The non-slip loop knot was developed by the legend of fly fishing Left Kreh and thus is also referred to as the Kreh non-slip loop knot.
The non-slip loop knot is used a lot in fly fishing and it is one of the best fishing knots to join a fly or lure onto your leader. This is because it creates a loop and doesn’t grip the hook and allows your fly or lure to be fished with natural movement so you catch more fish.
Tying a non-slip loop knot is simple and easy, just follow the steps laid out below.
How To Tie A Non-Slip Loop Knot
Step 1
Take the tag end and tie an overhand knot in your fishing line. Keep the overhand knot open and do not tighten it so it remains a loop.
Step 2
Take the tag end of your fishing line and pass it through the eye of your fly tying hook or fly and back through the overhand loop you just made.
Step 3
Now wrap your tag end around the standing line and continue wrapping it around the standing line for 5-7 turns. I use 6 turns but you can choose a number between 5-7 turns.
Step 4
Pass the tag end back down through the initial loop again and wet the knot. Pull both the tag end and standing line to secure the knot and trim off the excess tag end. You have just learned to tie a non-slip loop knot, aka the Kreh non-slip loop.
Tips
- The loop size around the eye of your hook can only be adjusted when the turns around the standing line are loose. For a small loop, make sure you’re tying it small, to begin with, and adjust if necessary.
- The number of turns in Step 3 should differ depending on the size line you’re using. If you’re using a 6-20 lb fishing line, like you would in fly fishing, 5-7 turns is correct. If using 60 lbs for saltwater fly fishing for big creatures like tarpon, two or three wraps is enough for a non-slip mono loop.
Here is a YouTube video of how to tie a non-slip loop knot if you need to see it demonstrated.
FAQs
What are the 3 methods of non-slip knot?
1. Slip Knot
2. Double Slip Knot
3. Triple Slip Knot
What is a non-slip loop knot used for?
A non-slip loop knot is used to tie a fly or lure to your leader line. What makes it a little different from other knots is that your fly or lure will be held on a loop so it is free to swim naturally giving it better action to tempt more fish.
Another big advantage of the Kreh loop knot is that the tag end faces downwards. This means the end won’t pick up any grass or weeds when you retrieve your line, so you may want to use it when fishing in areas with a lot of weeds on the water’s surface.
If you are interested, you can also take a look at our loop to loop fly knot post here.
How strong is a non-slip loop knot?
When tied correctly, the non-slip loop knot is very strong and when tested has around 90% knot strength. This means, when tied on a 10 lb line, the non-slip loop knot will have a strength of 9lbs.
Check out our post here on orvis knot tying for a step by step guide.
What type of lines can the non-slip loop knot be tied with?
One of the great things about this knot is that you can tie it with any lines you want to join a hook to your leader. The knot works better with mono and fluoro but you can also tie it with braid.
When wouldn’t you use a non-slip loop knot?
When tying this knot you may notice that it ends up being quite bulky and some spooky fish might notice that which is the last thing you need. If you get a few refusals from fish when using this knot, try one with a smaller profile to see if it makes a difference.
Another time to avoid using this knot is when you don’t want your lure to swim free. Sometimes you need knots with a direct connection to your lure, like when you’re popping and you should use something like the uni knot or an improved clinch knot.
You can also see our post on how to tie a snell knot here so you can also have a step by step guide.
What is the best knot with a non-slip loop?
Picking the right knot with a non-slip loop comes down to what size line you’re fishing with. I’d recommend using the Kreh non-slip loop knot for lighter lines of 5-16lbs for species like trout and bonefish. Any line heavier than 16lbs, I would use the perfection loop. You can see our post here for a step by step guide on tying perfection loop.
