Whipping a loop in a fly line means doubling the line back on itself and locking that loop in place with a series of nail knots, creating an extremely strong, smooth connection for your backing on one end and your leader on the other. A lot of fly lines come with a welded loop, and I trust them for most fish, but when I am chasing something huge, or a line only came with one loop, I whip my own. It has landed lots and lots of tarpon. In this How 2 Tuesday I show you exactly how I do it.
Watch and listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
You double about four inches of the fly line back over itself to form a loop, then tie a nail knot around both legs of the line using twenty pound mono, cinching it down into the fly line coating so the barrels sit side by side without overlapping. Then you tie a second nail knot right behind the first, and I add a third for good measure. The result is a double, or in my case triple, nail-knot whipped loop. I keep the loop small, snug each knot down tight, and trim the tags very close so nothing catches in a guide.
Many fly lines come with a strong welded loop, and I trust them for most fish like bonefish on a twelve to fifteen pound leader. But a welded loop is machine-made, and if that one weld is not perfect, you do not want to lose the biggest fish of your life to it. When I am going for tarpon, arapaima, GTs, marlin, goliath grouper, or big jack crevalle, I may cut the welded loop off and whip my own. It is also essential if your fly line only came with one loop, or no loop on the backing end.
A Tie-Fast knot tier. You can tie a nail knot or needle knot by hand without one, but the tool lets you make far more wraps far more easily and cleanly. I do not like relying on tools when I can do something by hand, but the Tie-Fast is one worth relying on. You hold it in your left hand, lay the mono in the gap, wrap back over itself six or seven times, feed the line back through the tier, and slide the formed knot onto the doubled fly line.
One is probably good enough, two is really good, and three is probably overkill, so naturally I do three. Chico Fernandez laughed at me when he saw me tie three, thinking it was total overkill, but I have never had one fail, so I stick with it. Each nail knot is tied around both legs of the doubled line to form and lock the loop, and you place them right behind one another, snipping the tags close so the connection stays smooth through your guides.
Yes. Done correctly, with the barrels snugged down tight and not overlapping, nail knots are extremely strong, and this double whipped loop has landed lots and lots of tarpon for me. In my opinion it is the strongest connection both from your backing to your fly line and from your fly line to your leader for big fish like tarpon, GTs, and arapaima. The key is cinching each knot into the coating and making sure the wraps lie neatly side by side, because overlapping barrels can pop when you pull them tight.
Because your knots, rigging, and equipment are the things you can actually control before you ever get on the water. You cannot control the fish, the weather, or the tide, which are the most important factors, so to be successful you have to control the controllable. Whip your loops, tie your knots, and test them over and over at home so that when you finally get the shot at a big fish, your tackle does not fail. That preparation is what turns a hooked fish into a landed one.
Here are the steps I walk through. This one translates well to video, so follow along above.
I unpack each of these in the episode. Press play in the player above.
I trust welded loops on most fish, bonefish on a twelve to fifteen pound leader, no problem. But a welded loop is machine-made, and if that one weld is not perfect, you do not want to lose the biggest fish of your life to it. For tarpon, arapaima, GTs, marlin, or goliath grouper, I may cut it off and whip my own. I explain my thinking in the episode, so press play in the player above.
I do not like leaning on tools when I can do something by hand, but the Tie-Fast knot tier is one I rely on, because it lets me make far more wraps far more easily. Chico Fernandez laughed at me for tying three nail knots instead of one, but I have never had one fail. I walk through the whole process in the episode, so press play in the player above.
You cannot control the fish, the weather, or the tide, so to be successful you control what you can, your knots, your rigging, your equipment. Test them over and over at home so they do not fail when the big shot finally comes. I get into that mindset in the episode, so press play in the player above.
A double nail-knot whipped loop is the strongest connection I know, both to the backing and to the leader for big fish. Learn it and you will not miss a fish to a failed loop.
If you have a question or a guest idea, even if it is your own story, text me at 305-930-7346. Some of our best episodes have come straight from the audience. 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.
whipped loop · nail knot · fly line · backing · Tie-Fast knot tier · welded loop · Cortland Precision Liquid Crystal · Chico Fernandez · tarpon · GTs · arapaima · 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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