knots

[Illusions]

What is the favored knot to tie your flies to your leader? Is it personal preference, or does one work better than another?

[FallRiverGuy]

At this point I use improved clinch most of the time. With 8X tippet I have trouble getting the improved clinch to hold so I have started using the Trilene knot which seems to hold. For leader making I still use the blood knot.

Anyone using the Tiemaster?

[BuKuBass]

Palomar for most situations; uni-knot with the loop left loose if you want an extra wiggle ie. nymphs, clousers.

[True]

I blood knot everything. It's quick and easy and I've personally never had any problem with breakage - flourocarbon or mono.

[cully]

loop knot from line to leader and I use surgeons knots for making leaders and tie on flys using improved cinch knot. I have gotten lazy lately and just cinch knot fly to tippet and it has cost me a dozen flys on my last trip out. I'm going back to making that extra "improved" move and i'm sure my fly loses will ease up.

[Doc Spratley]

If I am steelhead fishing, I attach the fly to the tippet using the Double Turle Knot. This is the knot recommended by Trey Combs. It is easy to tie and you can do it when your fingers are numb during the winter. However, you can only use this knot with hook eyes that are turned up or down. For ring eye hooks, I'll use the double clinch knot (trilene knot) or the palomar knot, depending on the shape of the fly.

For trout fishing, I attach the fly to the tippet using either the improved turle knot (for dry flys) or the uni-knot (sometimes called the Duncan Loop) for nymphs and streamers like BuKuBass recommends. That loop does add a seductive wiggle.

Fly line to leader butt, I use the standard nail knot for all fishing.

I use the surgeons knot for making up leader sections and tying tippet to leaders. I used to tie the blood knot for this job, but the surgeons knot is easier (at least for me) to tie and many books say it is a slightly stronger knot. I don't know about the strength issue as both knots test at almost a perfect 100% efficiency, but I noticed that the surgeon knot picked up less debris/algae in the water than the blood knot.

[fishesfrom tupperware]

Depends on what I want the fly to do. For streamers, nymphs, etc. a loop knot (kinda like a bowline with some extra turns). For everything else, usally a improved clinch.
Check out this page that I stumbed into it the other day:
http://www.flyshop.com/skills/03-01knots/

It has some slick little videos of good knot tying. My only criticism is that they don't lubricate the knot(spit) before snugging it down.

[Illusions]

I have been using the improved clinch knot to tie flies on, however, I seem to break the line when I tighten the know down. Sometimes I end up tying the fly on 2 or 3 times. Am I pulling too tight? I think I will try one of the other knots for a while and see what happens.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far!!

[Corkie Monster]

WannaFish

Try lubing the line with either Saliva or scent when tying that knot. When you pull the knot tight it is cuasing friction and burns or frays the line, wich cuases it to break easily.

As far as my favorite knot, I like the "Rivers Inlet". It is a very strong knot and has 100% strength when tied correctly. This is how you tie it: Make a loop in the line and pass it through the eye of the lure and tie as if your Tying a clinch knot except you only make 4 wraps. Trim off ends closly and it's done. :grin: