How To Tie A Nail Knot Without Tools

Tying Nail Knots — No tool necessary. All photos by Kyle Shea.

These days, with wing line manufacturing plant welded loops, pre-looped tapered leaders, and slip-on braided loops, the nail knot seems nearly irrelevant to many of us. The loop to loop connection has grown to be the most pop connexion of fly line to leader for most anglers.

Although information technology may not be your beginning choice, knowing how to tie a nail knot could save your fishing day should you blow your factory loop on your wing line, or demand to mode a loop onto your sink tip. For many of us, there is nonetheless a tube or knot tool rummaging around the bottom of our belong or pack should the demand to tie a nail knot ascend, simply odds are nosotros've forgotten how to utilize it.

The truth is, you don't need a tool at all! Lighten your load, ditch the tool, and cheque out this super uncomplicated way to tie a smash knot without a tool:

Double over the first few inches of fly line.

Tying Nail Knots-1 — Doubled over fly line.

With your leader, create a large loop as shown (loop the unabridged leader) so that both ends are facing in opposite directions. Make sure the butt department of the leader faces towards the reel finish of the wing line and the tippet department of the leader extends past the cease of the fly line.

While holding the leg (non the tag) of the leader loop, wrap the leader back over itself and both legs of wing line. Wrap dorsum up the direction of the wing line in touching turns, approximately half-dozen wraps. Take intendance to compression each wrap onto the fly line to avoid the leader from unraveling.

While holding the wraps tight onto the fly line with your left thumb and forefinger, pull the tippet end of the leader with your right hand until the loop is pulled all the way through. Take intendance not to pull too tight as the doubled over section of the fly line still needs to be removed.

Tying Nail Knots-4 — Loop pulled through.

While standing to hold wraps onto the wing line, pull the doubled over section of the fly line out straight.

Tying Nail Knots-5 — Fly line pulled straight.

Position the knot towards the end of your wing line. Pull each stop of leader on each side of the boom knot to tighten. Clip tag end of leader and fly line.

Tip: While tightening down the smash knot completely, try using your teeth to bite the very stop of the fly line. This ensures the knot will not skid of the stop of the fly line as you demark it down.