. But I have never lost a fish due to the tippet breaking at the loop. I think breaking off at the loop happens because of the whipping or sudden jerking action used. If fish break off, it's usually around the fly.

The perfection loop is preferrable for a loop on the butt of the leader because of the thickness of the leader, but it is unnecessary on the tippet end of the leader.

 

[albatross]

Maybe I'm gonna give away my poor casting ability here, but here goes... Don't you tend to get your fly tangled up with those extra loops?

 

[Wulff-Man]

I hate to say never, but I think the answer is never. I try to keep the loops fairly small, about a half inch to an inch at most in diameter, but with the small diameter of tippet the loops end up being more like parallel lines. The leader loop, even if it's maybe 3X, gets permanently "deformed" into this shape, so that sometime it's even difficult to slip the tippet loop through it. It's more like a slot. Now I do sometimes get my leader/tippet tangled around the loop connections at the butt end of the leader, but this is rare, and loop connections for leader-to-fly line are commonly used. And the loops don't affect my casting at all, as far as I can tell. Maybe some fly fishers with super-refined casting abilities and super-technical leader formulas would notice something, but not me.

 

[fritz]

I just read that in Lefty Kreh's book on flyfishing knots. Do you find the no slip mono loop difficult to close?

-Chris


Chris, Yeah, I have to catch the tag end between my teeth. I do the same with bloodknots--my dentist has a problem with this. Learned this knot the same place you did. I've used the overhand loops too and have had very little problems--but I've also lost some very nice fish from the loops breaking.

fritz

 

[salvelinus]

I use perfection end loops on the leader and the tippet. A simple loop to loop connection (slip knot) and you are ready to go. When your tippet gets to short you don't have to bother with blood knots, just clip the old one off and loop on another tippet section. You can even make tippets ahead of time so you have no knot to tie at all. And I am 55, wear bifocals, and have pig fingers so if I can do it you guys can too.

 

[AugustWest]

Furled leaders folks! Not braided, furled. There is a difference. I venture to say if you try one, you will never look back. I gave one a try 3 years ago and have not used anything else since.