The Tricky Art of Fly Fishing Knot Tying

There are many different guides to fly fishing knots, whether in books, blogs, websites or even asking more experienced fly fishermen for explanation and tips.  Fly fishing knot tying is an important part of the fly fishing process since it is what prepares the line so that the fly fisherman gets the cast and fly movement that he wants when in the water.  If these fly fishing knots are not tied properly, then they can come loose while on the water or even cause the line to snap when a fish is on the line.

Types of Knots

Fly fishing knot tying requires the fly fishermen to know at least five types of knots, depending on their preference on the different sections of line and what type of fish they are going after that particular trip.  Fly fishing knot tying also requires that some basic knot tying tips be followed so that the knots are as secure as possible, not matter what type they are.  One tip is that the fly fisherman always moistens the knot before tightening it, and that he pulls evenly on the line to tighten it rather than jerking it.  In addition, he should always test the line and older fly fishing knots so that he can determine if the line is frayed or the knots need to be retied.  This will help to ensure that the line and knots will hold not matter how big the fish is.  Fly fishing knot tying also requires the ends of the line be clipped close to the knot so that there are not any ends that could cause hang-ups or distractions.

There are five different types of knots that fly fishing knot tying requires the fishermen to know.  The one preferred to tie on the fly to the end of the tippet is usually the Improved Clinch Knot, although others could be used as well.  The Double Surgeon's knot is usually used in fly fishing knot tying to tie the tippet to the leader, which affects the way the fly moves in the water.  The Nail knot is normally used to connect the leader to the fly line, although sometimes a loop to loop connection is needed if both lines already have a loop.  The Albright knot is used to attach the fly line to the backing and is important because the fly line is expensive to replace.  Finally, the Arbor knot is used in fly fishing knot tying to secure the backing to the spool.