Hook the HorizonKnot Analyst
Skip to content

Diagram

Turle Knot

Turtle knot · Turle

Tying a fly with a turned-up or turned-down eye to tippet. The loop closes around the fly's head behind the eye, so the pull runs in line with the hook shank.

Terminal · Intermediate · Monofilament / Fluorocarbon · 4 steps

ApplicationsHow to tie it
Turle Knot, finishedTurle Knot, finished

Finished structure

Drawn from a rope model of this knot: which strand passes over which comes from where the rope actually lies.

  1. Thread the fly onto the tippet and slide it well up the lineThe fly hangs on the tippet by its turned eye, pushed well up the line, and a long tag runs on past it toward the free end.
    1Tag end, about 10 cm
    2Fly, slid up the tippet
    Move 1 of 1Thread the fly onto the tippet and slide it well up the lineYou should now see: The fly hangs on the tippet well clear of the end, with about 10 cm of tag to tie with, and its eye is turned up or down.

    Step 01

    Thread the fly onto the tippet and slide it well up the line, leaving several inches of tag, about 10 cm (4 in), to tie with. Check the fly has a turned-up or turned-down eye.

    You should now see

    The fly slides freely on the tippet, well clear of the tag, and its eye is bent up or down from the shank.

    If it goes wrong

    Starting on a fly with a straight eye. You can see the eye in line with the shank, and the Turle is meant for turned eyes.

    Fix: Use a different knot for straight-eye flies, such as a Davy or a clinch.

    Why: The Turle's loop closes around the fly's head behind the eye, so the tippet comes out of the eye in line with the shank. A turned eye leaves room for that.

  2. Double the tag back along the tippet, toward the flyThe tag is folded back on itself, leaving a large open loop at the fold, and runs back along the tippet toward the fly.
    1Large loop at the fold
    2Tag, back along the tippet
    Move 1 of 2Double the tag back along the tippet, toward the fly
    Bring the tag behind the doubled line, then over it, to make a loopThe tag turns back above the doubled line, dips behind it and comes back over the front, closing a small loop; the large loop stays open.
    1Behind, then over the doubled line
    2Small loop
    Move 2 of 2Bring the tag behind the doubled line, then over it, to make a loopYou should now see: A small loop beside the doubled line, closed where the tag crosses behind and then over it, and the large loop still wide open.

    Step 02

    Double the tag back along the tippet toward the fly, then bring the tag behind and over the doubled line to make a loop.

    You should now see

    An open loop in the doubled line, large enough for the whole fly to pass through later.

    If it goes wrong

    Making the loop too small, or crossing the tag in front first instead of behind, so the overhand in step 3 twists and the loop will not open over the fly.

    Fix: Undo the tag and form the loop again, behind and then over, a little larger than the fly.

    Why: This loop is the part that goes over the fly and grips its head, so its size decides whether the fly can pass through.

  3. Pass the tag through the small loop twice, round the doubled lineThe tag makes two turns round the doubled line, each through the small loop: a double overhand, the tag leaving beside the last turn.
    1Two passes through the loop
    2Small loop
    Move 1 of 2Pass the tag through the small loop twice, round the doubled line
    Pull the tag to tighten the double overhand, keeping the large loop openThe double overhand is drawn into a small tight knot round the doubled line, and the large loop beside it stays wide open.
    1Double overhand, tightened
    2Large loop, still open
    Move 2 of 2Pull the tag to tighten the double overhand, keeping the large loop openYou should now see: A small tight overhand on the doubled line, and the large loop still open; pulling the tippet slides it smaller.

    Step 03

    Pass the tag through the loop twice to tie a double overhand knot, and tighten that overhand while leaving the large loop open.

    You should now see

    A small, tight double overhand knot on the tippet, with the large loop still open and able to slide.

    If it goes wrong

    Passing the tag through only once, or pulling the loop closed while tightening the overhand, which leaves no loop to put over the fly.

    Fix: If the overhand has only one pass, undo it and add the second. If the loop has closed, slide the knot back along the tippet to open it.

    Why: NetKnots shows the Improved Turle with a double overhand. The second pass gives the knot more grip on the tippet than a single overhand.

  4. Slip the large loop over the fly so it sits behind the eyeThe large loop has gone over the fly and hangs round its shank just behind the turned eye, with the tippet running out through the eye.
    1Loop round the head, behind the eye
    Move 1 of 2Slip the large loop over the fly so it sits behind the eye
    Pull the tippet to draw the loop tight behind the eye, then trim the tagPulled tight, the loop is a collar round the fly's head behind the turned eye, the overhand under it, and the tippet runs out through the eye along the shank.
    1Loop closed round the head
    2Tippet out through the eye, along the shank
    Move 2 of 2Pull the tippet to draw the loop tight behind the eye, then trim the tagYou should now see: The knot sits behind the eye round the fly's head, and the tippet leaves through the eye in line with the shank.

    Step 04

    Slip the loop over the fly so it sits behind the eye, then pull the tippet to draw the knot tight against the eye. Trim the tag.

    You should now see

    The knot sits behind the eye around the fly's head, and the tippet comes out through the eye in line with the hook shank.

    If it goes wrong

    Pulling tight before the loop is fully behind the eye. The knot sets on the front of the eye and the fly hangs at an angle.

    Fix: If the knot has set on the eye rather than behind it, cut it off and tie again, checking the loop position before the final pull.

    Why: Seated behind the eye, the pull comes straight down the shank, which keeps the fly riding level.

HTH · Reference layout

Turle Knot — finished-state checks, on the shared reference layout

Turle Knot — finished-state checks, on the shared reference layout
Hook the Horizon reference plate
Failure modes

When this family fails, it fails as these. The recovered end still outranks the name.

Fly / tippet family

Fine tippet at the eye, or fly-line to leader with a tube or nail.

  • !Hitch path around the eye instead of through it
  • !Single pass where two were the job
  • !Gap at the tube or nail on a fly-line join
Fails when
  • !Pulled tight before the loop is behind the eye, so the knot sets on the front of the eye and the fly hangs at an angle
  • !Double overhand tied with only one pass, which grips the tippet less
  • !Tied to a straight-eye fly, with no room behind the eye for the loop to close
Geometry

  • Collar sitting mid-shank instead of the eye

    Fly cocks off-axis

    A Turle collars the eye; a shank cinch is a different knot · step 02

  • Incomplete cinch on a ring eye

    The knot rolls and the fly fishes off-axis

    Ring eyes that will not take a collar need a different terminal · step 03

  • No loop formed to collar the eye

    You cannot Turle without the loop

    The loop around the standing part is the collar · step 01

If you saw this

  • Fly cocks off-axis or knot slips

    Check

    • ?Fly alignment with tippet

    Then

    • →Retie
    • →Consider Orvis/Davy for pure strength

  • Finished check failed — Used on a straight-eye where it does not seat

    Check

    • ?Loop seats behind a down-eye or turned-up eye as intended
    • ?Knot draws up cleanly on the eye neck
    • ?Fly rides true

    Then

    • →Retie. Wrong eye type or incomplete seat ruins fly tracking.

  • Collar sitting mid-shank instead of the eye

    Check

    • ?Fly cocks off-axis
    • ?Inspect step 02

    Then

    • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.

  • Incomplete cinch on a ring eye

    Check

    • ?The knot rolls and the fly fishes off-axis
    • ?Inspect step 03

    Then

    • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.

  • No loop formed to collar the eye

    Check

    • ?You cannot Turle without the loop
    • ?Inspect step 01

    Then

    • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.
Same family

Same failure class, different geometry. Open the plates — Diagnose still starts from the symptom.

This failed — start Diagnose

Why this knot

What it earns its place with, what it costs, and what to reach for instead.

Best for
Fly hooks
Not ideal for
  • Maximum strength critical tippet (modern compact knots often preferred)
  • Braid
Common mistakes
  • Tying it on a fly with a straight eye
  • Making the loop too small for the fly to pass through
  • Passing the tag through the loop once instead of twice
  • Pulling tight before the loop is fully behind the eye
Alternatives
  • Orvis KnotBeginner

    Ties tippet to a hook or fly with a small knot built on a figure eight

  • Davy KnotBeginner

    Tying a small fly to tippet with a quick, compact knot

  • Improved Clinch KnotBeginner

    Tying a hook, lure or swivel to monofilament line

Related knots