Fly Leaders and the Nail Knot
One of the hurdles those new to the fly fishing sport encounter is joining fly line to tapered leader. The most common and traditional method for this is the "nail knot."
If this knot is too cumbersome, knotless leaders are available. The nail knot takes some practice but is doable for the average person. See the animated description below to see how.
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If you are a beginner, consider using knotless leaders. You can choose the size leader you want all the way from 0X on up to 7x. If you are unfamiliar with the system for designating line strength in fly leaders, see the chart at bottom of page:
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If you do not understand the knot designation system from 0X to 7X, The Rio Knotless order page at Bass Pro also gives the designations in pounds. Eventually, you will get familiar with the system and it won't seem so strange.
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When you are choosing your line size, you are endeavoring to match your line size to the species and size of fish you will be pursuing. Basically, you want to go with as light of line as you can catch fish with.
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If you want to go ahead and buy the regular leader that needs a knot, the video below shows the most commonly used knot for joining the leader to the fly line - the nail knot.
