Davy Knot

The Davy Knot was created by British Fly Fishing expert Davy Wotton in the 1950s while he was competing on the Welsh Fly-Fishing Team. He was trying to find a knot he could tie extremely quickly – which makes perfect sense: less time tying knots equals more time fishing.

The positive aspects of this knot are speed, size, and strength – all great features for a fishing knot. Once learned, the Davy Knot can be tied very quickly, allowing you to get back to fishing as soon as possible.

It's also a very compact knot, making it a nice knot for smaller flies (we recommend the Davy Knot for size 18-22 flies), and various tests have shown that 85 to 100 percent of line strength is retained. The Davy Knot should be in every fly fisherman's knot arsenal! If tying larger size flies, an extra pass may be made resulting in a "Double Davy Knot".

Many people describe squeezing without lubrication; The Davy knot is so small and simple that there is little friction to generate heat. Davy himself says it's "the favorite knot of those who compete in International Fly fishing competitions.

Advantages of Davy Knot

Davy Knot is small and economical. With practice, it can be tied using a very small amount of weft length. It can connect extremely quickly, even in cold and harsh conditions. It is also claimed that the Davy Knot is extremely powerful.

Davy Knot Disadvantages

Some users have found that the rope grip is too weak when using braided rope, but this problem can also be solved by using the Double Davy Knot.

How to Tie a Davy Knot?

Thread the leader (or tippet) through the hook hole.
Create a simple overhand knot loosely in front of the hook.
Bring the end of the tag back into the loop, making sure it passes between the top knot and the hook.
To prepare the knot, tighten the knot by first pulling on the tag end, then on the main line to set the knot.