Beaucatcher Fly Fishing Guide Service Vancouver Washington Fly Fishing Knots

River Journal Notes

A collection of helpful information and tips regarding fly fishing, especially Spey casting and Spey fishing. References of handy information previously published and collected here for ease of use as well as my own observations concerning gear and techniques I have used on the river.

Fly Fishing Knots

General Notes

In general, whenever you tie knots in mono-filament you need to thoroughly wet the knot and draw it up with a single smooth tightening motion. This applies whether the monofilament is nylon, fluorocarbon, or any other monofilament polymer or co-polymer.

The following discussion and knot selection is for freshwater fishing. In saltwater there are several alternative knots, which are, in some cases, more suitable.

The Eugene Bend

A method of tying the Eugene Bend using hemostats developed by Bruce E. Harang so as to make properly tying the knot in fine tippet material much easier.
The knot is started in the same manner whether or not you are using a set of forceps to assist with tying the knot. Start the knot by running the tippet end through the hook eye and back up the line. Form a second loop in the opposite direction with the tag. Hold the tag end and the hook eye between your fingers (Fig. 1).

Insert a closed pair of forceps through the second loop and rotate the closed ends of the forceps around the standing line three times. This automatically also wraps the second loop around the standing line three times (Fig.2).

Now grasp the tag end of the tippet with the forceps and pull the forceps out of the second loop thereby pulling the tag end of the tippet through the second loop (Fig. 3).

Pull the tag end until the end loops of the knot are small enough that they cannot slip over the hook eye. The knot should be snug, but not tight, and should be located several inches above the hook eye (Fig. 4).

Wet the knot to lubricate it and protect the monofilament from frictional heat damage. Then with a smooth steady motion, pull the standing line until the knot slides down the standing line to the hook eye and seats. You will know the knot is properly seated when you hear and feel the knot click into position. In addition, a properly tied and seated knot will have the tag end forming a very pronounced V with the standing line (Fig.5).

The knot works best with monofilament lines of about 12 pounds breaking strength or less. It also works better with soft lines than with hard stiff lines.
By using a pair of forceps (hemostats) to assist with tying the knot you will find changing flies with very light tippet and tying with wet hands to be far easier and the cause of many fewer impolite words on stream.

King Sling

A method of tying the King Sling using hemostats developed by Bruce E. Harang making properly tying the knot in fine tippet material much easier.
The knot is started in the same manner whether or not you are using a set of forceps to assist with tying the knot.

Form a double loop at the end of the line by folding the end of the line back on itself forming a loop. Then fold the loop back on itself forming a second loop. Grasp this second loop with your forceps (the forceps are not shown in these images but you should be able to understand how to use them to tie the knot from these images and the written description0. See Figure 1 below

Now rotate the second loop end and the forceps around the double line three times. See Figure 2 below.

Next, push the second loop and the forceps holding the second loop through the first loop. Then release and withdraw the forceps leaving the second loop extending through the first loop. See Figure 3 below. Note: you can also reverse the procedure by placing the closed forceps through the first loop and then grasping the second loop, wrapping the forceps and grasped loop around the standing line and tag three times. Finally, draw the forceps out of the first loop along with the second loop.

Wet the knot and using one hand to pull the single loop and the other to pull both the standing line and the tag end start to draw the knot tight. Once the knot forms, even out the knot loops on each end of the knot itself. See Figure 4 below.

Finally, complete drawing the knot tight. Clip the tag end leaving a short stub and the loop knot is complete. See Figure 5 below. Note that in Figure 5 the tag has not yet been cut off.

This is one of the strongest, safest loop forming knots in the fly fisherman's arsenal. Learn to tie this easy loop knot and you won't loose fish to failed loops. I have tied this loop knot in monofilament up to 50 lb. Breaking strength with a diameter of 0.028" with no problems getting the knot to tighten.

Quick, or Simple, Blood Knot

While this knot has been known as the quick blood knot or simple blood knot, it is not a blood knot because the tag ends come out the ends of the knot instead of in the center as they do in a true blood knot. It is, however, easy to tie, and very effective. The only drawback over the true blood knot is the bulk of the knot.

Wrap the tag end of one line seven or eight turns around the tag end of the second line (see Fig. 1) to start the knot.

Next the tag end of the second line is wrapped around the tag end of the first line seven or eight times (see Fig. 2).

To tighten the knot, grasp the tag ends and slowly draw the knot up until the tag ends stand out at right angles to the knot. Do not draw the knot so tight that the length of the knot is less than about 5/16 inch long (see Fig. 3).

Next wet the knot and grasping the two standing lines pull quickly and firmly to tighten the knot (see Fig. 4).

Clinch Knot

I prefer to attach my fly to the tippet using a clinch knot or an improved clinch knot. Tying these knots in fine tippet, especially in the rain, can be a frustrating exercise. To solve this, there are available a number of special tools to do just this job. My fishing vest already weighs in at a quarter ton. So another tool attached to it is out of the question.

After reviewing what I already carried that might serve, I realized that my hemostats could do the job. Tying the clinch knot is remarkably simple using hemostats (see illustrations below).

If you do not draw on the tag end when tightening the knot, you produce a perfect clinch knot every time. If you do draw the knot tight by pulling on the tag end, you roll the knot over itself and the knot will cut the tippet like a hot knife. This is true no matter whether you use only your hands or a tying tool.

I have now used this method for over 17 years very successfully and without knot failure.

Improved Clinch Knot

But how could I tie the improved clinch using my hemostats? The answer evaded me for a long time. Then, while tying a clinch knot during a day on the water, the answer leaped out at me. Instead of releasing the tag end from the hemostat jaws after drawing it through the first loop, continue to hold the tag end and push the hemostat jaws through the new (second) loop formed by drawing the tag through the first loop. Now release the tag end from the hemostat jaws and withdraw the jaws. As with the clinch knot, hold the tag end and the fly in one hand and draw the knot tight after wetting by pulling on the standing end of the tippet. Having used this procedure for over two years now I have found no problems with tying perfect improved clinch knots. See the diagram for a visual explanation.

These procedures are also very helpful for tying these same knots in heavy stiff leader materials more commonly used in saltwater fly fishing.

30 Second Nail Knot - Joe Dion Method

If you are like me, tying a nail knot is a chore you experience as seldom as possible. Getting the knack of holding the fly line, the backing line or leader butt and a hollow tube while at the same time winding the backing or leader around the fly line is a never ending source of frustration. Well, there is a solution. Joe Dion of Orvis has devised a method of tying a nail knot which produces a real nail knot without the need of a tube. Further, you donï¿½t have to wind things back upon themselves or turn things inside out. Orvis representative Leigh Oliva showed me how to tie the nail knot using this novel method.
Give this one a try, it is simplicity itself. This is so easy you can actually tie the nail knot on the stream in less time than it takes to tie a blood knot. The following figures clearly show how to tie the nail knot using the Joe Dion method in 30 seconds.
The Orvis Company has given permission for the free use of the method and knot.
The copyright protected drawings of Bruce E. Harang may be freely used for non-commercial purposes as long as the original copyright notice is included and each set of drawings is used together as a unit.