Learning to Tie a Fly Fishing Knot

In order for a fisherman to be ready to go fly fishing, he must be able to tie a fly fishing knot so that the line can be properly attached to the fly fishing reel, allowing the fish to be reeled in rather than get away due to an improper knot or snapped line. Learning to tie a fly fishing knot can be intimidating to a novice fly fisherman since there are at least five different knots that he needs to know how to tie in case something happens to snap the line on the water. There are many different guides to tying various fly fishing knots in books, magazines and websites so a novice fisherman just has to practice the steps to become proficient.

Types of Knots

The type of knot that is often used to hook the backing to the spool is the Arbor knot. This type of knot is often already tied by the fly rod and reel manufacturing company, but a fly fisherman is wise to know how to tie an Arbor fly fishing knot so that if it comes undone or has to be replaced for any reason he is able to do so. Learning to tie an Albright fly fishing knot is also important since it is what attaches the fly line to the backing. The fly line is expensive and the fly fisherman does not want to lose it or break it due to a sub-standard fly fishing knot in that section of the line.

Another type of fly fishing knot to be tied is the Nail knot, which is used to connect the leader to the fly line. The leader is what turns the fly over when the line is cast so that it has a natural movement before touching the water. The Double Surgeon's fly fishing knot must also be tied to connect the tippet to the leader, which helps the fly to move naturally in the water once it has 'landed.' Learning to tie an Improved Clinch fly fishing knot is often used and very important since it is the one that attaches the fly to the tippet, and allows the fly fisherman to have flexibility on what flies he wants to use during the course of fishing that day.

Learning to tie a fly fishing knot also requires that certain tips be followed such as not yanking a fly fishing knot tight, but rather evenly pulling it snug so that the knot is more solid. In addition, the knot should be wet before pulling it tight so that it is snugger as well and is less likely to come loose.