Nuts & Bolts #4 - The Davy Knot

Want to learn something new? Want to have all your friends go how'd you do that. Well here you go, the "Davy Knot" will do the trick.


Davy Wotton, competed for many years for the Welsh national fly fishing team and in individual professional events. Through trial and error, he invented a knot that allowed him to attach a fly in seconds. He appropriately dubbed it "the Davy knot." This knot is so easy and simple to tie, it sometimes seems difficult! Once you use this knot, you may not use another one!

The Davy knot is fast and strong. Unlike other knots that are used to attach flies, the tippet is not pulled down on the knot to burn and weaken the mono. This knot is the knot of choice in fly fishing competitions and has been known to be used without a single failure. One competitor claims that he used the "Davy Knot" and in 12 months he had only one knot break in hundreds of hours of use. Sound Good? Well here's how you tie it.






Follow these instructions to tie the knot:

1. Take your fly and pass your tippet through the bottom of the eyelet. Turn the fly upside down so the hook point is turned up or on the top.

2. With the fly extended to the left, pull or extend about three or four inches of tippet through the eye.

3. Take your tag piece of mono and pass over the top of the main leader (away from you) and draw it back through, making a loop.

4. Take the tippet and pass it under, then over the top of the bottom leg of the loop. If you have been successful, the tag end will point directly toward you.

5. To secure the knot, bite the tag piece and pull the leader end taut, causing the knot to close. If you have tied the Davy knot properly, the knot is firmly fastened and will not slip.