scotty macfly
Well-known member
For all of you who have seen A River Runs Through It, what knot is the elderly Norman tying his fly on. I have watched closely a few times and I either don't recognize it, or I don't know it.
A question concerning The Movie
- Thread starter scotty macfly
- Start date
Idahoflyfishmn
Well-known member
I believe that it was the Turle knot.
JTH
JTH
kentuckysteve
Well-known member
About half the time I see that called a Turle knot, and about half the time a Turtle knot. So I decided it was time to find the truth. It appears that Turle knot is correct, named after Major William Greer Turle, who popularized it though did not invent it:
Turle knot - Wikipedia
William Greer TURLE 1839-1909
Turle knot - Wikipedia
William Greer TURLE 1839-1909
spm
Well-known member
So, Turle/Turtle knot; do we like this knot?
steve
steve
kentuckysteve
Well-known member
Ha! I must be blind.I would have bet money there was another T in the spelling.I looked at the article again and no T.
My wife has been telling me i need glasses.Maybe i should listen to her more often.
It is a very simple knot.I will have to give it a try.
My wife has been telling me i need glasses.Maybe i should listen to her more often.
It is a very simple knot.I will have to give it a try.
The turle is still used by steelhead and salmon guys. It's good for up or down eye hooks because the line comes straight off the shank of the hook instead of the top or bottom of the eye. I've tried tying it, but never got proficient enough to dare use it for steelhead.
sparsegraystubble
Well-known member
I had to confess that I still use the turle knot that I learned from a book when I started fishing in the eary ‘60s.
I know it’s not as strong as some others, but I always liked the idea of a straight pull through up or down eyed flies. And over the years I have had break offs, but just as many or more at the knot joining the tippet to the leader as at the fly.
And I always used it for the up eye classic steelhead hooks even while I was flirting with other knots for trout fishing. I am sure someone will post here and tell me that I am giving up a bunch of my tippet strength with that knot, and I am sure they will be right. But i can tie it easier and quicker than any other knot and I think as a result my turle knot may be stronger than my often flawed other knots.
Don
I know it’s not as strong as some others, but I always liked the idea of a straight pull through up or down eyed flies. And over the years I have had break offs, but just as many or more at the knot joining the tippet to the leader as at the fly.
And I always used it for the up eye classic steelhead hooks even while I was flirting with other knots for trout fishing. I am sure someone will post here and tell me that I am giving up a bunch of my tippet strength with that knot, and I am sure they will be right. But i can tie it easier and quicker than any other knot and I think as a result my turle knot may be stronger than my often flawed other knots.
Don
Lewis Chessman
Well-known member
When I was gillieing on the Spey I was expected to be proficient in the single and double Turle and it took me a while before it became intuitive. It isn't a great knot for flies under #10 as it is a strangulation knot and the nylon begins to influence the fly's passage but on heavier, larger hooks it gives great presentation as well as being free from a clinch knot's (e.g. blood knot's) occasional ability to present a fly sideways or to strangle itself and sever.
It's worth saying that not all flies are tied suitably to accommodate a Turle as you need a small, thin area of hook neck before the eye for the loop(s) to snug down into. If the head is varnished too closely to the eye then the loop(s) may slip over the eye resulting in a much weakened clinch knot.
Always ensure that the tag end is pulled tight down the body of the fly when tightening the loops and don't clip it too short, leave enough to allow for a little 'pull back' if the knot should tighten further, later.
Finally, give it a good test pull before you start fishing - better to find out it's a 'slipper' now than when it actually matters!
'Once bitten ....' on that one.
It's worth saying that not all flies are tied suitably to accommodate a Turle as you need a small, thin area of hook neck before the eye for the loop(s) to snug down into. If the head is varnished too closely to the eye then the loop(s) may slip over the eye resulting in a much weakened clinch knot.
Always ensure that the tag end is pulled tight down the body of the fly when tightening the loops and don't clip it too short, leave enough to allow for a little 'pull back' if the knot should tighten further, later.
Finally, give it a good test pull before you start fishing - better to find out it's a 'slipper' now than when it actually matters!
'Once bitten ....' on that one.
Lewis Chessman
Well-known member
Scotty, this YT vid from Rio is good because they use an out-sized hook and thick line to demonstrate the knot, making the stages clear and obvious.
The reality for us is a little more fiddly!
I might add that the established Spey gillies I worked with all regarded the Turle as the superior knot when the fly used was suitable for it. They had over 100 years experience between the four of them!
I previously used only a tucked half-blood knot but seldom fished with flies larger than a #8 in those days. I can't say I noticed any great difference in results between the two in terms of breakage but I do feel more confident that the larger flies present better with the Turle so look to tie that first if the neck allows it.
All the best,
Lewis.
The reality for us is a little more fiddly!
I might add that the established Spey gillies I worked with all regarded the Turle as the superior knot when the fly used was suitable for it. They had over 100 years experience between the four of them!
I previously used only a tucked half-blood knot but seldom fished with flies larger than a #8 in those days. I can't say I noticed any great difference in results between the two in terms of breakage but I do feel more confident that the larger flies present better with the Turle so look to tie that first if the neck allows it.
All the best,
Lewis.
tcorfey
Well-known member
I remember being taught this knot as a youngster but have not used it in years instead I have used the non-slip loop knot. Anybody who uses the Turle and the non-slip loop interchangeably can comment on when or why they choose one over the other.
ia_trouter
Senior Member
spm
Well-known member
Sound wisdom. Thanks for clearing that up, DeWayne.Yes..... it was in the movie so it is the perfect fly tying knot. Brad Pitt catches bigger trout than I so it is clearly the right way.
If any movie has ever been scrutinized more for technical accuracy I surely missed it lol.
steve
sweetandsalt
Well-known member
Yes, the Turle was an appropriate period knot for the Movie (Gary Borger was the fly fishing technical consultant for Robert Redford and Jason, his son, was the casting stand-in for Pitt). But today? Its classic advantage in bending on an upturned, looped eye salmon iron was the straight line of pull it offered. It is not a strong knot (as is the non-slip loop, Trileen or clinch) but salmon anglers are also not using light tippets. Back when I annually frequented some Gaspe and New Brunswick rivers, I employed a round the throat, back out the eye, 4 turn clinch seated into the looped eye for a straight line of pull. This worked well but still engendered the eyrie of most seasoned salmon guides...my rejection of Maxima in favor of copolymer, modern nylon tippet material did as well.
