When the trout are rising to take mayflies from the surface and each cast could mean a beauty, taking time out to re-tie a leader is the last thing you want to do.
A Loop to Loop Knot solves this problem.
Tieable in a second or two, this knot allows you to attach the ends of looped line, making short work of reconnecting your leader to your fly line. And by preparing a few sections of leader and tippet before you fish, you can be ready to use the Loop to Loop immediately.
That’s as simple as pre-tying some Perfection Loops in lengths of your favorite leader material or just buying fly line and leader with preformed loops.
Table of Contents (clickable)
How to Tie the Loop to Loop Knot
- Hold the looped ends of your fly line (A) and leader material (B).
- Pass the loop on line A through the loop on line B.
- Pull all of Line B, starting with the tag end, through loop A.
- Pull the lines to snug the connection.
Why Rely on the Loop to Loop Knot?
- Strong - The Loop to Loop Knot is as strong as the individual knots used to make it. In the case of the Perfection Loop Knot, you’re looking at roughly 95% of the line’s test strength.
- Easy - This knot is ridiculously simple to learn and tie properly.
- Fast - The Loop to Loop Knot takes just a second or two with prepared lines.
What’s Not to Love About the Loop to Loop Knot?
There are two situations in fly angling that speak against the Loop to Loop Knot.
The first is something that can happen. As its critics allege, something like this will ruin your day eventually: you’ve just fought a hard-won battle with a big brook trout, and as you dip your net into the water to ease her out, your bulky Loop to Loop Knot gets hung up on a guide. The fish darts, and your line breaks.
This isn’t something to dismiss, and the combination of two Perfection Loops and a connection between them can cause trouble. It’s true that a good Nail Knot, or a Clinch Knot or two-turn Uni Knot to a welded loop connection is slimmer and less likely to snag.
But I think this issue is probably overblown, especially with preformed loops that skip the knots altogether. Years ago, those manufactured loops were clumsy and big, but now they’re nearly perfect.
If your line has them, I recommend using them.
The second situation will happen if you use long leaders. Pulling foot after foot of leader through a loop is going to be slow going, defeating much of the purpose of this connection.
If you use leaders longer than five or six feet, you probably want to try one of the alternatives.
The Loop to Loop Knot in Braid and Fluorocarbon
The nature of the Loop to Loop connection means that knot integrity is dependent on the two knots that form the loops, not this connection itself.
Most commonly, these are Perfection Loops, and as we've discussed before, this knot holds in fly line, monofilament, and fluorocarbon like it’s been dipped in Superglue.
If, for some reason, you wanted to connect braided line, as long as you tied a braid-ready knot like the Surgeon’s Loop to form the essentials of this connection, the Loop to Loop Knot will hold.
When Do Loop to Loop Knots Fail?
The Loop to Loop Knot is a fast, easy method for connecting fly line to leader. Its integrity depends almost entirely on the knots used to form the two connected loops, so we can’t be too specific about points of failure.
That said, the number one cause of failure is an easy mistake to avoid:
- Tying the knot in frayed or damaged line - Always inspect your line for signs of damage like fraying or nicks. Damaged line will not provide its full test strength, and sudden knot failure can occur.
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