Most anglers consider the nail knot to be the best way to connect a fly line and a leader, when there is no loop at the end of the fly line. (In fact, some anglers cut the loop off their line because they don’t like or trust loops.) We’ve posted a couple different videos about how to tie the knot: see here and here.
If you’ve always used a tool of some kind to tie the nail knot, you might wonder how the knot got its name. Well, here’s your answer. In the video below, Idaho fishing guide Dub Paetz demonstrates this old-school technique, which can come in very useful in a pinch.