Surgeons Knot

The Surgeon’s Knot is probably the easiest knot to tie and used to attach tippet to your leader.

Procedure:

• Overlap about 6-inches of tippet and leader material, side-by-side, with the ends facing opposite directions.
• Pinch the standing leader and tippet tag ends with the left thumb and forefinger and use the right hand to tie an overhand knot with the leader tag end and the tippet. The entire length of the tippet must be passed through the overhand knot loop, even though the leader tag end is only about 5-inches long. Don’t tighten the completed overhand knot.
• Grasp the completed loop with the left hand and make another pass through the same overhand knot, passing the full length of the tippet and the leader tag end through a second time.
• Draw a loop down by simultaneously pulling on the leader and tippet. Moisten the loop, grasp the leader and tippet tag on the left with your left hand, and the tippet and leader tag on the right with your right hand. Pull all four ends simultaneously to snug the knot tight.
• Trim the tag ends.
• Test the knot!