Beginner’s Guide to Fly Fishing Knots

Last Updated on April 18, 2021 by Bruce

If you want to become good at fly fishing, you are going to have to know how to tie a variety of different fly fishing knots. Almost every fly fishing situation is going to require a special kind of knot. You need to practice these at home before heading out to the water. That’s because your ability to tie the right fly fishing knots is going to make the difference between reeling in your fish, or your line breaking and losing the fish.

You should begin learning to tie fly fishing knots by practicing on an old piece of line at home. Before you tighten any knot, you need to wet it with either your own saliva or water. The friction that is made when you tie a knot can actually create heat. This heat can weaken your line as over time you will tie many knots on the same piece of line. The moisture also helps the knot to slide together better so that it can be stronger than it would be if you were tying knots on a dry line.
There are many types of fly fishing knots. Let’s look at a few of them and when they are used. You can learn the specific step involved in tying each knot by buying one of the many books are written on the subject or by searching the internet for diagrams of how to tie individual knots. Make sure that you seat each knot by pulling it firmly and steadily until it is tight. After you are done making a knot, test it by pulling on it with all your strength. If it holds, great! You’ve done a good job of tying. If it doesn’t, start over and make it tighter. The first fish you hook will be long gone if you don’t.
The first knot to learn is called “backing to the fly reel.” This is the knot that will tie your line to the reel. You can see how important this knot is-if not tied well the fish can be flying through the water taking your entire line with him. In this situation, you should use an Albright knot. When you attach your leader to your line, the knot to use is called a nail knot. The nail knot can the keep your leader and fly line straight, which is important when casting.

There are lots of other kinds of knots for different purposes. For instance, the tippet is the portion of the line between the leader and the fly. When you attach the leader to the tippet, you will need to use a surgeon’s knot or double surgeon’s knot. These are used most often when two pieces of the same size line are knotted together. A clinch knot attaches the tippet to the fly. Check out books or even YouTube videos and the like when learning this knot. It’s the knot that is the easiest for the fish to break because he is going to grab the fly and when hooked, will pull with all his might in his fight to get away.
There are dozens of fly fishing knots you can learn, but these are a few of the most important ones. Practice your knots until you can tie them in your sleep, because a broken line means the fish got away.