Fishing Knots - What do you use and why?

[letumgo]

I wanted to start a new discussion on fishing knots, to hear which ones you like to use and especially hear about the reasons you like that particular knot. I am especially fond of using a Duncan Loop knot (open loop enables the fly to move around freely making the fly more lively/lifelike). I use a Duncan Loop knot almost every time I tye on a fly. The Duncan loop knot will seat (slip) on the line, so you have to be careful when tightening up the loop. I usually tighten in a few inched up the line and then snug the knot in place with my thumb nail. Then carefully grip the knot between your thumb and fore finger and slide the knot down the line to where you want it. I then pinch the fly in one hand and the knot in the other (with the knot still between 1/4" to 1/2" open) and pull tightly in opposite directions. Be careful not to pull the fly without holding onto the knot itself. If you pull the fly and the main line, the knot will slip down to the eye of the hook.

Some people find the knot slippage, with the Duncan Loop Knot, to be an issue. The knot can become seated against the eye of the hook after a fish or a snag has pulled against the fly. The smaller the line size, the more this seems to be an issue. In most cases, I can grip the knot with my thumb nail and finger and pull it back up the line after catching a fish. I generally fish with 6 lb to 10 lb fluorocarbon tippet. The fluorocarbon material may behave a bit differently than mono, in terms of knot slippage.

There are a couple other things I like about the Duncan Loop Knot:

I use the knot slippage to my advantage when going after large fish with lighter tippets. I think the knot slippage helps take up some of the initial shock when a large fish hits a fly. I do quite a bit of steelhead fishing on 6 lb tippet, with good results, using a Duncan Loop Knot. It may be my imagination, but it is one of the reasons I like the knot.

The tag end (the part trimmed off after tying) of the Duncan knot tends to be very small (around 1/4" to 1/2") once you get the hang of tying it. That minimizes the amount that gets trimmed off the tipped each time you need to retye a fly onto the line.

I found a YouTube video illustrating the Duncan Loop knot (see link below):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U_dNFTTX1w

Here is another link containing a simple animation of what they are calling a Uni-Knot, plus some additional background info:
http://www.animatedknots.com/uniknot/in ... dknots.com


The past two years I have been using tiny metal rings to join my leader to my tippet material. It makes it really easy to tye on a new piece of tippet material (standard clinch knot at the ring end) and Duncan loop knot on the other end (fly end). I've found my leaders last much longer, since I don't keep clipping away more and more leader as I tye on new tippet. I used to use a blood knot for this joint, but it shortens the leader each time new tippet is tyed on.

Anyway, I would love to hear more about what knots you find effective and why.

[Soft-hackle]

One of our members, here, Davy Wotton, is responsible for this knot, appropriately named "Davy's Knot". I like it, especially when using soft tippet material because it does not make curls or waves in the mono like many knots do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yybBYDfwrHI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol4n9ZaJ ... re=related

Mark

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Ray,

I just started using the Duncan Loop exclusively this year. I like being able to have some room at the eye of the hook to allow the fly to be more animated in the water. Seems to work well for me.

That Davy Knot looks simple enough to tie in the dark.

REE

[hankaye]

Howdy all;
As one that has been primarily a "bait' fisherman I have become used to the Rappla knot for when I want a loop. Advantage is near 100% line test strength and no slippage. However, it may be abit bulky for the more 'sensitive' fish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj_v7-ri8g8

abit complicated but it does the job. Large and small mouthed Bass ain't such picky eaters.

Have a good day,
hank

[GlassJet]

Knots is not my strong point at all, but I really must get to grips with them - I've long thought that when fishing small flies in particular, they should be tied on a loop so they can move, as otherwise they must seem very unnatural in the water.

Having said that i still catch on small flies, but think that I would catch more on some kind of loop. Note to me - must learn more knots!
Andrew.
ps - as a left hander, I find it difficult often to follow the instructions... or that's my excuse anyway...

[kanutripr]

The rapala is an awesome loop knot that doesn't slip. It's my favourite when I want a loop otherwise I just use an improved clinch.

The following website is the one I like for knots (although I see it's changed since I was last there). You can play the tying of each knot step by step. Not sure if I posted the link correctly, if not just search animated knots by Grog.

http://www.animatedknots.com/indexfishi ... dknots.com

Oops I see Ray already posted above link. My bad!


Vicki

[hankaye]

Glassjet;

No more excuses..."I can't 'cuz I'm a 'port-sider', "South-paw', 'Lefty' "...
The link that kanutripr posted has the mirror view listed and it works. I checked it out myself.
Time to practice, practice, practice.
hank

[crazy4oldcars]

Another vote for the Duncan Loop.
My preference is because the knot does double duty. I only had to learn one simple knot to have a loop or to pull it up tight to the eye of the hook, if need be.


Kirk

[Otter]

I have used Davy's knot for the last two seasons for trout fishing and have found it as good as the half tucked blood knot with the added advantage that the leader above the knot remains totally unkinked - this can be done with the half blood tucked but requires much care in tightening up the knot.

Mind u at dusk as a result a misspent youth chasing small sea trout in the wee hours, the blood knot is the only one I can still tie in the dark - assuming of course I can get the leader thru the eye which has gone from awkard a season or two ago to damm right irritating. I reckon that my 20/20 vision is but a distant memory and a visit to an optician is required if I am to do battle with the caddis whacking trout at dusk.

[Premerger]

4 turn Duncan Loop for attaching flies and a 4 turn Surgeons Knot for the final tippet join. For a mid-section leader knot where the nylon is markedly thicker, an old fashioned 3 turn blood knot. To attach this, my first post, I'll stick with the Duncan Loop!