 Knots
This section will show you how to tie all of the knots needed to properly assemble your gear. In order to tie effective knots, you must realize that neatness counts. If a knot slips, it will probably break. Therefore, it is essential you completely tighten all knots. This is accomplished by lubricating the knot before you tighten it down. You can use water, saliva, or silicone fly floatant. One word of caution should be exercised here. You should never put any part of your line into your mouth to wet the knot. Many streams and lakes contain bacteria that can be harmful to you. If you use saliva, drip or spit it on the knot instead. When you tighten the knot, do so very slowly. What you are trying to do is tighten the knot without building up too much heat. If you tighten the knot quickly, friction will cause excessive heat, which in turn weakens the line. A smooth slow draw is best. Good luck and have fun. Arbor - used to attach your backing to your reel's arbor First loop the backing around the arbor. Then tie an overhand knot at the end of the tag end and tighten it. Then take the tag end and tie an overhand knot around the standing line. Start tightening the overhand knot around the standing line, while bringing the knot at the tag end closer. Keep tightening until both knots are touching and then snug them up against the arbor.  Nail - used for attaching backing to flyline, and flyline to leader 
In order to tie this knot, you will need a small tube or nail. I find it easiest to tie by using a tube which is about the same diameter as the flyline. Hold the tube and the end of the flyline with your left thumb and forefinger, with the end of the flyline pointing to your right. Also hold the leader or backing, with the end pointing to the left.  Now wrap the end of the leader around the flyline and tube for five wraps. Make sure you leave a little bit of slack when you begin wrapping, so you will form a little loop as shown. Now insert the end of the leader through the tube.  Now you can remove the tube, and begin snugging down the knot. This is the tricky part. You cannot let the loops formed at both ends of the wrap slide under the wraps. You want to try and snug the wraps first, and then pull on both ends of the leader to snug the loops against the wraps. Do not pull on the flyline.  If you have snugged the knot down correctly, it will look like the illustration below. Notice how the wraps are still in neat order, and the former loops cleanly enter under the wraps. Once you see you done this properly, you can lubricate the knot and tighten it down by pulling on both ends of the leader.  Now simply trim the tag end of the leader and the flyline. That's it, you did it! Congratulations, this is about as difficult as it gets. If you made it through this, the others will seem easy.  Perfection - used for creating a loop in the butt end of the leader for a loop to loop connection
Hold the leader with the tag end facing right, and make a loop as shown. The tag end should go behind the standing line, and should now face down. hold this intersection with your left thumb and forefinger.  Take the tag end and form another smaller loop over the first loop. This loop should come up in front, and then down behind. Again, the tag end should now face down. Also hold this loop with your left thumb and forefinger.  Now bring the tag end up between the two loops. It should be in front of the first loop, and behind the second smaller loop. The tag end should now face up. Also hold this in your left thumb and forefinger.  Finally, reach through the first loop from behind and grasp the second smaller loop. Pull the second smaller loop through the first loop. The second smaller loop will be the one that becomes your final loop to utilize. Start snugging down on the standing and tag end. You can work line through different parts of the knot so you are left with the proper size loop when finished. When you have the knot snug and the loop is the desired size, you can now lubricate the knot, tighten it, and trim the tag end.  Surgeon - Used to attach the tippet section to the leader
Lay the leader and tippet together, with the leader's tag pointing right and the tippet's tag pointing left.  Form a loop in the center, with the leader's tag section in front as shown.  Bring the leader's tag section and the standing tippet section over and through the back of the loop. What you are doing is making a simple overhand knot with the sections doubled.  Bring the leader's tag section and the standing tippet around a second time. This will give you a double surgeon's knot. You can go around a third time, which will give you a triple surgeon's knot. The triple is stronger, so it may be a good idea to take the extra step. To tighten this knot, you must pull on all four pieces of line at the same time. Snug it down, lubricate it, and then tighten. Finally, trim both tag ends.  Improved Clinch - used to attach the fly to the tippet
Start by threading the tippet through the eye of the hook, leaving a few inches to complete the knot.  Wrap the tag end around the standing line four to six times. Use four turns for very heavy line, and six turns for very thin line.  Bring the tag end over to the hook, and insert it through the first loop made in front of the hook eye as shown.  Now insert the tag end through the loop created in the previous step as shown. Begin snugging the knot by pulling on the standing line. You may pull slightly on the tag end to eliminate any slack, but do not tighten the knot this way.  Once you have the knot snug, lubricate it and tighten further by pulling on the standing line only. Now trim the tag end. 
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