A few years ago, in the comments section of a post called “The Only Two Knots You Need for Fly Fishing,” reader Myron wrote, “Jack’s knot is soooooo much better than any clinch knot. Easier to tie and much stronger!” In reply to Myron’s comment, Mark Rougeux offered an even more emphatic endirsement:
Amen to the comment on Jack’s knot. It was developed by Jack Miller, a member of the Derby City Fly Fishing club here in Louisville. You can find instructions on tying this very simple, quick, yet highly effective knot by doing an Internet search.
Since I had never heard of Jack’s Knot (nor had Tom), I followed Mark’s advice and Googled it, and I found the above video. The only other official mention I found was a brief note in a 2012 issue of Fly Fisherman, which included Jack Miller’s hand-drawn instructions for the knot. However, Jack himself has since made some videos and introduced a new version of his knot.
So, here for your evaluation are Jack’s knot and Jack’s 2.0. Miller claims that it’s one of those “100% knots,” which is certainly something to be debated. After all, any knot is only as good as the person who tied it. How many out there use it, and who can vouch for its efficacy?
I’ve tied the clinch/improved clinch knot almost exclusively since I was little until recently when I saw Pete Kutzer demonstrate the Orvis knot on this blog. Since then I’ve been using it for most of my hook knots, although I’ve found it to be very difficult to tie in smaller tippet/hook sizes, and too difficult to teach to my kids. This knot looks like I could teach it to my kids, who sometimes have problems with their clinch knots slipping. And since I have a son named Jack, this seems like a natural fit!
Jack’s knot has performed very, very well for me. I tested it against other knots and as I tied it and the other knots, it was the best by a large margin. It has worked with mono and flouro. The only fault I’ve ssen is that it is stronger than any tippet knot I tie!
Excellent knot and easy to tie. I used the improved clinch knot for years and now seldom use it. Jacks knot is stronger and takes less time to tie.
This is, quite literally, the only knot I use in fly fishing. I tie my tippet rings on with it. I tie my flies on with it. I use it on my kayak. I learned to tie it a slightly different way than in the video, with more finger contact, but with the same results. It is easy to do when your hands are nearly frozen solid and I’ve tied it in the dark. I love this knot. Thank you, Jack.
Jack may honestly think he invented the knot but it appears in the Ashley Book of Knots as #1118. Published in 1944. It is in the section on snares and thus may well be prehistoric as those type of knots were likely the first knots used by mankind for snaring animals for food. More about it at https://www.netknots.com/fishing_knots/jacks-knot
I should have replied to this years ago. It may be too late now to make a difference. ( see my YouTube video, how to tie Jack’s Knot the correct way) I never said I “invented” the knot, other people say that. I never said the knot was a 100% knot. I was refering to my line to line knot. I did creat the Jack’s Knot as a fishing knot, and the way ro tie it. The way John shows it tied on his site uses way to much tag and is hard to tie in light line. The correct way to tie the knot is fast and easy. There are many videos now on YouTube showing it tied the wrong way. If it is not tied the way I tie then it is not really a Jack’s Knot.
Jack Miller
I love this knot and do not understand why it isn’t way more popular. It is so easy to tie and very strong.
This knot is a mirror image of the “Crawford knot”. If you horizontally flip the diagram for one of them and make them both, you get the exact same knot.
It has quickly become my favorite knot.
Another benefit to Jack’s knot that I haven’t seen mentioned is that when tying on a fly and cinching down the knot, it’s possible to slide the knot down to the hook eye, leaving a very small tag and therefore very little waste. My tippet lasts through many more fly changes than with other knots.