How Many Knots Are In Your Arsenal?

Wade Rivers said:
I'll add a second vote for the Perfection Loop. Quick and easy and sticks straight at the end of the line...not askew like the surgeon's.

Did I miss it? Nobody mentioned the Davey knot. A couple of my buddies are big fans of the Davey
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Some really like the Davey , I learned it years ago ,very simple ,not sure I remember it now . It is a quick one , but the improved clinch was the first fishing knot my brother showed me ,and just found it good enough to tie on flies .
 
I am kind of amazed at all the love for clinch and improved clinch knots. The clinch is at least pretty easy to tie, but the pitzen (or 16-20) is easier than an improved clinch, and significantly stronger, as are a bunch of other knots. I guess it’s the first one most people learn and it’s good enough most of the time - until its not and you get that little curly tail on the end of your tippet and the lost big fish.

Uni knot should get more love than it does for joining lines, but most people hate it - because most of the directions in books or on the internet show a bad way of doing it that makes it seat wrong half the time.
 
I've used many already mentioned but have found the Uni-Knot to be extremely versatile. Simple to tie and strong. Main uses are uni-to-uni connections, for leaders and leader to mainline. Especially when connecting different line types. The exception for leader to mainline would be reel on leaders for tuna jigging. I use the FG knot for that instead, but gotta look into the Crazy Alberto if it's easier.

Also use a uni for fly connections where strength is critical (tuna), or heavy water salmon. Loop it through the hook eye and tie onto the leader. Makes a very strong open loop knot for fly fishing, with the downside it cinches down after landing a fish (should re-tie anyway after landing a tuna).

For other conventional fishing a uni works great to attach a dropper tag for weight. Two advantages with this being it does not "interrupt" the integrity of the line it's tied to. And, if tied properly, it applies enough friction to hold in place during casting and fishing, but loose enough to manually slide the dropper tag so the effective length of the leader can be adjusted based on conditions.

I still use the perfection loop for flies in most freshwater applications, but that with the Uni covers 90% of my knot needs.
 
Years of gillnetting, longlining and mountaineering have given me a vast arsenal of knots from which to draw, but the sportfish-specific knots I use most are -
Non-slip loop (Lefty's)
Clinch, Improved Clinch
Blood
Uni (mostly as a Snell knot when beading)
Slim Beauty - perfect for hard-butt nymphing leaders and warm water bite tippet alike
San Diego Jam
Bimini - the only knot I've used for spraypole running lines for decades now
Palomar - the best spectra-to-swivel knot there is

I'd also like to take this moment to remind folks that despite its name, the Perfection loop is the shittiest knot ever invented, and is a fool's knot in anything less than 25#.
 
Chucker said:
I am kind of amazed at all the love for clinch and improved clinch knots. The clinch is at least pretty easy to tie, but the pitzen (or 16-20) is easier than an improved clinch, and significantly stronger, as are a bunch of other knots. I guess it’s the first one most people learn and it’s good enough most of the time - until its not and you get that little curly tail on the end of your tippet and the lost big fish.

Uni knot should get more love than it does for joining lines, but most people hate it - because most of the directions in books or on the internet show a bad way of doing it that makes it seat wrong half the time.
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I don't know how many big trout I have landed with 4X , and a improved clinch knot, I don't use the clinch . Have I been broke off ,yes ,but it's been more operator error, than a knot . In all my years of fly fishing the improved clinch knot has never convinced me I need a better knot , just my opinion . Not the first time I have heard this about the clinch ,and improved clinch . I have to wonder if people really know how to tie one correctly ?

Here again ,the surgeons knot is about all I use to tie tippet or tags , or just lines together unless I use a tippet ring , and that is a different discussion . :) These knots to me are simple to tie , they have always worked well for me . Uni knot ,never had the desire nor needed , IMO keep it simple .
 
up2nogood said:
I don't know how many big trout I have landed with 4X , and a improved clinch knot, I don't use the clinch . Have I been broke off ,yes ,but it's been more operator error, than a knot . In all my years of fly fishing the improved clinch knot has never convinced me I need a better knot , just my opinion . Not the first time I have heard this about the clinch ,and improved clinch . I have to wonder if people really know how to tie one correctly ?

Here again ,the surgeons knot is about all I use to tie tippet or tags , or just lines together unless I use a tippet ring , and that is a different discussion . :) These knots to me are simple to tie , they have always worked well for me . Uni knot ,never had the desire nor needed , IMO keep it simple .
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Indeed!

In the 65 years I've used the improved clinch knot it's never failed me...and that includes hard fighting heavy-bodied river redbands at nearly 30" in length.

Over the years I fooled around with various loop knots like the Orvis knot to improve fly movement but frankly I found they made no discernible improvement in catch rate..in fact far less compared to tippet diameter and material.

So...for my trout fishing the improved clinch and the nail knot are all I need...since I long ago started using tippet rings...tied with the same clinch knot of course!

Any knot will fail if it's poorly tied or not periodically inspected for wear and tear.
 
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I use the Orvis knot a lot, especially for dry flies. I have a ton of confidence in that knot. I can tie it almost without looking, and I can usually tie it using very little spare tippet.
 
Long_Rod_Silvers said:
You're gonna make me Google it, aren't you.....orvis knot?
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Yeah I mean don’t make me do it for you. Ha
I can’t exactly describe it.

Apparently they ran a contest and this knot won. It’s a good knot! I think a description came in a leader pack waaaay back in the day, like when Milli Vanilli was on the radio.
 
Another life-long improved clinch guy here. And like @up2nogood I've never had a reason to change. When it's failed it's because I knew I tied a poor knot and was too lazy to re-tie. I only do that when chasing stockers, which is pretty often in the spring.
My knots and their use-
Improved clinch- tippet to fly.
Non-slip loop- tippet to fly for streamers or bottom bobber mid. If it's a balanced leech then improved clinch.
Turle- For upturned eyes when swingin. It's my own version of a double turle based on the diagram in Trey Combs book being less than stellar. I've never had it fail on a fish. It is the weak spot when snagged on rocks, but I'm good that with since it saves tippet. I've never broke off a steelhead at the turle knot. Most from rocks on the tippet or possible wind knots.
Blood- It's the best leader and tippet knot for smooth transition thru the guides. You can't convince me otherwise.
Perfection loop- I use this to attach 20, 30 or 40# Max to the fly line loop. I don't usually buy tapered leaders. I prefer to make my own.
I also use this to tie on a musky fly to 100# fluoro bite leader.
Double Surgeon loop- I use this for all my backing to fly line loops. Also backing to backing loop to loop. and I put 2 of them in each loop.

That's it. If I did a bunch of saltwater stuff I would have all those knots in my arsenal, but I don't. Someday!
 
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