The snell knot Flip Pallot ties and the nail knot I tie are two ways to make the same fly-line-to-leader connection, and when I tested them both they broke at about 21.75 pounds, not by breaking but by slipping off the coating of the fly line. In this How 2 Tuesday I follow Flip Pallot's snell knot method, show my faster way to tie what I believe is the very same knot, and then break them both to find the real limiting factor in this connection.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
After tying and testing both, I am convinced they are the same knot tied two different ways. Flip Pallot builds his snell knot directly on the fly line using a bodkin or piece of wire, wrapping the loop around both lines seven to nine times. I pre-form my nail knot off the line, make my wraps, then slide the fly line in. The barrels end up identical and they break at the same place, so the result is the same connection, just a different path to get there.
In my test the snell knot broke at 21.75 pounds and my nail knot came in just slightly under that. The important detail is that neither knot actually broke. They slipped off the coating of the fly line. That means the fly line coating, not the knot itself, is the limiting factor, and different fly lines can give you very different numbers.
No, I would not trust it for big tarpon. Since it tops out around 21.75 pounds, if you are running 20-pound tippet or heavier for tarpon you are likely to lose your entire leader when it fails. For big game fishing I would go to a welded loop, which broke at roughly twice the strength in my testing.
It is a perfectly acceptable fly-line-to-leader connection for lighter line work. For trout tippets of two, four, or six pound, for bonefish, and maybe even for permit, it is plenty strong and it runs smoothly through the guides. Your tippet will break long before this connection does at those sizes.
In my testing the welded loop broke way higher than either the nail knot or the snail knot, about double. The trade-off is that a welded loop forces you to add a loop knot, and that loop-to-loop connection can hang up going through your guides. So you are choosing smoother guide passage with the nail knot versus more ultimate strength with the welded loop.
Flip suggests seven to nine wraps for his snail knot. When I tied my version I made eleven and did not count too carefully. Anywhere in that seven-to-eleven range gives you enough holding power as long as you keep the barrels smooth and parallel and cinch the knot down tight on the tag end with your pliers.
I was asked to tie a snell knot for the end of a fly line, so I followed a Flip Pallot video. Flip is adamant that what he ties is a snail knot, not a nail knot, so I wanted to find out for myself whether it really is a different knot or just a different way to arrive at the same connection. I break down exactly what I saw in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Here are the steps I walk through in this How 2 Tuesday, with the full demonstration in the episode.
I unpack each of these in the episode. Press play in the player above.
Flip builds his directly on the fly line with a bodkin. I pre-form mine off the line, make eleven wraps, then slide the fly line in afterward, which I find much easier. When I finished both, the barrels looked identical and they failed the same way. You tell me whether that is a different knot or the same one tied two ways. I lay out the whole comparison in the episode, so press play in the player above.
The number that mattered was not 21.75 pounds. It was that neither knot broke. They slipped off the fly line coating. That means the coating is the weak link, so different fly lines and different cinching pressure can change your result entirely. I explain how that changes the way you should think about this connection in the episode, so press play in the player above.
For trout, bonefish, and lighter permit work, this nail knot or snail knot is a smooth, guide-friendly connection that will outlast your tippet. For big tarpon on heavy tippet, I would go to a welded loop and accept the bulkier connection.
The real lesson here is that the fly line coating sets the ceiling, not the knot. You can see how this stacks up against the nail knot with a lock and a loop-to-loop connection in the free knot guide. Press play in the player above.
How 2 Tuesday is my weekly series where I break down one fishing skill at a time, from knots and casting to gear, tactics, and the habits that make you a better angler. Watch and listen to every How 2 Tuesday episode from Tom Rowland.
Flip Pallot · nail knot · snail knot · snell knot · fly line · welded loop · tippet · bonefish · permit · tarpon · Danco pliers · tie-fast knot tool · How 2 Tuesday · Saltwater Experience
I'm Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. On the podcast's How 2 Tuesday series I break down one practical skill or lesson at a time, from fishing technique and gear to the habits that make you a better angler, in short, focused episodes you can put to use right away.
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