As the old knot saying goes .... a knot is only as good as it's tied. I have a few knots that I've learned to tie good with my own methodology, and they have served me well with either fluro or mono. With pan fish and trout, the clinch works just fine. Getting into some big fish like salmon, steel head, salt water fishing, and such, the polomar is the heavy duty knot I use.
I use the improved clinch, like John I use 7 turns on my lighter tippets and 6 turns on my heavier tippets
Wow what good info. Tks to all of you. Planet trout....tks for that link.... a ton of great information. I am going to try the San Diego Jam knot. I am curious about it. Some videos show it as one knot...and others run it thru the eye of the hook twiice and call it the double jam knot? I am curious if using 4lb flurocarbon and running it through the eye of the hook would be ok. Or should one just do the plain SD jam knot?
A bit late ...
... to the party, Jim, but thought I would chime in.
I haven't used fluoro leaders or tippet much since virtually all of my fly fishing is with dry flies, with an occasional outing with streamers, and a rare exception fishing nymphs. I don't use fluoro with dries, because they tend to sink the fly, especially the smaller ones. I fish streamers with a Type II full sinking line so there is no reason to waste money using fluoro.
When I have used fluoro, the simple ( not improved ) clinch knot has worked just fine. I typically use a four turn clinch knot.
One anecdote about fluoro and clinch knots. Back in April 2016 I was fishing a northern Idaho freestone river using some Orvis 0X fluoro tippet tied to the tip ring of a homebrew furled fluoro leader with a four turn clinch knot and a J.A.R.S. nymph with the same knot. In a little under half an hour, I hooked up two B run Clearwater River steelhead trout and landed both. Both of these fishies were in excess of 30" and it took about eight minutes to land each of them. The four turn clinch knot held up just fine.
John
The fish are always right.
I'm with Scott - simple clinch knot but make sure it 's tied well. Or improved clinch.
I appreciate the information John and Tig. I did not say my question correctly. I mis-spoke.....I am trying to tie the fluro to a very small swivel. I am finding it quite difficult because the swivel swivels.....uh....when trying to wrap the fluor. I am attempting to rig up an Ultra Lite spin rod with an ultra lite reel. Trying to connect a small swivel with a very small clip that came on it. That way I can switch Rooster Tails or other small lures quickly. So....am trying to tie a permanent knot to the swivel......not a fly. Wondering. If fluor is so close to invisible to fish.....why should I try 2lb and 4lb fluro? Instead of breaking off flies and stuff under water....around structure.....lilly pads....etc. If so much less visible than mono or braid....instead of going 2lb or 4 for stealth reasons just tie on 8lb or 10lb fluro....
I have many many ponds, streams, lakes where I live. While driving in this state I cross many streams and such. Bridges and such....not too conducive to a fly rod. My little 4'-6" ultralite can toss a Rooster Tail into that stream so fast and easy. I have caught trout, bass, and chub this way. Kinda fun and helps me find fishing spots. Anyway.....thank you all for the help.
jim
Jim -
Whatever tippet material I am using, when I tie a clinch knot, after I pass the tippet through a tip ring or through the eye of a hook, I form a fairly large loop and then hold the loop, with my left thumb and forefinger, wide open away from the tip ring or hook eye. After doing four turns using the right hand to complete the turns by passing the tag end over and around the standing tippet four times, I pass the tag end through the loop I am holding open and start snugging it up, after wetting it.
It seems to me that using this approach to forming a clinch knot would work with a swivel ( that swivels ) because you are holding the open loop firm and not even involving the swivel until you have mostly completed snugging the knot down. At that point, there is no reason for the swivel to swivel as you complete setting the knot.
John
The fish are always right.
I use the improved clinch when I'm attaching swivels to my spinning gear, the one or two times a year I break it out. For small swivels, I just bring the line through the top part of the swivel and form the loop. I hold the swivel and the bottom part of the loop, make my wraps and bring the tag end through the loop and tighten it for the clinch knot or for the improved clinch bring it through the bottom loop and then though the loop at the top of the wraps for the improved clinch.
My last stop before fly fishing was ultra light spin fishing. I have 6 foot ultra light rod with spinning reel to match. I went all in with it using 4 lb mono. Then I started losing fish, lures and rigs. Eventually I ended up settling on 8 lb test which allowed me handle larger fish. I have two spools for the reel I use one has 8 lb fluorocarbon the other 10 lb braid. The rod is built on a one of kind blank, so it's not going to see any action in the near future.
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