Back at it today. I wet waded because the water was shallow and it was a hot day (checked water temp BTW- 67 deg). Anyway, I’ve always been as handy with knots as any sailor. This blood knot thing, though, has me seeing red. I can’t get one to hold between my leader & tippet. Last time out, I threw up my hands and tied my flies to the end of my leader. Today, I used a surgeon’s knot after a couple more failed attempts and remembering seeing it somewhere for a tippet knot. I haven’t figured out a good way to hold 2 twisted running ends very well, and when I do finally get it, it pulls right out of one side or the other. It sounds like the most basic of all fly knots, but I just can’t get the hang of it. Any advice?
So back to the wet wading thing. Where I was, the shallow parts I mostly walked in were just below my knees. I kept feeling something biting me. It got worse, so I looked to see what was eating my calves for lunch. It was a bunch of little metallic green bugs, that seemed to be just under the surface of the stream. I actually have a couple of flies like that, but I’m not sure what they are. All I know is that they REALLY bite!!! And they’re quick. I never could grab one.
Sooo… trip report. I decided to try some terrestrial stuff since there were lots of them there, and it was the middle of the day. Did grasshoppers and ants mostly. Threw some caddis, but wasn’t expecting much in the middle of the day. Finished off with an odd green woolly bugger that I picked up on the way up. Scared up a 20"+ fish out of the weeds by the bank, and saw a couple swimming in the rocks, but no bites (other than the little green devils). My black lab puppy came out to help a couple times, which definitely didn’t improve my chances any.
I learned some new things, and found 2 flies in a bush. And we had a good family outing, so it still goes on the books as a good day. The second time the puppy came out to see me, I quit fishing and played fetch with him. Yup, good day.
I think most votes would probably go to the surgeon’s knot. Its simplicity and effectiveness makes it a reasonable choice.
But I have always preferred the blood knot for building leaders and adding tippets. Its smaller size and its ability to consistently build straight leaders outweigh any advantage of the surgeon’s knot for me. It’s well worth learning despite its initial frustrations.
I would suggest the following if you want to practice this knot:
[ul]1. Avoid mixing leader material types or brands while learning
2. Stay within 0.002" for best results
3. Moisten the knot after forming but before tightening
4. Longer tag ends will be more manageable, so don’t cheat yourself
5. Carefully seat the knot with a slow, steady pull while holding the tag ends
6. Remember to adjust # of turns according to material size[/ul]
You can deal with items 1 & 2 by just practicing with sections cut from the same spool. And keep in mind that not all brands knot equally well. Brand “S” and Brand “U” put out some great products, but their leader material is not one IMHO.
…I need all 10 fingers and a toe or two on occasion to tie blood knots…
Seriously though; I can tie them with no problem but one thing that always makes it easier for me is to do it under tension. I’ll let my fly line hang in the current so it gently pulls the leader taught and I keep my tippet material ON THE SPOOL and the spool in a pocket or where ever until the knot is tied. Then I cut it off to length.
I saw my buddy once trying to tie the knot by cutting of a section of tippet material FIRST; then trying to tie the knot with this curled section of loose tippet…
…it was ugly!
Also; I NEVER wet wade in shorts; too many monsters in the waters I fish not to mention briars, nettles and poison ivy on the trails. I have a pair of the Supplex Nylon pants with the zip off lower leg but I fish with the lower leg attached and zip them off for the ride home. I only wear waders about 4 months a year and the long pants work great for me.
Tying a blood knot to connect tippet material ain’t easy.
Rather than using a surgeon’s knot, try the Orvis tippet knot. You can find it on the Orvis website (along with blood knots and others). Some article in one of the mags had it stronger than both the blood knot and the surgeon’s. Much easier than the blood and the line comes out pretty straight too.
There are a couple of blood knot tools available if you prefer blood knot over the Surgeon’s Knot (I’m not promoting any of these sites or tyers, even though I own two of the tiers):
It is a little known fact, but Mr. Blood was a sadist and developed the blood knot to torment fly fishermen. I tried tying them for years with less than stellar results, then one day it just clicked and they started working. I don’t think it’s really a matter of practice, you just have to pay your dues before the knot works.
I tie my blood knots a little different than normal (surprise!)
Instead of going one direction, tucking the tag end, and then starting from the other direction, I just go one way.
X number of turns, tuck the other tag. X number of turns, tuck the original tag
I know… clear as mud.
Believe me it comes out exactly the same and you only need 4 fingers instead of 11
I wear long pants for wet wading also… The poison ivy is thick around here in the summer, and there alway seems to be a patch growing right where I want to climb out of the water
It sounds like the most basic of all fly knots, but I just can’t get the hang of it. Any advice?
Practice… sit down in your favorite easy chair with a chart and a spool of mono and have at it.
Good knot skills is just as important to fly fishing as good casting or being able to read the water
