How To: Tie a uni knot when fly fishing

The best knot for you is any good knot that you can tie quickly and strongly. So wouldn't it be great if you could tie all three connections with the same motion and if that motion were based on the first and simplest knot you learned as a child--the overhand knot? It turns out that by using the uni knot and its twin, the surgeon's knot, you can do just that. Though the uni knot is not as strong as many other knots, it is stronger than the improved clinch, and its simplicity may make up for what it lacks in strength. The strongest knots, tied poorly, have breaking strengths far below this simple knot. In this article, we will walk through these connections step-by-step. We'll use the uni knot to tie on the leader and the fly and the surgeon's to add tippet.