Nail Knot -- Fly Fishing Knot

How to Tie A Fly Fishing Nail Knot

Needle or Nail knot -- serves the same purpose as the perfection loop. It is a much older way of joining fly line and leader. The nail knot is most often used today to join the fly line and the backing.

A much superior method of joining fly fishing line to leader is to use a braided line to leader connector with a loop in the end of it. Then all you have to do is join your leader with that has a perfection loop to your loop in the braided connector.

Using a nail, needle, plastic tube or Tie Fast knot tool, lay the fly line on one side and the leader on the other Leave an extra 10 -- 12 inches of leader tag end extending
Hold all the pieces together between left thumb and forefinger. With the tag end of the leader,make six to eight close together wraps around the leader butt, leader and your tool. These wraps should be back toward the front of the front tag end of the leader
Pass the leader tag end back through the space between the wraps, the leader, the line and your tool. This pass back should be toward the reel where the line comes from.
Carefully remove your nail or other tool from between the wraps.
Moisten the knot.
Hold the tag end of the leader and standing fly line in one hand. Hold the leader in the other.
Pull the two pieces simultaneously in opposite directions until the knot seats.
Trim the leader tag end and fly line tag end close to the knot. See Illustration below for finished knot.

Graphic of steps to tie a Nail Knot

Steps to Tie a Nail Knot

Nail Knot -- Fly Fishing Knot

How to Tie A Fly Fishing Nail Knot

Fly Fishing Knots

Knots for Attaching Fly Fishing Line to Leader

Knots for Joining Two Pieces of Fly Fishing Leader

Knots to Tie the Fly to the Leader