The Rapala knot (also called a loop knot) is one of those ties that pays off far more than the thirty seconds it takes to learn it. On a recent tip-of-the-week, I walked through it start to finish — plus a bonus, even simpler loop knot for small flies like buggers.

Why use a loop knot at all

A fixed knot cinches your fly tight to the tippet, which restricts how it moves in the water. A loop knot leaves the fly free to swing and pivot, which matters a lot for streamers (more natural jigging and darting action) and, if you tie it smaller with thinner tippet, for dry flies too — better drift, less drag on the take.

Tying the Rapala knot, step by step

1. Tie a simple overhand knot in your line — not too tight, just enough that you can still work your tag end back through it.
2. Feed the tag end up through your hook eye.
3. Come back around and follow your running line back through the overhand knot — this is the part everyone gets backwards. You have to follow the same path as your running line, not cross it.
4. That creates a small loop. Wrap the tag end around the standing line three times.
5. Bring the tag back down through the same overhand knot, following the same direction as before.
6. Lubricate the knot (wet it), then pull the tag end and the main line at the same time. The loop tightens down into a clean, secure loop knot.

Bonus: an even simpler loop knot for small flies

For small streamers and buggers, there's a faster option: feed your line up through the hook eye, form a bite (a small loop of doubled line), then pass the fly itself back through that bite. Cinch it up, trim the tag, and you're done — it uses a bit more line than the Rapala knot, but it's about as fast a loop connection as exists.

More knots like this

If you want more tip-of-the-week content like this collected in one place, the Tips and Tricks for Fly Fishing eBook has this and other on-stream tricks in one spot.