loop knots

[Guest rich mc]

loop knots for streamers flies has been proven to make it more effective. i was wondering what flies should NOT be tied with one . rich

[Guest One More Cast]

 

 

Good question.

 

Every fly I fish with is tied with a Uni-knot...size 22 dry flies up to 6/0 Musky flies. On dries, I tend to snug them down but I leave the loop open on all the others.

 

Is this the best knot there is? In a word, no but for me I have confidence in it. More importantly, it's a knot I can tie with my poor vision. Those of you who have fished or tied with me know that I am blind in my right eye. I just cannot see the tag end of a knot to push it through any loop. I can struggle an get an Improved clinch tied (I certainly teach it enough) but I have no confidence in it. I teach a Blood Knot but never fish it because I don't see both tags ends well enough to have confidence fishing it. My leaders are a little kinky (because of the Double Surgeons knot I use) but so what?

 

I am very interested in what others have to say, perhaps a Waker fly for Steelhead that needs to be tied with a Riffle Hitch to properly wake but I can't think of any other.

 

My Tarpon flies are snelled, does that count?

 

 

Joseph

[ronk]

Good question.

 

Every fly I fish with is tied with a Uni-knot...size 22 dry flies up to 6/0 Musky flies. On dries, I tend to snug them down but I leave the loop open on all the others.

 

Is this the best knot there is? In a word, no but for me I have confidence in it. More importantly, it's a knot I can tie with my poor vision. Those of you who have fished or tied with me know that I am blind in my right eye. I just cannot see the tag end of a knot to push it through any loop. I can struggle an get an Improved clinch tied (I certainly teach it enough) but I have no confidence in it. I teach a Blood Knot but never fish it because I don't see both tags ends well enough to have confidence fishing it. My leaders are a little kinky (because of the Double Surgeons knot I use) but so what?

 

I am very interested in what others have to say, perhaps a Waker fly for Steelhead that needs to be tied with a Riffle Hitch to properly wake but I can't think of any other.

 

My Tarpon flies are snelled, does that count?

 

 

Joseph

While it's important to retie often with any knot it's especially important using an open loop for streamering or bassbugging as the sliding of the hookeye along it weakens the loop.I've lost several nice fish when it broke not at the knot but at the loop itself.

[Mike G]

The open loop is said to provide better action. Therefore, just to be on the safe side, I use an open loop as much as possible with 2 noteworthy exceptions.

 

The Exceptions are:

 

1. Cases where the fly presentation requires that the line form an angle with the axis of the hook shank like that riffle hitch.

 

2. Cases where the size of the open loop begins to exceed 1/4 the size of the fly. This is subjective for me since it is based on looks. I draw the line at about size 12. For these cases I use the Crawford Figure Eight which I can tie instinctively due to my early addiction to Fishing Facts. I think the Figure Eight is less bulky too. (This thread suggests that I re-evaluate my prejudices.)

 

The Uni is the best open loop for me. Here best is a relative term. Though I try to use the non-slip mono loop that Lefty Kreh promotes, It is going to be a while before I can tie it small enough to use with medium and small flies. That makes the Uni my best option. On the other hand, though tying the Uni comes very easly for me, I do not like how it slips and snugs tight once in a while. Maybe I should not be so hard on it since the Uni even works with The Tyger Wire I bought to use where Pike and Muskies are common.

 

There it is.

 

 

 

[Guest One More Cast]

Again, Mike G. You're a walking contradiction. I thought you were the Messiah for this knot:

 

http://illinoissmallmouthalliance.net/foru...?showtopic=1699

 

Learn to correctly tie either Lefty's No-Slip mono loop or the Uni-knot and you won't have any worries.

 

The tyer of the loop knot is responsible for the size of the loop. We went over this when we had the Knot Seminar here two years ago.

 

I use it for a size 20 how hard could it be for a size 12?

 

 

Joseph

 

.....and I only have one eye

[Mike G]

Again, Mike G. You're a walking contradiction. I thought you were the Messiah for this knot:

 

http://illinoissmallmouthalliance.net/foru...?showtopic=1699

 

Learn to correctly tie either Lefty's No-Slip mono loop or the Uni-knot and you won't have any worries.

 

The tyer of the loop knot is responsible for the size of the loop. We went over this when we had the Knot Seminar here two years ago.

 

I use it for a size 20 how hard could it be for a size 12?

 

 

Joseph

 

.....and I only have one eye

 

That's a while ago. Later in that thread, I renounced Davy's knot because it was such a dismal failure against the Figure Eight in strength. I am already heeding your advice. I use the Uni Knot regularly while I am coming up to speed on the Non-Slip Mono Loop.