Skills: Tying the uni knot

We have lots of options for tying tippets to flies, and various knots work better for different situations. But, for a good, strong, universal knot, it’s tough to beat the uni knot.

Above, Tim Flagler demonstrates how to tie the uni knot. It’s a simple process and, after a bit of practice, can be done in seconds at the truck or on the water when you’re changing flies. It’s always good to have a few knots in your repertoire, and this is one that every fly fisher should know how to tie.

And, as Tim shows in the video, the uni knot has more applications than just tying tippets to flies. It’s also a great knot to tie droppers to the hook bend when fishing a double-fly rig. And a double uni knot can be used to tie the tippet to the leader, as opposed to a double surgeon’s knot or a blood knot (also demonstrated above). It’s a versatile knot, and one that Flagler swears by. Give it a shot and see if you don’t like it, too.

— Chris Hunt

By Chris Hunt.