Many stories about the one that got away would not be told if the angler had good knowledge of a few basic fly fishing knots. It is not always because they were in a hurry to get their line in the water that made the knot unable to withstand the pressure of a larger than expected fish. Sometimes it is a matter of simply not knowing any better. Whether the knots is for fixing the line to the rod, to a leader or attaching the fly, the strength of the fly fishing knots can make huge difference in the end of the story.

One of the most common fly fishing knots is the arbor knot used to secure the fly line to the arbor of the reel. Take the line around the spool and tie an overhand knot around the line. Then tie a second overhand knot a few inches past the first knot.

Lightly wet the line and pull the second know tight and then hold the spool in one hand, pull the line with tight with the other hand. The first knot will prevent the line from skipping through the second knot and the end can be trimmed and the reel loaded with line. The wet line will provide lubrication and help form tighter fly fishing knots.

Flies With Bent Eyes Require Different Knots

One of the other fly fishing knots used most often is the turle knot, used to attach flies to the line. Pass the lead end of the line through the eye of the fly and then make at least two wraps around the standing line, passing the leading end through the now formed loop, which forms an overhand knot. Once you pull this snug, you can pass the fly through the large remaining loop, tighten it down and trim the extra line. This type of fly fishing knots allows the fly to move more realistically on the water.

One of the keys to tying successful fly fishing knots is to wet the line with saliva or lake water before securing the knot. This helps lubricate the line making it easier to pull tight and once the line dries, will be stronger than a line tied when it is dry.

When using thinner line pulling the fly fishing knots too tight may result in a broken line. However, before casting the fly onto the water it is always better to check the strength of the fly fishing knots by pulling on the line to a pressure at least equal to the tested strength of the line.

Once of the most important pieces of equipment for angling with flies are the fly fishing reels, or more accurately the line storage device. Most reels are simple drums on which the fly line is wound and the actual casting of the fly line is done by pulling line from the reel with the hand and them whipping the line into the water using the fly rod. The main aspect of fly fishing reels is the size and type of line it will hold, along with the line backing.

Most fly fishing reels are designed to be reeled in with either hand, depending on the direction in which they are mounted to the pole. The drag, or resistance the reel can place on the line while reeling in a fish is also variable, but many simply allow the angler to use the palm of their hand against the side of the reel to slow down the line being pulled out by a hooked fish.

On fly fishing reels with enclosed sides protected from the palm the angler will need to place resistance on the line by gently holding the line back with two fingers while fighting with their catch. Some of the better fly fishing reels also reject backward rotation to avoid having the line get tangled on the reel’s spool.

Different Reels Hold Different Size Line

When you first buy fly fishing reels the manufacturer’s information will detail the diameter of the line and how much the reel can hold without becoming jammed against the reel cross bar. Exceeding the recommended line size and thickness may make it difficult to pull the line out for casting as well as reeling in the fish.

Many fly fishing reels also have interchangeable spools that can be removed and replaced in a matter of seconds allowing the angler to change the strength of their line quickly to meet the current needs. For example, if you are using a number eight line and catching small panfish and spot a school of larger trout, you can remove the spool and replace it with one loaded with a number 10 or heavier line and begin casting a wider net.

While the rod length and stiffness and thickness of the line are probably the most important variables in successful fishing, fly fishing reelsf can make or break your day. If the reel will not hold enough line to reach the fish, you will want to make sure you have the right spools with which to switch to be able to put the fly on the fish’s dinner table.

Tying a Duncan’s loop knot in fly fishing. Learn about fly fishing knots, equipment, and techniques in this free video.

Expert: Alvin Dedeaux
Contact: www.alvindedEaux.com
Bio: Alvin has been a fly fishing guide and casting instructor for 12 years, and has been fly fishing for 32 years. He is a graduate of the Joan Wulff fly casting instructor’s school.
Filmmaker: MAKE | MEDIA

Looking For Fly Fishing Tackle

Duration : 0:1:34

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