You'll tie this knot fifty times before your first fish. Get it down so your fingers can do it without your eyes.
The steps:
- Pass the tippet through the eye of the hook. Pull about six inches through.
- Wrap the tag end around the standing line five to seven times.
- Pass the tag end back through the small loop near the eye of the hook.
- Now back through the big loop you just made by step 3. (This is the "improved" part — without it, the knot slips on small hooks.)
- Wet it (saliva works), then pull both ends slowly until the wraps coil down tight against the eye.
- Trim the tag end short.
Common mistakes: too few wraps (won't hold above 4lb test), forgetting step 4 (knot slips), pulling tight without wetting (friction weakens the line by 20%+).
In the cold, your fingers stop working before you notice. Practice this knot at home until you can do it with gloves on.