Fishing Tips and Knots

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Marking your fly line before installing it on the reel. Use a Permanent Ink Marker to clearly mark the number of lines that is equal to the line weight, ie = 5 marks on the line denotes a 5-weight. NOTE: For 10-wt and heavier lines make one Red make to equal "10" and then one black mark for each weight over "10", ie= 1-Red and 2-Black equals a 12-wt line.

Use a standard Slip Knot to attach your fly line to the reel.

1) Tie an overhand knot near the end of the line & pull tight

2) Tie a second overhand knot and leave as a loop

3) The loop is slipped onto the reel and then pulled tight

Attaching a fly to your leader using a Loop Knot. The Loop Knot allows the fly to have more action as compared to a Blood Knot.

1) Tie an over hand knot several inches from the Tag End

2) Thread the Tag End through the eye of the fly and then through the overhand knot

3) Now thread the Tag End through the overhand knot a second time

4) Moisten the leader and slowly tighten the loop knot

5) Size of the loop can be made to suit the fly, trim the excess

Standard Blood Knot used to tie a fly to a leader or to join two similar size lines together.

1) Make a loop on the Tag end of the line/leader

2) Wrap the Tag end 5 times around the line/leader

3) Thread the Tag end through the loop

4) Thread the other line/leader through the loop

5) Make a second Blood Knot, moisten and pull tight, trim ends

Surgeons Knot used on the "Line" end of a leader and the "Tag" end of the fly line if a factory loop is not present.

1) Make a loop at the end of the line

2) Make a standard overhand knot with the loop

3) Make a second wrap with the loop

4) Moisten the line and slowly pull tight, trim end

Oversize Surgeons Knot used to quickly change flies. When wade fishing in saltwater I like to have a wide variety of flies available that I can change out as quickly and as easy as possible. I do this by tying an oversize Surgeons Knot on the Line end of the leader with a fly already attached to the Tag end of the leader and the oversize knot allows the fly to pass through it. This system also works well with Tube-Flies. Wind the leader and fly into a small coil so that it will fit into a small plastic bag, which can be carried in a shirt or pants pocket.

1) Oversize Surgeons Knot with fly tied on Tag end of leader

2) Thread the Surgeons Knot through the loop on the fly line

3) Now thread the fly through the Surgeons Knot & pull tight

4) Simply wind this into a small coil and put into a plastic bag

Simple and inexpensive "Tool Cady" made from a piece of 2x6 cut 9 inches long and various size holes drilled into the wood but not completely through.