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

DOUBLE SURGEON’S KNOT

For connecting pieces of monofilament

The traditional choice for connecting sections of monofilament or fluorocarbon is the blood knot, which is slim, elegant and really difficult to tie well. That makes it attractive to a certain category of fly angler, but the double surgeon’s knot is every bit as strong, and as easy as to tie as your shoelaces. It’s so simple that—in my backwards fishing brain—I didn’t trust it at first. I do now, however; I’ve been using the knot since the 1980s, and I’ve never had one fail. If you make your own pike leaders, meanwhile, the double surgeon’s knot also works perfectly for connecting tieable wire to heavy mono.