The Essential Guide to Fly Fishing Knots
Leader Knots – Mono to Fly Line
Needle Knot
It is tricky to master at first, this is by far the best leader attachment knot of all. With practice, you can tie one in less than two minutes, and it will last a season or two.
- Prepare the leader butt by cutting it at a slant to make a point. Insert a needle into the end of the fly line and out of the side, as shown. (Rotating the needle to ease its passage through the fly line core.)
- Keep the fly line folded back as you withdraw the needle and insert the leader but, threading 20 cm (8 inches) out of the side of the line.
- Wrap four or five turns loosely around the fly line. Fold the end of the leader back to create loop A. Fold the leader a second time to create loop B.
- Hold loop B alongside the end of the fly line where the final knot is to be, and now unwind the five turns, covering loop B with each turn. While preventing the turns from uncoiling, pull on both free ends of the nylon.
- Finally, push turns closely together, tighten fully and trim off the loose end of leader butt.
Nail-less Nail Knot
A fine knot for field attachment of a leader to the fly line. It is almost as straight and strong as the above needle knot but can fail if the coating is pulled off the fly line core.
Step 1 Hold your fly line (black) and create a loop as shown with your leader. Hold at point: A
Step 2 Thread the leader up and through the loop about 5 times.
Step 3 This is the tricky part, hold both ends of your leader as you gently pull the knot up tight. It’s easy to let the knot slip off the end of your line at this point. Pull up very tight and then test the knot to see that it doesn’t pull off the end of the fly line. Trim the knot ends close so they don’t catch in your rod guides.
Trilene Knot
The Trilene Knot is a strong knot that can be used to join a line to swivels, snaps, hooks, and lures. The breaking strength is extremely high for this knot; awfully close to 100% for some lines and diameters and almost always above 90%. Do not cut the tag end too close.
Thread the line through the eye of the hook or lure and double back through the eye a second time.
- Holding the hook or lure in your left hand, and the standing line in your right hand, loop the tag end around the standing line 6 times. Then feed the tag end through the loop made in step 1.
- Tighten the knot by pulling gently on the tag end and the standing line simultaneously. Moisten the knot with water as you tighten to lubricate the line, allowing the knot to slide more easily while tightening. The trim tag end to 1/8 inch.
- Tying the Trilene Knot is complete.
Best Wishes, Coyalita
See Tomorrow: “Fly Attachment Knots”
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