A single wind knot, that little overhand you get from a bad fly cast, cut my 12 pound leader from about 13.58 pounds of breaking strength down to 9.14 pounds, roughly a third of its strength gone. Everyone knows a wind knot weakens your line, but in this How 2 Tuesday I wanted to measure exactly how much, so I tied two identical Bimini leaders in 12 pound J-Fluoro, one clean and one with a wind knot, and pulled them both.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
In my test, a lot. A clean 12 pound leader with a Bimini twist broke at 13.58 pounds, while an identical leader with a single overhand wind knot broke at just 9.14 pounds. That is a drop of more than four pounds, roughly a third of the strength gone, and the line failed right at the overhand. On light fly tippet the effect is even more dramatic.
A wind knot is an overhand knot that forms in your leader, usually from a bad fly cast or a tailing loop, though you can get one on any line. It is the kind of knot you do not want. If your fly fishing guide spots one, he will want to cut it out and retie, because that little overhand significantly weakens your line right where it sits.
Yes. Given that a wind knot cut my 12 pound leader down to about 9 pounds, it is absolutely worth stopping to cut it out and retie. You will lose fish otherwise, and usually the fish of a lifetime or the best fish of the day, exactly when you cannot afford a weak spot. Run your fingers up and down the leader between shots and check.
Because fly anglers often fish very light leader. If you are using 5X, that might be only three or four pound tippet, and a wind knot can take it down to two pound test or less. That is extremely easy to break. The lighter your tippet, the more a single overhand can hurt you.
Wind knots usually come from something in your casting, which means it can be fixed. Not everyone gets them all the time. I would work with a casting instructor, who can help you get them less frequently, maybe not eliminate them entirely, but cut them way down. Better casting means fewer wind knots and more landed fish.
When you are saltwater fly fishing, you are not casting all day; you get a shot, wait, then get another. Each time you bring the fly in and reset to the ready position, run your fingers up and down the line and feel for any overhand. If you find a wind knot, cut it and retie right then, before the next shot comes.
I walk through each step in the episode. Press play in the player above.
Everybody knows a wind knot weakens your line. What nobody tells you is by how much. A wind knot is that little overhand you get from a bad cast or a tailing loop, and if a guide sees it, he wants it gone. I tied two identical 12 pound Bimini leaders, one clean and one with a single overhand, to put a real number on the damage. I set up the comparison in the episode, so press play in the player above.
The clean leader broke at 13.58 pounds, doing exactly what a good Bimini should on 12 pound line. Then I pulled the wind-knotted leader, and it failed right at the overhand at just 9.14 pounds. That is more than four pounds gone, about a third of the line's strength, from one little knot. Seeing the number made it real for me. I read both results in the episode, so press play in the player above.
The 12 pound test is bad enough, but fly anglers often fish much lighter. On 5X, you might be at three or four pound tippet, and a wind knot can knock that down to two pound or less, which breaks almost on its own. The lighter you fish, the more a single overhand can quietly cost you. I explain how the math scales in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Two things. First, fix the cause, since wind knots usually come from your casting, a good instructor can help you get them far less often. Second, build the habit, every time you reset to the ready position, run your fingers up and down the line and feel for an overhand, then cut and retie if you find one. I lay out the routine in the episode, so press play in the player above.
The day after this test, the number that sticks with me is 9.14. A single wind knot took my 12 pound leader from 13.58 pounds down to 9.14, and it failed right at the overhand.
So the moral is simple, check your leader, and if you find a wind knot, cut it and retie. Work on your casting to get fewer of them, and feel the line between every shot. You will lose fewer fish. 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.
Tom Rowland · wind knot · Bimini twist · Daiwa J-Fluoro fluorocarbon · fly fishing leader · tippet · casting instructor · 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 at a time, from knot strength and rigging to the habits that make you a better angler, in short, focused episodes you can put to use right away.
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