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Hellfighter

Blood or Surgeon for leader

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I don't know about anyone else but I find the Blood knot to be about the hardest part of fly fishing. I know it is a preferred knot by many but it is a pain to tie. Does anyone use the Surgeon knot for leaders? It is so much quicker and easier to tie even though it is bulkier. Does anyone have a recommendation? How about a tying tool?

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Practice a lot with you're blood knots if you want to get them down. When i first started i hated blood knots because they were long, and all i used were surgeon knots. But i would just sit down with some mono, and just keep practicing and practicing your knots and they will become second nature.

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Practice a lot with you're blood knots if you want to get them down. When i first started i hated blood knots because they were long, and all i used were surgeon knots. But i would just sit down with some mono, and just keep practicing and practicing your knots and they will become second nature.

 

I second that. Practice is key. Number of turns and lubrication is key. As with all knots in mono, the heavier mono requires fewer wraps. With the blood knot, I usually use one or two more wraps of the light line than I made with the heavier end.

 

Kirk

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For mono to mono Surgeons knot is fine, I have been using the Surgeons for many years on my leaders and have yet to have a leader break at the knot.

 

Steve

 

I appreciate everyone's input.

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I make my leaders using blood knots, except for the very largest butt sections (maybe 0.017" and larger), where I think the double nail knot is better. I use the Moodus tying tool to make the blood knots, I think it works beautifully (Cabelas carries it, I'm sure you can get it elsewhere). The blood knots are very straight, unlike surgeons knots, so I think they make better leaders. I do use the surgeons knot to tie on a new piece of tippet when I'm on the water because its faster and simple. Good luck with your leaders.

 

Tom

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The blood knots are very straight, unlike surgeons knots, so I think they make better leaders

 

I think everyone should use what works best for them, so I'm not questions what knot you use Tom but I do have to ask this though. When your fly lands on the water you want it to have a drag fee drift so your leader /tippet is normally in a bunch of "S curves" if your getting a good drag free drift....so how does a perfectly straight knot make it a better leader?

 

Steve

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The blood knots are very straight, unlike surgeons knots, so I think they make better leaders

 

I think everyone should use what works best for them, so I'm not questions what knot you use Tom but I do have to ask this though. When your fly lands on the water you want it to have a drag fee drift so your leader /tippet is normally in a bunch of "S curves" if your getting a good drag free drift....so how does a perfectly straight knot make it a better leader?

 

Steve

 

 

Steve, Perhaps there isn't an advantage in the case you describe, when you're trying to keep some slack in the leader for the drift. In other situations, like fishing still water, having a straight leader may keep you in better touch with your fly. Just always the way I've like to tie my leaders and fish.

 

Tom

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I always used double uni-knots. Haven't broke one yet! Plus, they're very easy to tie on the water. ;)

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when I used to tie leaders I pretty much always used double surgeon's knots. For tippet loops I have always used double surgeon's loop knots. Have to be very careful to draw them up COMPLETELY tight with lubrication, then give them a good yank. Seems to me, after tying a few thousand of them, once in a while a strand in the knot doesn't seat properly and can make a very weak knot. Also, like with all knots, there are certain types of material that just don't play well. For most mono and fluoro, double surgeon's knots work just fine.

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I only tie blood knots. It was just how i was raised, but i hated tying them at first. I used to use rope to practice in my living room, it was nice since there is little to no memory, so you can just flow through the knot and get used to the twists and turns. After years of doing it, i barely have to even look at what im doing and can fix up my leader pretty quickly. There was a joke in The Drake a long time ago about what fly fishing guides do in the off season - "tie blood knots at the local boat launch". Its a hard knot to learn but fly fishing is a hard type of fishing to learn, but enough practice and you cant remember why it was so hard haha. I have to agree though with most of the posts above, find a knot you like and practice it, if you just dig the surgeons knot, then rock it.

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You'll have to take this with a grain of salt (since I'm not a freshwater flyfisher at all...).... but I quit using blood knots for leaders a few years ago. I much prefer the Slim Beauty - particularly for bite tippet to breaking strength tippet, or whenever joining different sized lines - the Beauty (an Australian knot) has far better knot strength than the Blood... Here's a pic of the Slim Beauty that was part of an article that I did a few years ago.

Tight Lines

Bob LeMay

post-30940-0-74438900-1319685883_thumb.jpg

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