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How to Tie an Orvis Knot

The Orvis Knot is a reliable alternative to the Improved Clinch. It was the winner of a knot contest back in the day by the Orvis company.

Orvis Knot Tying Instructions

Orvis Knot
  1. Feed your line through the eye of the hook.
  2. Wrap the tag end around the line to form a loop, then feed the tag end through that new loop.
  3. Wrap the tag end twice around the top side of the new loop.
  4. Pull the tag end to cinch down the knot about 80%, then moisten.
  5. Pull the tag end tight.
  6. Finally, pull the mainline until it sits on top of the eye of the hook.
YouTube video
 

Tips

  • You can use a fly fishing knot tool like the Orvis Knot Tying Tool to make it.
  • The Orvis Knots are comparable to the Improved Clinch.
  • For the Orvis Knots, before the final two wraps, the knots should look like figure eight.

Advantages

  • These knots are excellent if you don’t like to wrap your tag end multiple times like an Improved Clinch.
  • This is a solid fly fishing knots tippet to fly connection. It wouldn’t make a good fly line to leader knot, however.

Disadvantages

  • This fly fishing knot can be a little confusing to tie when you have multiple loops to pass the tag end through.

Alternatives

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How strong is the Orvis knot?

A: The Orvis Knot is a strong fly fishing knot when tied correctly. It’s comparable to the Improved Clinch but is a bit smaller in size.

Q: What is the best knot for fly fishing?

A: For secure loop knots, we like the Perfection Loop, and for terminal tackle, the Improved Clinch works well.

Q: How do you tie a leader to fly line?

A: We like a secure Loop-to-Loop knot connection. It’s popular in fly fishing.

Jon Stenstrom
Founder & Angler
Jon Stenstrom is a fishing enthusiast. He has over 25 years of fishing experience, and 6 years of spearfishing experience, and is currently learning how to boat. Jon has his Open Water PADI Certification and FII Freediver Level 1 Certification. Jon has traveled the world to fish and dive, most notably in the Great Barrier Reef, Baja Mexico, Thailand, and Malaysia. More Articles
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Articles » Fishing Knots » How to Tie an Orvis Knot