Best knot for leader to tippet 3X & smaller

[Leo C]

What knot do you find to be the best for least amount of line strength loss when tied?

In my low tech tests I have tied blood, surgeons, and a multitude of others and they all seem to cut my tippet strength in half always breaking at the knot.

It seems that when the same knots tied in higher lb test leaders to tippet the ratio of strength increases % wise.

Example: 4X = fails at .5% rated, 12lb = fails at.75% rated.

Because of this I tend to not add tippet to leaders 3X and smaller but just resort to cutting them to about 5' and tying on a 12 to 14lb mono and using them for Bass and larger saltwater fish.

Just trying to get a little longer life out of my smaller lb test leaders especially when changing flies a lot.

Thanks,
Leo C

[sagefisher]

I use a Cinch Tie Knot Tyer tool and for leader to tippet I tie the tippet to the leader.

The instruction book that comes with the tool shows how to tie a surgeons knot, I call it a double surgeons since you wrap the leaders twice. When using fluorocarbon tippet I do what I call a triple surgeons knot, wrapping it three times before reaching in with the tool to pull the knot together.

It makes for a very strong knot and is really quick to tie out on the water, that is also very important. I keep the Cinch Tie Knot Tyer on my lanyard for instant use.

This type of a tool is sold by several companies. It is one of the better tools you can have.

http://www.cinchtie.com/Cinch_tie_knot_tyer.htm

Larry ---sagefisher---

[gzacckey]

Leo,

I agree with sage about the double and triple surgeons knots. I even use them often when making leaders instead of blood knots. For some interesting viewing you may want to take a look at Knot Wars http://www.fishingclub.com/ExtraCont...aspx?id=132344

It's not specifically for fly fishing but it compares many knots and their use on mono, flouro and super lines. I believe they are also starting another knot war for 2009.

Also, your break strengths seem a little low. Be sure you're lubing the knot and cinching it firmly until the knot is completely seated. When I get lazy or too fast I don't completely seat the knot and that causes problems. Especially with most flourocarbon.

Gene

[Steven]

I think it was now a couple of years ago, that one of the mags did a study about tippet knots. Basically, the writer found that the two strongest tippet to leader knots was the Ligature Knot and the Orvis tippet knot.

I'm a fan of the Orvis Tippet Knot and my personal experience is that it is substantially stronger than a double surgeon's while being nearly as easy to tie. Also, unlike the surgeon's, the Orvis Tippet Knot lies straight.

The one downside of the knot is that is fairly big. Not big enough to matter or even notice with smaller tippet/leader lengths, but big when using wider diameters. If I was connecting 1x to 3x for example, I'd use a blood knot. However, for say 2x to 4x or 3x to 5x, I'd go with the Orvis Tippet Knot.

The knot can be found on the Orvis website.

Btw, I'm a big fan of the Orvis Knot (also called the Becker knot) as well when connecting my fly to the tippet. Much stronger than a clinch or improved clinch.

[Big Bad Wulff]

I do a kind of a modified surgeons knot(I think). I just line the ends up and loop around twice a pull thru. I have had the tippet break before the knot many times. It's a lot esier than trying to pull the whole line thru or whatever I read about doing a surgeon's knot.

Landed 20 inch trout on 7X.

[dpenrod]

another vote for the double surgeon.

[sagefisher]

Steven makes a good point about the tippet to fly knot.

I personally use the Turle Knot which is the same knot as the Orvis Knot except with the Orvis Knot the fly stays in the large loop during the tying process and with the Turle Knot the fly is allowed to drop down the tippet then once the knot is formed, the fly is brought back up to the loop and passed through.

That knot works great for either mono or fluorocarbon and is a very strong knot. Like any knot you just have to make sure you cinch it down good.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[sperzonkers2]

I am also a fan of the orvis tippit knot. I have not had any problems with this knot.

[whatfly]

Try double uni-knots. Nice straight connection with strong knots, useful when joining widely dissimiliar diameter lines and monofilament to floruocarbon. Only drawback is a bit tougher to tie than some alternatives.

[jeffnles1]

I've used several and toward the end of last summer, started tying a double uni knot for attaching tippet to leader. I also like blood knot but it does not seem as strong as the uni or surgeons know.

The double surgeon's knot is the one that I use the most and I've never had that knot fail.

I've had tippet break and I've had the tippet to fly knot break, but I don't recall anytime the leader to tippet knot has failed with a blood knot, double uni knot or the double surgeon's knot.

The only time the knots have faild me was when I did something stupid like have slack in the line and jerk the rod up to set the hook against a fairly large fish. oops, my mistake.

Jeff