Sometimes attaching the fly with a loop knot may get you grabs without downsizing tippet, especially if refusals are due to micro drag.


A few months ago I was fishing a midge hatch with a lot of success while some other anglers were struggling to get grabs and insisted they needed 6x flouro to get bit. I was using 3x mono because I had forgot to pack lighter tippet. Fly was attached with a loop knot. This, of course, is an unusually extreme example, but illustrates the point.