How to Tie the Turle Knot
Usage
The Turle Knot is a fly-fishing knot for tying your tippet or leader to an eyed hook or fly. Instead of cinching down against the eye, the finished loop seats behind the neck of the hook, just past the eye — so the fly hangs on a straight, in-line pull and swims more naturally on the drift.
It has been an angler's standard since the 19th century for attaching small flies to fine tippet, and it is still a favourite for wet flies, soft hackles, and up-eye or down-eye salmon and steelhead hooks.
Common Uses
The Turle Knot lives in one niche and does it well: attaching flies and small hooks to fine leader.
Fly Fishing
- Attaching small or delicate flies to thin tippet for a natural drift, with the fly sitting and swimming straight off the leader.
- Wet-fly and soft-hackle fishing, and swung classic long-shank streamers, where a straight pull off the shank keeps the fly fishing properly.
- Steelhead and salmon fly fishing on up-eye or down-eye hooks.
Other
- Historically it was used well beyond fly fishing — sea fishing, Thames legering, and float-fishing for mackerel, flatfish, roach, barbel, and perch.
- Some anglers also use it to attach a hook or lure on spinning gear, though that is a minority use.
Other Names
Category
|
Notable Features
- Excellent fly alignment: the loop seats behind the neck of the hook, so the fly hangs on a straight in-line pull and swims freely.
- Low-profile: small and tidy, suiting tiny flies and light tippet where bulk would spook fish or ruin the drift.
- Fast and simple: a short thread-loop-pass sequence you can tie quickly, even in the wind.
Security Level
Tied correctly on the right hook, the Turle Knot holds well for the light-tippet fly fishing it was built for. Its security is conditional: it is a friction noose with no locking tuck, so grip depends on the noose seating cleanly behind the neck of the hook. On slick monofilament and fluorocarbon the original single-wrap version can fold over on itself — which is why most anglers now tie the doubled version below. It is not a knot for heavy line or large hooks.
Downsides
- Not for heavy tackle: the same low-profile design that suits tiny flies makes it a poor choice for large hooks or heavy line.
- Hook-eye sensitive: it can be weaker if tied on a down-turned or up-turned eye without care, because a bent eye changes the angle the noose seats at behind the neck.
- Fly can get ruffled: Ashley's one criticism was that the fly's wings and fibres are apt to get ruffled while you tighten the knot — keep them clear as you set it.
- Single form slips on modern line: the classic single wrap can fold over on soft synthetic tippet; tie the doubled version instead.
History
The Turle Knot is a 19th-century angling knot, first published in 1841. It takes its name from Major William Greer Turle, an English chalkstream angler and fishing companion of the famous dry-fly writer Frederic M. Halford. Turle popularized the knot and was an early pioneer of eyed-hook fly fishing, but he did not invent it and never claimed to — the construction was already in print before his most active fishing years.
Its reputation was carried by the great names of Victorian angling, from Halford's own recommendation in Dry Fly Fishing in Theory and Practice (1889) to an entry in The Ashley Book of Knots (1944). For more on the naming and history, see the Turle knot article on Wikipedia.
How to Tie the Turle Knot
This is the original single-loop method — the historical namesake form, best suited to stiffer leader or when you don't need maximum security margin.
Step 1
Pass the end of the tippet up through the eye of the fly, and slide the fly well up the line, out of the way for now.
Step 2
Make a running loop — a simple overhand-type slip loop — with the end of the tippet, and draw it nearly tight.
Step 3
Pass the fly back through the loop you just made.
Step 4
Draw everything tight so the noose seats on the upper side of the neck of the hook, directly behind the eye.
Step 5
Keep the wings and fibres of the fly clear of the knot as you tighten, so the dressing stays neat and the fastening is clean.
How to Tie the Double (Improved) Turle Knot
This doubled version is what most anglers tie today. The extra overhand pass adds grip so soft modern monofilament and fluorocarbon tippet doesn't fold over on itself. If you fish synthetic tippet, tie this one.
Step 1
Thread the fly onto the tippet, leaving several inches of tag end.
Step 2
Double the line back onto itself toward the fly.
Step 3
Bring the tag end behind and then over the doubled line to make a loop.
Step 4
Pass the tag end through the loop twice, forming a double overhand knot.
Step 5
Tighten the knot down, then slip the loop over the fly.
Step 6
Pull the leader to set the knot snug against the hook, seated behind the eye, and trim the tag end.
FAQ
What is the Turle Knot used for?
Attaching a fly or small hook to fine tippet or leader in fly fishing. It seats behind the neck of the hook rather than in the eye, giving the fly a straight in-line pull so it swims naturally — ideal for small delicate flies, wet flies, soft hackles, and up-eye or down-eye salmon and steelhead hooks.
Is it called the Turtle Knot or the Turle Knot?
Turle is correct. "Turtle Knot" and "Turrel Knot" are well-documented misspellings, flagged as incorrect by at least three independent knot references. The knot is named for a person, Major Turle, not the animal.
Who invented the Turle Knot?
Nobody is credited with inventing it. It is named for Major William Greer Turle, who popularized it, but the knot was first published in 1841 — before his most active fishing years — and he never claimed to have created it.
Why do most anglers tie the Double or Improved Turle instead of the original?
Modern soft monofilament and fluorocarbon tippet can cause the original single-wrap noose to fold over on itself. The doubled overhand pass adds enough grip for slicker synthetic line, so it is now the near-universal recommendation.
Why isn't the Turle Knot recommended for large hooks or heavy line?
Its low-profile, minimal-bulk design is a strength on tiny flies and light tippet but underperforms at larger scale. For heavy line or big lures, use a knot built for that job instead.
Does the hook's eye direction matter?
Yes. The knot depends on the noose seating cleanly against the straight neck of the hook, so a down-turned or up-turned eye can weaken it if you're not careful — though many anglers deliberately fish it on up-eye and down-eye hooks and get excellent alignment when it's seated correctly.
Important Notes on Safety
This is a fishing terminal knot, not a life-safety or load-bearing knot, so there is no rigging risk to flag. The one practical caution: it is not recommended for heavy lines or large lures — keep it to the light-tippet fly fishing it was designed for. Want to drill it until it's automatic? A set of knot tying cards keeps the core outdoor knots in your pack, and the Knot IQ app shows the Turle in full 3D so you can see exactly where the loop sits.
