Secrets to Tying Good Fishing Knots, with Robert Ketley

The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast

I have long enjoyed Robert Ketley's [31:06] column in California Fly Fisher magazine because he often delves deeply into aspects of fly fishing that we don't pay much attention to. And he's a tireless researcher. So when I noticed a deep dive he did on fly-fishing knots using a microscope I knew I had to get him on the podcast. You won't learn about which knot is best, but you will learn about why knots hold and why they break, how to tie a knot properly, and what happens when a knot gives way. In the Fly Box this week, we have some unusually good questions, including:

• Will the 10-foot 7-weight Helios D rod offer me enough tippet protection when using 5X for steelhead?
• My local wild trout stream has almost dried up this year. Where do the fish go, and how long until this stream can recover?
• When wading deep, when I pick up the line and cast I notice I make waves in the water. How can I eliminate this?
• When swinging wet flies in a tight stream I need to use a roll cast, but how do I make another roll cast after my flies complete their swing?
• I see fish on the bottom of a spring creek but I can't catch them using my tight line technique. What do you think I am doing wrong?
• I was scolded by an outfitter when I changed direction when fighting a big fish. He said it will wear a hole in their mouth and they will get off. Was I doing it wrong?
• Can I go from a 4X leader with a tippet ring to a 7X tippet? Will not having tapered sections in there be bad?
• I don't have much finger dexterity and have trouble saving my tippet scraps. Do you have any suggestions?
• A listener reminds us that in lakes in Maine that are listed as fly fishing only, it is illegal to troll a fly.
• When trolling a fly from my canoe, how can I get my fly deeper?
• Which be the best Helios rod for fishing the Henry's Fork?