Home Forums Fishing Flyfishing Knot for fly to tippet

No doubt this topic has been covered but nothing turned up in my search, at least for the one year past it lets me search.

Am looking for advice and maybe some consoling re tying fly to tippet. I had a bad day on Sunday last, suspect old sun weakened leader but for whatever reason lost a bunch of trout and flies to breaks and knots that came undone. (Lost a brookie of 3 or 4 lbs.) In frustration I broke the tapered leader way back and went to an improved clinch. Should have taken the time to change leader.

For years I used a figure 8 Turle and it generally worked well though once in awhile would let go. I have tried a Davy knot and recently the double Davy. Both break easy IME, which is different than others are finding so maybe there is some error in how I tie them. I fiddled with the George Harvey knot for awhile but never did get it down to tie quickly and easily in bad light.

I just noticed yet another version of Turle knot on Youtube, a Rio line video. This one has three wraps which should hold better. I REALLY LIKE the way the Turle knot brings the line straight out of a bent eye hook. Good or bad experience with variations of the Turle knot?

As to use, I fish some trout, many small but some up to ten pounds or better. I also fly fish salmon now and then, though with salmon I run pretty strong leader, hooks with bigger eyes and often use a Palomar knot.

I fly fish in binges, not all that often. What do experienced fly fishers say about fly to leader knots?

Added info because size of hook influences knot choice: I fish size 6 hooks more than any other, seldom go smaller than size 10 and on Sunday had my best luck on the brook trout with a size 2 steelhead fly. I fish wet flies about 2/3 of the time and dry flies about 1/3. I dislike slow deep nymph fishing but know that it is effective.