Which knot?

[Prairieschooner]

What do you use to tie droppers to the hook bend? I've always used the Davy Knot to tie on flies and also use it to tie on droppers. Over the weekend I must have lost 3-4 droppers; not sure if the knot came loose or slipped off the hook. Just curious what others use. Thanks!

[ScottP]

Improved clinch; start it on the tippet spool using your finger then transfer completed knot to the hook bend and pull tight (guide trick). Even with mashed barbs I haven't lost many flies.

Regards,
Scott

[NJTroutbum]

Ditto on the Improved Clinch.

[Uncle Jesse]

Duncan or Uni Knot (its the same thing). I find it easy to tie, high knot strength, you can tie it on your fingers, trim and cinch down on the hook. Either that or a granny knot, which results in lots of stories of big fish breaking me off.

[planettrout]

Duncan or Uni Knot (its the same thing). I find it easy to tie, high knot strength, you can tie it on your fingers, trim and cinch down on the hook. Either that or a granny knot, which results in lots of stories of big fish breaking me off.

Ditto on the Uni knot...

PT/TB

[WarrenP]

I was not going to respond but decided I would anyway. When I first saw the Davy Knot, I fell in love with it. Very easy to tie and very small knot. I showed it to a friend of mine that fly fishes saltwater and he liked the looks of it and, while in his shop, he tied it onto a saltwater hook and when he pulled it tight, it did not hold. I thought he had tied it wrong and I tied it onto a saltwater hook and when pulled tight, it just came undone. I just now tried it with some 4 pound test on a #12 hook eye and it held. Next I tied it onto a #4 hook eye and under a steady pull, it did not hold. It did not break, it just slipped and untied.

I have since stopped using it. On small diameter hook eyes, it seems to hold very well, but, on larger diameter hook eyes it slips. At least it does for me. I no longer use it and have used a Eugene Bend ever since.

The above are just what happened to me using the Davy Knot and it could all be my fault, but......

[sagefisher]

Fritz,

I use the Turle Knot, which is almost the same as the Orvis Knot, to tie my flies to the tippet. It is a great knot and very safe for fluorocarbon leaders and tippets as well. I do not use it to tie the dropper tippet to the curve of the main fly.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[Prairieschooner]

Some of these knots seem way too complicated for this old guy. I can barely get the tippet through the hook eye once, let alone twice, and I'd have to get out my little reminder card every time I tried some of them! Looks like I might be able to handle the Improved Clinch.

Fritz, I use the Orvis knot for tippet to leader, but haven't tried it for anything else.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

[whatfly]

What do you use to tie droppers to the hook bend? I've always used the Davy Knot to tie on flies and also use it to tie on droppers. Over the weekend I must have lost 3-4 droppers; not sure if the knot came loose or slipped off the hook. Just curious what others use. Thanks!

This is going to happen, no matter what knot you use. While I'm not a fan of the Davy (I use the Uni knot), I've had this happen with every knot I've tied. If it really bothers you, change up your rig and consider tying your dropper in a different manner, e.g. use tippet rings, tie off tag, triple uni knot dropper rig, tie off at eye, etc.

[Uncle Jesse]

One of the nice things about a Uniknot is you can slip it behind the eye of the hook if desired and cinch it down there or ahead of the eye onto the main leader.