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09-04-2015, 03:30 AM #1Registered User
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Best knots for a tapered steelhead nymph rig
I'm have been having trouble getting my double surgeons to be strong on a regular basis lately while setting up my trout nymph rigs. It seems like for every knot that's strong one, two even three will break when I test them before I get one solid. I get it lubed and pull slow but it seems like it's never certain the first time. I want to make sure that my knots on my tapered leader don't break if I hook a bigger fish and was wondering if I'm doing something wrong? Should use a triple surgeons? Or should I learn the blood knot and use that. I read that the surgeons is stronger, but with my rate of failure I want to be solid.
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09-04-2015, 05:39 AM #2
I don't tie tapered tippets, but the uni to uni knot is my go to for line to line connections.
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09-04-2015, 06:29 AM #3
have you tried putting away your bobbers
learning to cast n swing
till the tug drug kicks in?"When the child was a child it waited patiently for the first snow and it still does"- Van "The Man" Morrison
"I find I have already had my reward, in the doing of the thing" - Buzz Holmstrom
"THIS IS WHAT WE DO"-AML -ski on in eternal peace
"I have posted in here but haven't read it carefully with my trusty PoliAsshat antenna on."-DipshitDanno
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09-04-2015, 06:38 AM #4Registered User
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09-04-2015, 06:42 AM #5
well then i'd surely invest in the time it takes to learn to tie a bloodknot
"When the child was a child it waited patiently for the first snow and it still does"- Van "The Man" Morrison
"I find I have already had my reward, in the doing of the thing" - Buzz Holmstrom
"THIS IS WHAT WE DO"-AML -ski on in eternal peace
"I have posted in here but haven't read it carefully with my trusty PoliAsshat antenna on."-DipshitDanno
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09-04-2015, 11:46 AM #6
I use a quadruple surgeons; double surgeon is not a strong knot (around 60%). The quad forms a nice figure eight when cinched and is symmetrical compared to a triple so it lies flat and keeps the leader straighter. Fast to tie and strong too, used it to land steelhead and salmon to 25 lbs with no problems. When I have to break off a snag, the quad surgeon and the improved clinch seem to fail at about the same rate so imo the break strength is about the same (appx 90%). Its a little bulkier than a good bloodknot but it's so much easier to tie I can pretty much tie it in the dark in 30 seconds. Also, don't test a knot so hard you can break it, you are just weakening the line. Whatever knot you choose, tie a good knot with confidence and snug it up, don't "test" it. If you are using an improved clinch as your terminal knot, thats only a 90% strength knot so worrying about blood vs surgeon and whether your leader knots are a full 100% is kind of pointless. You should know the following knots: arbor, albright and nail, blood or surgeon's, improved clinch and non-slip mono loop. Albright can be substituted for the nail knot when you don't have a nail or tying tool handy (I find it easier to freehand an albright to attach a thick leader butt to the fly line but it won't slide through the guides as smoothly as a nail). A quad surgeon's can be substituted for the blood if you don't mind trading a slightly larger knot for ease of tying.
Last edited by neckdeep; 09-04-2015 at 12:36 PM.
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09-04-2015, 02:49 PM #7
Triple surgeons is just as strong as a quad without making it more complicated. Surgeons are stronger than blood knots. Make sure your diameters are somewhat close. I spent hours on an insatron comparing knot strengths and different brands of material. And nymphing for steelhead is ghey.
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09-04-2015, 04:21 PM #8
Blood knot, Holmes.
Let me lock in the system at Warp 2
Push it on into systematic overdrive
You know what to do
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09-04-2015, 04:26 PM #9
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09-05-2015, 06:08 AM #10"When the child was a child it waited patiently for the first snow and it still does"- Van "The Man" Morrison
"I find I have already had my reward, in the doing of the thing" - Buzz Holmstrom
"THIS IS WHAT WE DO"-AML -ski on in eternal peace
"I have posted in here but haven't read it carefully with my trusty PoliAsshat antenna on."-DipshitDanno
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12-16-2015, 03:06 AM #11
Ah fuck that old hippie,,,he only sees long perfect Deschutes and Salmon River Runs to swing old classic spey lines on a 16 foot glass rod..... Slot fishing you have to do it...go straight 16 lb Maxima with 4 feet, taper down to 12 for 4 feet. then down to 10 flouro.. adjust BOBBER (face it. not an indicator) to depth.
You should not have a problem.
EDIT-Cat gut lines with riffle hitches per current is what dictates SFB's steelhead fishing style!!!!Last edited by Lumpy; 12-16-2015 at 03:09 AM. Reason: blah blahing
Not soliciting business through casual internet associations
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12-18-2015, 01:44 AM #12Registered User
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Thanks Lumpy. Unfortunately I put in many hours and no luck on the D this season. Although I enjoyed every minute. I swing and nymph so it doesn't bother me. I am just enjoying learning more hands on approaches to working with my gear. Hoping to at some point start tying some flies too. Until then, loving fishing.
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