But there is another knot that we feel is one of the most important knots to master as soon as you start branching out from the basics described above, and that is the Non-Slip Mono Loop….. Continue reading →

The primary purpose of the blood knot is to join sections of similar diameter monofilament. You can tie 0X to 2X, or 1X to 3X, but you wouldn’t want to tie 0X to 3X or 1X to 4X. The general rule of thumb is that you can safely skip a single “X” size when joining monofilament sizes greater than or equal to 4X. When joining sizes smaller than 4X, you should not skip any sizes. In other words, 4X would be tied to 5X which would be tied to 6X and so on (assuming, of course, you want a 6X … Continue reading →

Use the clinch knot for tying your fly to the tippet. The improved clinch knot is the preferred knot of the two due to its stronger breaking strength. Illustration courtesy of Andre Puyans Fly Fishing Seminars

The primary purpose for the perfection loop is to join a fly line butt section (which has a perfection loop tied at the end) with a leader (which also has a perfection loop tied at the end). While it allows for a quick leader change (see loop-to-loop connection) without any knots being tied (once the loops are in place, that is), it has some disadvantages. The primary disadvantage is that your fly line-to-leader connection will hinge at the junction of the perfection loops, an effect which can be felt while casting. To avoid this, High Country Flies recommends joining butt … Continue reading →

Use the Double Surgeon Knot to connect monofilament of similar or dissimilar sizes. This knot is superior to the more popular blood knot in several ways. Most importantly, it has a stronger breaking strength and is better for joining widely divergent monofilament sizes. It’s also a heck of a lot easier to tie than a blood knot. It is however, a bulkier knot than the blood knot. Consequently, many anglers prefer a blood knot when joining monofilament in the larger diameters (i.e. 2X, 1X, and 0X). The smaller, tapered blood knot will slide through the rod guides easier and knot … Continue reading →

The loop-to-loop connection is used for joining two lengths of monofilament, each having a perfection loop on the end. See Perfection Loop for more information on the advisability of using loop-to-loop connections. The Offshore loop variation is stronger than the standard loop-to-loop connection. Illustration courtesy of Andre Puyans Fly Fishing Seminars