Keep in mind, any time you tie a knot, make sure that your line is wet so that it doesn’t suffer line burn when you draw it tight. Most anglers use saliva.
||The Clinch Knot is a very popular and effective knot. It is also easy to master.
- Pass the line through the eye of the hook, or swivel.
- Double back. make five turns around the line.
- Pass the end of the line through the first loop, above the eye, and then through the large loop. Draw the knot into shape.
- Slide the coils down tight against the eye.
||The Palomar Knot is another very simple knot. It is regarded as one of the strongest knot known. It’s great virtue is that it can safely be tied at night with a minimum of practice.
- Double about 6 inches of line, and pass through the eye.
- Tie a simple Overhand Knot in the doubled line, letting the hook hang loose. Avoid twisting the lines.
- Pull the end of loop down, passing it completely over the hook.
- Pull both ends of the line to draw up the knot.
||There are at least 6 variations of the Hangman’s Knot, – all of them excellent for tackle, swivels and hooks. The “standard” Hangman’s Knot holds only five turns when tied in monofilament nylon. If tied in rope, and used for its stated purpose, it takes eight turns.
- Pass a 15cm loop of line through the eye.
- Bring the end back on itself, passing it under the doubled part.
- Make five loops over the doubled part.
- The formed knot is worked into shape.
- The knot is sent down the line, against the eye of the hook or swivel.
||This is a much simpler knot. And it also works great. It lets the hook swing freely on the line.
- Pass an 8 inch loop of line through the eye.
- Lock the upper part between thumb and forefinger, making a loop.
- Make two more loops over the double part, holding them too, between thumb and forefinger.
- Pass the end through the two loops just made, plus the first loop made in step2.
- The formed knot can now be drawn into shape, and worked down against the eye of the hook or swivel.
||Ever wondered how they tie those fancy knots on those pre-packaged hooks? Here’s how it’s done. Usually, only tied by the purest, now you too can do it.
- Pass the end of the line, through the eye twice, leaving a loop hanging below the hook.
- Hold both lines along the shank of the hook.
- Use the loop to wind tight coils around the shank and both lines, from the eye upwards. Use from 5 to 10 turns.
- Use the fingers to hold these tight coils in place. Pull the line (extending from the eye) until the whole loop has passed under these tight coils.
- With coils drawn up, use pliers to pull up the end of the line.
|Surgeons End Loop
||Loops are made for the purpose of attaching leaders, traces or other terminal tackle. They have the advantage that they can be tied quickly and in the dark. The Surgeon’s End Loop is an easy way to go.
- Take the end of the line and double it to form a loop of the required size.
- Tie an Overhand Knot at the desired point, leaving the loop open.
- Bring the doubled line through the loop again.
- Hold the line and the end part together, and pull the loop to form a knot.
|Blood Loop Knot
||Another end loop can be tied quickly and easily using the Blood Loop Knot. The end can be clipped for an end loop, or it can be used along the line in several places to attach swivels, hooks, weights and leaders.
- Double the line back to make a loop of the size desired.
- Bring the end of the loop twice over the doubled part.
- Now pass the end of the loop through the first loop formed in the doubled part.
- Draw the knot up into shape, keeping pressure on both lines.
The Blood Loop Knot is often used for attaching a dropper when fishing deep water with several hooks.
It can also be used to attach one Blood loop Knot to another Blood Bight Knot, or a Surgeon’s Knot.
||A better method of forming a loop, or loops, in the line above the sinker is to use the old Dropper Loop. This draws into a knot that stands out at right angles to the line. The loops can be made long enough to have a hook set on them. Many anglers use this knot for multiple hook catfish rigs.
- Form a loop in the line.
- Take hold of one side of the loop, and make 6 or more turns around the line itself.
- This is the tricky part – keep open the point where the turns, or twists, are being made.
- Take hold of the other side of the loop, and pull it through the center opening. use a finger in this loop so that it is not lost.
- Hold this loop between the teeth. Pull gently on both ends of the line, making the turns gather and pack down on either side of the loop.
- Draw up the knot by pulling the lines as tightly as possible. The turns will make the loop stand at right angles to the line.
|Double Line Swivel Knot
||This is a special knot used for attaching a swivel to a double line.
- Put the end of the double line through the eye of the swivel.
- Rotate the end half a turn, putting a single twist between the end of the loop and the swivel eye.
- Pass the loop with the twist over the swivel. Hold the end of the loop, together with the double, with one hand, and allow the swivel to slide to the end of the double loops that have formed.
- Continue holding the loop and the lines with the right hand. Use the left hand to rotate the swivel through both loops 6 times or more.
- Keep pressure on both parts of the double line. Release the loop. Pull on the swivel and loops of line will start to form.
- Holding the swivel with pliers, or (better still) attaching it with a short length of line to the rigging, push the loop down towards the eye while keeping pressure on the double line.
||The float fisherman uses a running float for casting and general handiness, and stops the float from running up the line by using the Float Stop. It has the advantage that the stops moves readily over the rod guides, but grips the monofilament nylon so tightly that it will not slide over the line.
- Take 2 turns (3 if necessary) around the main line at the chosen point.
- Bring both ends around to form a Surgeon’s Knot (see above).
- Tighten into shape bringing the coils close together.
||Where there diameters are very dissimilar, either the Surgeon’s Knot should be used, or the thinner line should be doubled where the knot is formed.
- Lie the ends of the two lines against each other, overlapping about 6 inches.
- Take 5 turns around one line with the end of the other, and bring the end back where it’s held between the two lines.
- Repeat by taking 5 turns around the other line, bringing the end back between the two lines. These two ends should then project in opposite directions.
- Work the knot up into loops, taking care that the two ends do not slip out of position.
- Draw the knot up tightly.
| Hangman Uni-Knot
||Another good line join can be made by using this slick knot.This is a knot used for attaching the line to the spool of the reel.
- Overlap the two lines for about 15cm.
- Using one end, form a circle that overlies both lines.
- Pass the end six times around the two lines.
- Pull the end tight to draw the knot up into shape.
- Repeat the process using the end of the other line.
- Pull both lines to slide the two knots together.
||The Surgeon’s Knot is a good knot to use when two different line sizes are being joined.
- Lay the two lines against each other, overlapping about 10 inches
- Working the two lines as one, tie an Overhand Knot. It will be necessary to pull one line (say the leader) completely through this loop.
- Pull the leader through this loop again.
- Pass the other end through the loop.
- The formed knot can now be worked into shape.