EASY ALBRIGHT KNOT

One of the trickiest things to do is join different size monofilaments, which is important when fishing for species that require bite tippets... like tarpon. There are many knots out there for this, and to make a choice can be to choose sides. Huffanagle vs. Improved Blood, Slim Beauty vs. Albright Special, and so on. Tarpon anglers can almost come to blows over such things... or at least argue heatedly.

The truth is learning any of these knots isn't difficult, and they're strong enough to do the job. The problem is most take sooo long to tie. I mean, if you prep all your leaders before-hand, no worries, but what if you're bonefishng and a tarpon swims by? Even if you have a tarpon fly in your box already attached to a shock-tippet, it takes time to properly attach it to your leader.

That's where this knot comes in. It's an Albright Special, but tied much differently. I picked this up from a Barramundi guide in Australia. He used it to attach bite tippet for tough-mouthed "barra's" as they called them, but it works great for tarpon... and it's fast.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Cayman Flats Fly Fishing

Step #1:   Double back about 2 inches of the bite/shock tippet (clear mono on left) and insert 3-4 inches of leader material (pictured here as the pink line on right) through the loop formed by the bite tippet.


Cayman Flats Fly Fishing

Step #2:   Make 3 full wraps around both strands of the bite tippet with the tag-end. (It must be at least 3 full wraps or the knot will likely slip.)


Cayman Flats Fly Fishing

Step #3:    Make the same number of wraps (3) back up the bite tippet toward the standing part of the leader and insert the tag end through the loop so it points in the opposite direction as the main leader.

Cayman Flats Fly Fishing

Step #4:   Moisten the knot and pull on the standing part of the leader while keeping a firm grip on the bite tippet. You might also have to hold onto the tag end (with your teeth) to keep it from slipping through, but leaving a longer tag will help with this.

Cayman Flats Fly Fishing

Step #5:   Pull gradually and firmly until knot seats all the way. The tag-end should now be at right angles to the knot and the wraps should be tight and snug.


Albright Knot - Step 6

Step #6:   With the tag-end make a half-hitch (over-hand knot) around the standing part of the line and pull tight. Repeat 2-3 times until the main leader is in line with the bite-tippet. Trim the bite-tippet tag close; leave a short tag on the thinner leader-line to keep the half-hitches from coming undone.

That's basically it: 3 wraps down, and 3 back. Pass it through the loop so it points opposite the main line and pull tight. Yup, it's an Allbright, but once you learn it you can tie it in about 30 seconds. << Back to KNOTS Page



"Good anglers should lead useful lives, and useful lives are marked by struggle, and difficulty, and even pain. Perhaps the agony of simple mortality should be enough. But probably it is not."
     ~Thomas McGuane

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