The most used fly fishing knots - illustrated

Starting at the reel-

On the fly reel, the most commonly used knot to attach th backing to your reel spool is the arbor knot, or something similar.
Below is certainly not the only way to attach line to your fly reel, but it is th way i have been doing it for a long time and have found this to be the most reliable knot for this purpose, and easiest method I have.

Start by tying an overhand knot in the end of your backing. Before pulling the knot tight, feed the tag end through the loop a second time. Pull tight and trim the tag.

Next, run the backing around the spool of your reel, and tie another double overhand around the line. Then pull tight, letting the line slip back to the first knot where everything should snug up and hold tight.

 

Attaching backing to fly line -

The nail knot is the most common way to attach your backing to the fly line, and the butt end of the leader to the other end of your fly line. The nail knot is a self tightening knot that will hold and sacrifice very little if any line strength.

The best and easiest way to tie this knot is either with a heavy sewing needle, or a simple coffee stirrer. Hee we will illustrate the coffee stirrer method of tying this most useful fly fishing knot.

First clip off a length of the stirrer and hold it along the end of the fly line. From the opposite direction, hold your backing with plenty of tag end to tie your nail knot.

With one hand hold a loop and wrap the backing over the tube and line 5 times. You will most likely need to work your fingers forward as you go to hold everything in place.

Next is to feed the tag end through the tube, and the starting loop. Slowly start pulling the tube out toward the tag.

With the tube out of the knot, hold the wraps between your fingers and evenly pull both ends until the knot tightens on the butt end of your fly line.

All thats eft at this point is to trim the tags of both lines. For added hold and smoothness in your cast cover the knot with thick CA or super glue and let dry thoroughly.

Attaching tippet to leader -

The surgeons knot.
Start by holding your tippet material along side the end of your leader. essentially all that happens is a double overhand knot. Feed the leader material through the loop 2 times, lubricate, and pull tight. All thats left is to trim the tag ends. Also another place where CA or super glue can be used to strengthen and smooth the knot.

Attaching the fly to the tippet -

The most common way to attach the fly to the tippet is with an improved clinch knot. There are many other useful methods for attaching flies to line, the improved clinch just happens to be the most common.

Feed the line up through the eye of the hook. Loop the tippet or line around itself about 5 times and feed back through the starting loop.

Next bring the tag back forwrd and feed through the big loop before pulling tight.

once completed, just trim the tag, and fish!