Q: I have always used the improved clinch knot with tippets testing no more than 20-pound test. But some friends tell me there are better knots. What do you use or recommend?
Joe Martinelli,
Trenton, New Jersey
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A: Perhaps 90 percent of the time I use either the nonslip loop or what some anglers call the Kreh loop (I didn’t name it), which is a slight variation of the nonslip and is a wee bit stronger. Properly tied, the line usually breaks before the knot fails. Both knots can be tied in heavy mono or plastic-coated, braided wire.
An added advantage is that a loop knot gives the fly freedom of action. To learn how to tie either or both of these knots, type the knot name in Google, and you’ll find a number of excellent illustrations.
