Turle Knot

The Turle Knot has several variations, and the one we have here is considered an “Improved Turle Knot.” It is used to tie a fly with a upturned or downturned eye to a line. Lefty Kreh advocates an adjustment to this knot by pushing the tag through the loop and only after that tightening the knot against the hook. The Double Turle Knot that we show here uses two loops held by an overhand knot, with the loops securing the tag end. Another variation is to add one more turn on the knot, creating a Surgeon’s Half Knot. Learn how to tie the Turle Knot following the 5 simple steps below.

Turle Knot step 1

Step 1: Thread the hook onto the line leaving several inches of tag end to tie the knot. Double the line back onto itself and then pass the tag end behind and over the line to form a loop. Pass the tag end through the newly formed loop two times to create a double overhand knot. Tighten the double overhand knot slightly.

Turle Knot step 2

Step 2: Slip the larger loop over the hook.

Turle Knot step 3

Step 3: Pull the tag end of the line to set the knot.

Turle Knot step 4

Step 4: Tighten the knot against the eye of the hook.

Turle Knot step 5

Step 5: Trim the tag end.

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