Three knots handle most trout fishing: the improved clinch for flies, the surgeon's knot for tippet and the arbor knot for the reel. Here is how each works.
A knot is the weakest point in your line, and fish test it at the worst moment. A poorly seated knot slips, a rushed one cuts itself and a dry-pulled one weakens as it heats from friction. Nothing is more frustrating than hooking a trout and losing it because a knot failed.
The good news is that you need only a few knots, tied the same way every time. Practice them at home with a piece of line and a hook with the point cut off or crimped, so you can tie them quickly on the stream without thinking.
This is the standard knot for tying tippet to a fly, and it works for hooks, lures and swivels too. The improved version adds one tuck to the basic clinch knot, which helps it hold. Follow these steps:
Lubricate before tightening so friction does not weaken the line. Pull slowly instead of jerking. Keep the turns neat so they do not cross over one another, since crossed turns can cut the line when cinched. The knot is harder to tie well in heavy line and is not recommended for line over thirty pound test, though that is far heavier than anything you use for trout.
Check the finished knot for a tight, even coil. If it looks messy or the tag end sticks out, cut it off and retie. A fresh knot costs a minute, and a failed one can cost the fish of the day.
When you add tippet to a leader, or replace a worn section, you need a knot that joins two pieces of line, often of different diameters. The surgeon's knot does this. It is commonly used in fly fishing to connect leader and tippet, and it can join lines of equal or unequal diameter and different materials.
Lay the two ends so they overlap, make a loop and pass one end through it, then pass that end through the loop a second time. Pull both ends and the standing lines to tighten, then trim the tag ends. That makes the basic double surgeon's knot. You can add extra turns for more security. A common variation uses three. Wet it before pulling it tight, as with the clinch.
Once you have joined your tippet, check that you chose the right size for your fly with the chart in our tippet and leader sizing guide.
The arbor knot attaches line, or backing, to the center spool of a reel, called the arbor. Wrap the line around the arbor, tie an overhand knot around the main line with the free end, then tie a second overhand knot in the free end as a stopper. Slide both knots down tight against the arbor. It is a one-time job when you set up a rod, and a guide or shop will often do it for you.
Before the first cast of the day, tug each knot firmly. If a knot is going to fail, you want it to fail at home, not on a fish. Run your fingers along the last few inches of tippet and feel for nicks or rough spots, which weaken the line. Retie whenever a fly has hit a rock or a tree, because the line may have been damaged even if it looks fine.
Wet cold fingers make knots harder, so tie your spare rigs in advance when you can. A pair of nippers on a lanyard speeds up tag-end trimming.
A few errors cause most knot failures.
Once you are comfortable with the three above, many anglers add a loop knot, which lets a streamer swing freely, and a nail knot or similar connection for joining leader to fly line. These are optional for a beginner, and plenty of anglers begin with a leader that attaches to the fly line by a pre-made loop. Add them one at a time, and learn each well enough to tie it in the dark before moving to the next.
Whenever you learn a new knot, test it. Tie it to a fixed object and pull steadily with a gloved hand or a handle, never wrapped around your bare fingers.
Tie each knot ten times at the kitchen table, then try them again with cold wet hands and fading light, because that is what the stream will feel like. If you want someone to watch you tie them, ask about a lesson. Our beginner guide puts knots into the context of a whole setup, and kits include tippet so you can practice with material you will actually use.
The improved clinch adds a final tuck back through the big loop after the first pass. That extra step helps it resist slipping.
About five turns is a common guideline for light line like tippet, with fewer turns for heavier line. Keep the turns neat and avoid crossing them.
Lubricating reduces friction heat as the knot cinches, which helps keep the line from weakening.
The surgeon's knot is commonly used for it because it works with lines of different diameters.
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