Think about how bugs flow through the water columns of every river and creek. They twist, turn, and tumble, being constantly kicked around by the current. Their movement is fluid and ever-changing. This movement is what trout are accustomed to seeing.

Imagine if you went into a steakhouse and ordered a medium rare NY strip, only to be served a strip-like hunk of rubber that was wriggling around on the table. Would you eat it?

Hell no you would’t. Because, based on past experiences, you know how your food should look. Any deviation from those presumptions is guaranteed to set off a red flag.

And that analogy leads us to the main lesson here: if your fly is not moving through the water the same was a real bug does, picky trout will never eat it.

This holds especially true in tailwaters, as the resident trout see a plethora of bugs, both real and fake, and can easily tell the difference. And thus enters the problem with the traditional clinch knot.

The Clinch Knot is a simple, effective knot most anglers learn as beginners. It’s easy to remember, easy to tie, and will hold strong if tied properly. So with all these pro’s, what’s exactly the issue here?

The only issue with the clinch knot (at least when it comes to ultra-wary trout) is the way the knot seats.

When you tighten down a clinch knot after tying on a new fly, you’ll notice the knot pulls tight around the eye of the hook. If you grab your tippet a few inches above the knot and shake the fly, you’ll notice the movement is not at all fluid - especially with tiny, unweighted midges. With larger, heavier nymphs, it’s less noticeable. At least to the human eye, that is.

Remember: If you are using extra heavy flies or weight to get your nymph rig down to the bottom, your knots connections will be pulled taut. If you have a tight clinch knot, this will eliminate a good portion of the fly’s natural movement.

Enter, the Non-Slip Loop Knot.

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The Non-Slip Loop Knot seats down onto itself instead of the eye of your hook. This creates (plot twist) a loop connection instead of a tight clinch, allowing your fly to drift naturally through the water column. The Non-Slip Look Knot will enable your nymphs to tumble through the stream with the same fluid, dynamic motion of the river’s resident insect population.

If you often fish heavily pressured water, in which the trout see TONS of flies every day, this is a great knot to add to your arsenal. It could mean the difference between spooking a monster and hooking him.

Nymphing Tip: Use Non-Slip Loop Knots for Wary Trout

based in denver, Colorado.