Knots
The Davy knot: small and fast
Draft reference — pending review.
What it's for
The smallest, quickest fly knot there is — a figure-of-eight tuck you can tie in seconds, leaving almost no bulk at the eye of a tiny dry or nymph. The trade: it's less forgiving than the clinch, and once it's seated you must never pull the tag again.
The steps
Thread
Three or four inches of tippet through the eye — that's all it needs.
Loose overhand
Tie a simple overhand knot around the standing line, just ahead of the eye — and leave it open.
The second pass
Bring the tag back through that same open loop once more, entering between the knot and the hook eye. That figure-of-eight is the whole knot.
Two pulls, then hands off
Snug the tag first to shape the knot against the eye, then seat it hard with the standing line. From now on the tag is untouchable — even a graze while trimming can start it slipping.
Common faults
Disturbing the tag after seating
The fly pings off on a fish or a hard cast, leaving a curled wisp at the tippet end — the signature of a slipped Davy.
Fix: With only a couple of wraps of friction, the Davy lives or dies on its final seat. Seat it hard, trim wide of the knot, and if you want the same profile with more security, add one extra wrap — the double Davy.
When you'll use it
- Tiny flies — size 16 and down — where a clinch's bulk drowns the fly or blocks the gape
- Fast fly changes during a hatch window
- Maximising tippet: it uses a fraction of the material a clinch does
Related
Sources & how we know this (3)
- Davy knot: open overhand plus second pass between knot and eye; two-pull tightening order (tag first, then standing line)
NetKnots — Davy Knot · 2026-07-11 - Inconsistent strength in independent tests; small-fly niche and double-Davy fix
Cast & Spear — Davy knot strength · 2026-07-11 - Speed, minimal bulk and material saving as the knot's advantages
Troutbitten — Use the Davy knot, here's why · 2026-07-11
Draft reference — pending review.