right now i know how to tie a blood knot. i know its only one of many different types of knots that you pros use. Just wondering if the blood knot will do the trick for me. no use learning a new tie right now untill i get other basics right like casting which i am sure i need much practice.
There are a few knots that I use on a regular basis and think are worth learning. First to connect the leader to the fly line-the albright knot (many use a nail knot but I have had nail knots under heavy pressure from fish pull the coating off of the fly line). If you are going to use a loop to loop system I recommend the perfection loop. For tying leaders together and attaching tippet to the leader either the blood knot or the double surgeons knot. For attaching the fly to the tippet I use one of three knots depending one the type of hook and the type of application- improved clinch knot, Lefty's loop knot or the double turle knot.
Hope this helps.
Chris
I almost never use the blood knot anymore. Instead, I use the double surgeon's knot mentioned above. It's so simple to tie, with practice you can even do it in the dark. I'm pretty darned sure that it has a higher breaking strength than the blood knot too.
I have used the Nail Knot for tying my Leader Butt ends to the tip of my fly lines for over forty years but I have recently started using the Albright knot it seems that something is different in the formula of coatings on fly lines. They are very good and much improved but like FLGator mentioned they are slipping off under a good pull from a strong fish. I had this happen several times this past winter on Steelheads and now have refastened with Albright knots all my tips.
I personally use two different knots for tippet and leader knots. the double clinch is extremely simple and the uni-knot has a good breaking strength for me.
No more Blood knots for me. The double surgeons is much easier to tie and I think it's just as strong as the Blood if not stronger. I add a little "knot sense" to smooth it out and that's it. :wink:
Every knot has advantages and disadvantages. The blood knot is small and compact, and the ends come out opposite each other, not cocked off at an angle. So it's ideal for connecting MOST sections of a knotted leader. The blood knot is simple, although learning to tie it without a lot of wasted line on the tag ends takes some practice. It's not as strong as some other knots, percentage-wise. That's not a problem if you're connecting 15- and 12-lb. sections of a leader that is going to end in 5-lb test tippet. I build leaders with blood knot connections, except the knot between the tippet and the next section up, for which I use a uni-knot, which is much stronger.
The perfection loop knot is similar: compact, easy to learn, and comes out straight. It's not as strong as a double surgeon's loop, but it doesn't have to be.
The double surgeon's knot is one of the strongest, and easy enough to be tied by feel. It does waste some material, and cocks off at an angle. But for replacing a tippet in the twilight, during a heavy hatch, it's a great choice.
Hi I only use the blood knot to attach backing to fly line. One of the best places to learn knots is at a web sit I know of it's www.clark-skamania-flyfishers.org it has great tips for every aspect of fly fishing.
The other knots I use are the ducan loop, improved clinch, sergans loop (for leader to flyline), and the nail knot thats pretty much it. The web site I mentoned shows you hhow to do these knots step by step.
good luck and Tight lines!
I would highly recomend you get a copy of Bill Nash's book and video (2 videos) and I believe he only charges $35 or so - one of the best knot references for the fly fisher. He haunts Blanton's site quite bit so you can find info on him there or google him for his web site. As others have said there are good things and bad things about the blood knot - it is compact and thus I use it when I don't need a 100% knot - higher up in the leader system. But for a tip to tippet knot the surgeons knot is much better and rather than a double surgeons you should consider 4 turns - this makes the knot stronger.
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