KNOTS

Ok... a nail knot may be wonderful, but carrying an extra tool when walking
is a pain. I like knots I can tie easily without a special tool.

Uni Knot - Backing To Fly Line

Yesterday I took out one of my heavier rods and started geting it ready to
fish bigger flies for bass. Being stubborn I spooled on some backing and
then proceeded to try a unit knot. I couldn't see why it wouldn't have as a
good a hold as a nail knot. I cinched it down and noticed one thing. The
individual loops dig quickly into the fly line meaning you have to take care
to get it to slde together and make a neat knot. I little gentle probing
with a thumb nail made it come out right.

I pulled the tag end and main line of the backing up snug and then tried to
make it slip, break or pull. It held very solidy. For the flyline to
backing connection it held very very well. I was not able to break it or
make it slip before the backing started to dig painfully into my hand.

I did not tie on a leader yet, because my leaders have not yet arrived, but
I intend to try the uni knot the this as well.

One poster here said the nail knot ties smaller than a unit knot, but I
can't see how. They are similar knots as far a struture if not in how they
are tied. Does anybody know of any reason why a uni knot is bad?

Fly To Tippet. - Palomar - Uni - Modified Clinch (Trilene)

In other types of fishing I have tried the Palomar which many now seem to
take as the stadnard. I personally found the modified clinch knot (Trilene
knot) to be stronger and give me less trouble. However its a bigger knot
than a Palomar. I wonder if it could negatively affect the action of a fly
because of the concentration of the line at that point. Hmmm.... In a
recent conversation on the forums on my website one poster claimed the use a
Uni knot for attaching terminal tackle such as lures to the end of the line,
and that their independent tests indicated it was stronger than a Palomar or
a Modified Clinch knot. I don't see how with it having a single instead of
a reinforced double loop throught he eye of the bait, but I am curious.
What experimentaion have you guys done with knots at that end.

I know that some knots are different with different size lines. For
instance with 8- about 12 lb mono a trilene knot works very well for me with
seven twists. For larger size monos foru or five twists seems to work much
better.

With the very small diameter of some fly leader tippets I could imagine that
the charachteristics might favor yet a different construction or knot type
for optimum action and strength. I can even imagine that a loop might be
best for fishing things like streamers so that they will sway wildly when
line is stripped.

--
Bob La Londe

Win a Tackle Pack
Jig Fishing - Tips and Techniques Contest
Courtesy of Siebler Custom Baits
http://www.YumaBassMan.com

Bob La Londe wrote:
Ok... a nail knot may be wonderful, but carrying an extra tool when
walking is a pain. I like knots I can tie easily without a special
tool.

Ahhhh, grasshopper. The nailless nail knot shall show you the light....

http://flyfisherman.com/skills/jb4knots/
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj/

"Bob La Londe" wrote in
:

Ok... a nail knot may be wonderful, but carrying an extra tool when
walking is a pain. I like knots I can tie easily without a special
tool.

Uni Knot - Backing To Fly Line


If you're tying your backing to your fly line in the field, you've got
bigger problems than walking around with a tube!!

--
Scott
Reverse name to reply

Bob La Londe wrote:
Ok... a nail knot may be wonderful, but carrying an extra tool when walking
is a pain. I like knots I can tie easily without a special tool.
snip

The only tool you need to tie a nail knot is a short piece
of cocktail straw. And if you don't have a short piece of
cocktail straw, well you can just go have a cocktail and
remedy *that* situation. ;-)

--
Ken Fortenberry

"Scott Seidman" wrote in message
. 1.4...
"Bob La Londe" wrote in
:

Ok... a nail knot may be wonderful, but carrying an extra tool when
walking is a pain. I like knots I can tie easily without a special
tool.

Uni Knot - Backing To Fly Line


If you're tying your backing to your fly line in the field, you've got
bigger problems than walking around with a tube!!

--
Scott
Reverse name to reply

That is true. I guess I was asking about knots in general rather than
specifically in the field. I do have a knot tool in the back side of my
flybox, but I much prefer to fill that space with another fly or tow or a
big streamer.


--
Bob La Londe

Win a Tackle Pack
Jig Fishing - Tips and Techniques Contest
Courtesy of Siebler Custom Baits
http://www.YumaBassMan.com

Bob La Londe wrote:

Ok... a nail knot may be wonderful, but carrying an extra tool when walking
is a pain. I like knots I can tie easily without a special tool.

Get a hard plastic straw like the kind used in cocktails. Cut it in
half and you have *two* (K)not Magic Tying Tools (tm, me).

Uni Knot - Backing To Fly Line

[snip]

One poster here said the nail knot ties smaller than a unit knot, but I
can't see how. They are similar knots as far a struture if not in how they
are tied. Does anybody know of any reason why a uni knot is bad?

If I'm not mistaken, there's one guy around here who uses a Uni-knot
for everything.

I use a nail knot.

Fly To Tippet. - Palomar - Uni - Modified Clinch (Trilene)

In other types of fishing I have tried the Palomar which many now seem to
take as the stadnard. I personally found the modified clinch knot (Trilene
knot) to be stronger and give me less trouble. However its a bigger knot
than a Palomar. I wonder if it could negatively affect the action of a fly
because of the concentration of the line at that point. Hmmm.... In a
recent conversation on the forums on my website one poster claimed the use a
Uni knot for attaching terminal tackle such as lures to the end of the line,
and that their independent tests indicated it was stronger than a Palomar or
a Modified Clinch knot. I don't see how with it having a single instead of
a reinforced double loop throught he eye of the bait, but I am curious.
What experimentaion have you guys done with knots at that end.

I know that some knots are different with different size lines. For
instance with 8- about 12 lb mono a trilene knot works very well for me with
seven twists. For larger size monos foru or five twists seems to work much
better.

With the very small diameter of some fly leader tippets I could imagine that
the charachteristics might favor yet a different construction or knot type
for optimum action and strength. I can even imagine that a loop might be
best for fishing things like streamers so that they will sway wildly when
line is stripped.

I use a loop knot for streamers, and an improved clinch the rest of
the time. Some tests purport to show that it's a weak knot, but I've
never lost a fish at the knot. I've played around with the Trilene
knot, but frankly found it a pain to tie, so I just decided I cold live
with the "weak" improved clinch.

IMHO, the most important thing in knot-tying is picking a knot that
you can tie well and consistently.


Chuck Vance

Personally, I prefer a needle knot from a butt section to the fly line and a
loop to loop (perfection) for the butt section to the leader. You can
probably get a couple of seasons out of a butt section so you really don't
have to fool with the fly line - leader knot in the field. If you don't like
the loop to loop connection- use a blood knot.

I use a blood knot for leader to tippit (its a confidence thing- I can tie a
blood knot that holds- but if I use a surgeons knot I seem to always get a
break-off at the knot)

I use a improved clinch for tippit to fly (can never remember how to tie any
of the other useful knots)

I'll be damned if I can remember what its called but I use a loop to loop
for fly line to backing. It invloves making a long loop in the backing by
pulling the backing thru itself (like a chineese finger puzzle) stripping
the coating off of the fly line for a foot or so and making a similar loop.
When all is said and done it makes a very clean connection that won't hang
up in the guides ( I think it is really a sal****er knot for big critters).
Some day I'll catch something that takes me into the backing and I'll be
happy. Rio fly lines come with instructions for the backing half of the
knot- A fly shop showed me how to do the fly line portion- its a bit of a
pain as the fly line core braid is somewhat harder to work with.

jh

might even actually get out and fish this week- been laid up for a couple of
weeks for a damn gall-bladder surgery :-(

John Hightower wrote:
might even actually get out and fish this week- been laid up for a
couple of weeks for a damn gall-bladder surgery :-(

Damn. Hope they were able to use a laparoscope (mine was done the old
fashioned way). Best wishes for a fast recovery.
--
Stan Gula
http://gula.org/roffswaps

"Stan Gula" wrote in message
John Hightower wrote:
might even actually get out and fish this week- been laid up for a
couple of weeks for a damn gall-bladder surgery :-(

Damn. Hope they were able to use a laparoscope (mine was done the old
fashioned way). Best wishes for a fast recovery.
--
Stan Gula
http://gula.org/roffswaps


They were able to use the laparoscope so I'm pretty much back to normal - I
sure wouldn't want to do it the good old fashioned way- ouch. After 5 or 6
days my wife said 'that's enough lounging around- get your ass to work on
the back yard'.
jh

"John Hightower" wrote in message
...
I'll be damned if I can remember what its called but I use a loop to loop
for fly line to backing. It invloves making a long loop in the backing by
pulling the backing thru itself (like a chineese finger puzzle) stripping
the coating off of the fly line for a foot or so and making a similar
loop. When all is said and done it makes a very clean connection that
won't hang up in the guides ( I think it is really a sal****er knot for
big critters). Some day I'll catch something that takes me into the
backing and I'll be happy. Rio fly lines come with instructions for the
backing half of the knot- A fly shop showed me how to do the fly line
portion- its a bit of a pain as the fly line core braid is somewhat harder
to work with.


Rio calls it the reverse blind splice:

http://www.rioproducts.com/images/flylinecare.pdf