Learn just these 6 knots and you can fly fish for any Canadian species, from brook trout to muskies

IMPROVED CLINCH KNOT

For connecting the fly to the leader

There are many knots for tying on a fly, including the Palomar, Trilene, uni-knot and a dozen or so obscure ones. Some of those test stronger than the improved clinch, but that’s not the only way to measure a knot’s worth. The improved clinch is easy to tie, and it works on any size of fly. Plus, you can tie it with mono up to 20-pound-test. I’ve experimented with numerous terminal knots, but when conditions are challenging and I really needed to be sure of my knot, I always turn to the one I learned when I was seven years old—the improved clinch.