Easy and fast tying knot for attaching a hook or fly.
VIDEO
Davy Knot Details
Origin: Davy Wotton created the Davy Knot in the 1950s while competing on the Welsh Fly-Fishing Team. He was trying to find a knot that he could tie in a short amount of time. This makes sense: less time tying means more time for fishing.
Tying it: The animation shows that the Davy Knot first forms a half hitch around the running end. It is all too easy to mistake the next step for creating a Figure 8 Knot. Making a Half Hitch with precision prevents issues. It also forms the loop needed for the final pass.
Tightening it: Many writers explain tightening without lubrication. The knot is small and simple, so there’s not much friction to create heat. You can use the running end to tighten the knot with precision. This may leave the tag end so short that trimming isn’t needed. Davy advises against gripping the tag end with your teeth. It might seem easier, but there’s a risk of bacterial contamination. This is especially true in many lakes and streams, particularly if beavers or rats are nearby.
Positioning the Tag End: The tag end must lie against the eye under the knot. If the tag end slides away from the knot towards the center of the eye, the Davy Knot holds much less well.
Relative Diameters of Tippet and Eye Wire: If the tippet is too small for the wire’s diameter, the knot won’t hold. A load can open the loop, which releases the tag end. However, you can often solve this by using one more tuck to create the Double Davy Knot.
Advantages: The Davy Knot is small and cheap. With practice, you can tie it using only the smallest amount of tippet length. You can also tie it in a matter of seconds, even in cold and awkward conditions. People have claimed that the Davy Knot is much stronger than other knots; that may be true. Claims that it retains 100% of the line strength must be false. Careful tests suggest a much smaller percentage, e.g., around 50–60%. Davy calls it “a favorite knot for competitors in international fly fishing competitions.”
Disadvantages: Some users say it doesn’t hold well with braided line. But you can fix this by using the Double Davy Knot.
(Reference source: animatedknots.com)
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