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

- Feed your line through the eye of the hook.
- Wrap the tag end around the line to form a loop, then feed the tag end through that new loop.
- Wrap the tag end twice around the top side of the new loop.
- Pull the tag end to cinch down the knot about 80%, then moisten.
- Pull the tag end tight.
- Finally, pull the mainline until it sits on top of the eye of the hook.

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.
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