How to Tie a Fly into a Fly-Fishing Line

Including the fly to your line is the finishing piece that will help carry the fish in. Use the ""clinch"" knot to tie the fly to the tippet on your line.

Thread about five to 7 inches of tippet through the eye of your fly.

Hold the fly in one hand. Use the other hand to wrap the tag end (the unfastened end of the line, the element used to tie a knot) of the tippet around the standing end (the rest of the line, not used to tie a knot) of the tippet five times.

Use two fingers on the hand holding the fly to hold open a loop of line although you are wrapping the tippet around alone. This small loop should be in front of the eye of the fly that you threaded the tippet through.

Thread the tag end of the tippet (that has been wrapped around the standing end 5 times) through the loop that you have produced at the eye of the fly.

Hold the fly securely with one hand, and with the other hand pull on the standing end of the tippet to tighten the knot you have just formed. For a secure knot, be careful not to hold onto or pull the tag end of the tippet while cinching it up.

Clip the finishes of your knots, leaving about 1/8 inch so that they won't slip. You want them trimmed close to the knot, but let a little room in case they go when tightened.

Test the knot ahead of fishing - if the knot slips, you can cut it off and consider again without getting rid of a portion of your line.

Tips

Practice tying the knots with rope or clothesline. The larger-diameter string will be less complicated to work with although you get the hang of tying the knots.

Tighten knots with one steady and constant motion. You can also moisten the knot prior to pulling it tight to avoid deformed knots.

Related: How To Fly Fish