Knot Tutorials - Proper Knot Seating 

You need to read this if you have ever lost a fly then held up the tippet to inspect it, and noticed it looked like the picture below.

Tippet Broken and Curled

Causes

1. Failure to properly lubricate the line prior to tightening the knot.
Don't forget to lubricate your knots. Dry knots rarely seat properly, significantly lowering their strength.

2. Improper number of wraps for knots that pass over the main line (like a cinch knot).
Smaller diameter line requires more material to properly seat the knot.

There are two schools of though about how many passes to make
I use 6 wraps for all tippet sizes down to 5X. Add a wrap for each diameter smaller than 5X. This system is easy to remember and hasn't failed me, yet. ;-)

Another system that some anglers use is; 5 wraps to 4X and for 5X and smaller, add 2 to the tippet size. For example: 5X + 2 = 7 wraps.

Steps for Proper Knot Seating

- Determine the correct number of wraps
- Tighten the knot until it can be held with one hand without coming unraveled
- Moisten the knot with saliva or dunk it in the water
- Pull in a smooth and swift motion until the line stretches slightly, but doesn't stress
- Trim