Fishing Forum

[font "Garamond"][#008000][size 4]No doubt everyone has their favorite knots, be it to join fly line & leader to tippet to fly. I have been using the simple Davy knot for quite some time. Last week low hanging bushes and rocky bottom gave my knot a good test. Not once did it break loose from my fly. When caught between rocks I would move into position where I could use my staff to redirect the angle and pull my fly to safety. BTW I was using 7X tippet. A steady pull while caught up in the brush released my fly although each time I expected that the tippet wouldn't hold.[/size][/#008000][/font]
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awesome testimonial.. [cool]

for me so far I use the clinch knot to tie on the fly.. a perfection loop to connect fly line to leader.. and leader to tippet.. and a nail knot for backing to fly line..

MacFly [cool]
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If you break off, either on a fish or a snag, chances are the line broke, not the knot---no matter what knot you used---if the knot was tied properly.

Even a straight clinch knot will hold when the line breaks---mostly because the line was degraded while tying the knot.

However, for the strongest knot you can tie, try a double improved clinch knot. This is the one we used with noodle rods & 2# class lines for steelhead and coastal browns coming out of Lake Michigan.

I once won a Trilene-sponsored contest for tying the strongest knot with that one. Subsequently, Berkley reintroduced it as the "Trilene Knot."

With any knot, the key, in mono and leader material, is to not let the loops of the knot heat up the line itself. That's the main problem with the clinch knot; folks tighten it up too quickly and it generates friction heat as the loops snug to each other.

A slow, steady pull, and lubricating with water (spit works great) pretty much eliminates the problem.

Brook
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[font "Garamond"][#008000][size 4]I have used the Trilene and the Improved Clinch knot, but the truth be known is that I have trouble seeing & feeling mono when on the water [& off too] that said I use the Davy because it is a very simple one to tie. A while back flygoddess put me onto the Magnetic Fly Threader which permits me to thread a fly in just one shot. Great for these old eyes. Thanks again FGD.[/size][/#008000][/font]
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interesting knot..ive used the palimar for a long time but found it can be hard to tie on small hooks due to having to go through the eye twice..this might work better..
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I wasn't knocking the Davy, Dryrod. Merely pointing out that most of us make too big a deal about knots.

What I'm saying is that any knot which does the job, and which you find easy to tie, is the right knot.

When I came into flyfishing, the turle knot was the standard, preferred for a reason that was more theoretical than real.

Now then, in terms of strength, the worst thing you can tie is an overhand knot. And a turle is merely two of those---so you can imagine how weak it was.

Yet, the same syndrome applied. When you broke off, more times than not, it was the line that broke, rather than the knot failing.

It's also important to remember that there are two types of strain. There's the sudden load, as when you strike; and the long, steady strain, as when you fight a good fish.

If a knot does fail, it's usually because of the static load of a long-time fight, rather than the sudden loading when you strike. But even under the steady load of a long fight, if you break off it's the line that fails rather than the knot.

Brook
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it is my understanding that line break is usually caused by, as you say, sustained strain on it.. but.. to me any way....

if the line breaks during the retrieval then that tells me one of a couple of things..

one, abrasion on the line causing a weak point..

two.. defective line from the manufacturer and

three OLD LINE..

what would ya'll would say is a reasonable time to keep line (how many months before you replace it).. or a better way to put it is how often should one replace their line ... ??

MacFly
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[center][#005000]Did you mean to say tippet versus fly line?[/#005000]
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yep [blush]
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The fly shop and the manufacturer will tell you yearly.

I replace mine when I think it is breaking prematurely. That is generally several years out.

Hopefully you are fishing often enough that your tippet material does not last a year.
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Brook writes:

What I'm saying is that any knot which does the job, and which you find easy to tie, is the right knot.

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Yup, if you are not breaking off fish very often then you are using a knot which is good enough.
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When I am using a two or three fly setup I like to use a weaker knot on the nymphs than on the dry fly. That way my dry fly is more likely to stick around when I loose the other fly to the rocks and submerged sticks and branches. I have less to tie back on. Also the tippet breaks at the knot rather than some where along the length of the tippet.
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Ive heard both of those before and it makes sense to me.. but Ive also been told numerous times that fluro outlasts mono and therefore does not need to be changed as often.. even if you are not fishing frequently??

MacFly [cool]
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Hey where can I get one of those![angelic]
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[center][font "Comic Sans MS"][#008000][size 3]One of those what?
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Whoops I was reading one of your post about the thredder for thredding the tippet through the eye of the hook that FG turned you on to. Sorry my bad
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#008000][size 3]No problem. I got mine from Cabelas although just about any place sells. Here is a UTube demo on the threader:[/size][/#008000][/font]


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neHFMRIARic
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My favorite knot is the palimar knot. I use it every opportunity I get. It doesn't slip and doesn't cause the line to break at the knot. Not just strong but easy to do. I can even tie one when I'm blazed so it must be good.
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