Rigs and Knots Guide

Successful fly fishing often comes down to how well you rig and tie your flies. The Rigs & Knots Pocket Guide from Ventures Fly Co. serves as a practical resource for anglers who want to improve presentation and increase their…
A family-oriented fly-fishing club covering the Port Macquarie Hastings region, NSW.
A family-oriented fly-fishing club covering the Port Macquarie Hastings region, NSW.

Successful fly fishing often comes down to how well you rig and tie your flies. The Rigs & Knots Pocket Guide from Ventures Fly Co. serves as a practical resource for anglers who want to improve presentation and increase their…

Philip Monahan, from Midcurrent.com, answers a reader’s question: Are there any secrets to untangling the other kind of common fly-fishing knots: the unintended ones you create because of wind or bad casting? A knotty problem Answer: Well, I don’t know…

A common mistake that many anglers make when using tapered leaders is tying the fly directly to the leader. Every time you change your fly, your tapered leader gets a little bit shorter… and thicker. The tippet will shorten with each fly change. No big deal. As you get closer to your surgeon's knot and the tippet gets too short, just replace the tippet.

Furled leaders are created from monofilament fishing line or fly tying thread. This material is wrapped around a jig in a series of interlocking loops, which creates the taper of the leader. Furled leaders aren't too hard to make, you just need the room and materials. So, if you have a little time and like do-it-yourself projects, this on is a easy one and you will benefit from it. The shining and most advantageous factor of furled leaders is found in the castability factor. They simply aid anglers make better and more accurate casts (tighter loops) – a better energy transfer during a cast. Delicate presentation? Furled leaders will help anglers in that department as well.

Fly Fishing Leaders, their construction and formulae for trout, steelhead and salmon. Having an understanding of leader material and a practised knowledge of reliable fishing knots is as important to the angler as knowing how to cast. The leader and knots are the most fragile link between you and your fish. The correctly designed fly fishing leader transfers energy from the fly line to the fly in a predictable manner. With knowledge of proper knots, a store of the proper materials and a blue print to work from you can build your own fly leaders.
Detailed instructions on how to build a 10 foot, 4x tapered leader.
Any fly fisher worth their salt should already know these but they’re still useful to know if you’re a seasoned pro or a rank amateur. Most of these knots are from Grog’s Animated Knots. Better to know a knot and…