Knots. At the end of the day they're the be-all and end-all of your fishing success, right?
I mean, after all, if the knot works it keeps the fly attached. If it doesn’t the fly comes off and you lose your fish. And we all hate losing fish. Moreover I don’t appreciate losing flies either!
I’ve been fishing for a good number of years now and could probably count on one hand the number of fish lost due to knots failing. My inability to keep the fish hooked is another matter but knot failure is no issue generally.
So for your delectation I offer a few tips on my methods and the various knots that I use for my fishing.
Nowadays there is a huge range of nylons, and here I use the generic term for them, available to us fisher folk. There are generally three types. Standard monofilament like the Maxima we all started on a million years ago, Co-polymer nylons like Rio Power-flex and finally Fluorocarbon materials like Orvis Mirage. There are yet more, many, many more material’s out in the market for you to use and try which will lead you to enlightenment or at least a favourite you will not do without.
First off the knots I use number just five and of that five only two get used every time I fish.
The first one I use is the good old Half-blood or some people call it a Modified Clinch Knot.
MY name for it is the Half-blood, It’s the knot that I join the tippet to the fly with.
Second is the Water or Surgeon's knot.
It is a great knot for adding tippet or creating droppers in your leader set ups.
Both these knots are simple to learn and very reliable. I will use them every time I fish.
Next on the list is the Tucked Blood or Improved Clinch Knot as some may know it. Great knot but one disadvantage for me, albeit a minor one. The Half-blood can be unpicked but the Tucked Blood can't.
Then there is the Perfection Loop. Better than a standard double thumb loop as it has a different layout and allows the line to pull directly through the centre of the knot.
And finally a knot I use for fishing big flies with such as salt water patterns and occasionally big freshwater lures is the Rapala Knot.
It’s a great for putting a loop in the line that allows bigger flies to “work” nicely. So that’s the knots I use.
The tips then. None of it is rocket science but all of it requires one thing that you may not always apply. Care.
As I said earlier there are a few materials on the market now for leader and tippet selection. Occasionally you may hear the term knot strength. This indicates how strong the knot is once it is tied correctly. To get an idea of how that works take a 12” / 30cm piece of your usual tippet material and put one over hand knot in it. Now pull it tight and keep going until it breaks. Not a lot of effort required will be my guess. Do the same again and this time make two turns in the overhand part of the knot and pull tight to destruction. More effort required? Yupp. That’s because the turns cushion each other and improve the strength of the knot.
Dependant on the type of material, the way you tie the knot will be slightly different. Some materials will slide nicely without lubricant, some have to have it and some will actually stick if you moisten them. So test your material first before deciding on whether or not to wet it. I use both co-polymer and fluorocarbon and moisten both with a touch of saliva or other lubrication.
Knot Perfect is a proprietary knot lubricant from Gehrkes the “Gink” boys. Other lubricants are available!
What they all achieve is a reduction in the amount of friction created in the seating of the knot. I will say now "FRICTION IS BAD" for tippet and leader materials. It creates heat. Plastics and heat do not need each other, apart from perhaps at the point of manufacture!
Tip one for tying the knot “Reduce Friction” in the assembly of the knot.
Right at the start of this little ditty I mentioned the word “Care” in creating knots with nylons. I hope you get the point about friction. This point makes sure the knot seats properly. Take your time! How often do you see fisher folk tying knots and talking to buddies at the same time? That’s talking and looking at their buddies. Which means they are NOT watching what the knot has or has not done? Most fisher folk are men. It’s a known fact we CANNOT multi-task. Ask a woman!
Keep an eye on how the knot sits and make sure the coils are in the right place. If not re-tie the knot.
Tip Two is “take care” tying the knots.
Next on the list is how quickly you seat the knot. Take your time. Slowly slowly means that horrible friction is reduced again. It also means you can see the loops sit properly. And all of that means the knot will be nice and strong. Resulting in fewer lost flies and fewer lost fish.
Tip three “Slow down”
There is the occasional comment that you should allow the fish to tighten your knots for you. Well that’s fine. But remember fish don’t know about friction and taking care. Ok in the water the friction is reduced but the care is definitely not on a fishes “Must do” list.
Tip four would have to be you take control and you finish the knot off. Then you can’t blame any-one but yourself if it fails.
And finally like all things practice makes perfect. Whether you use nylon and a hook or rope and a washer, take time to practice. That way you will know what and how to do it when you tie that all important last connection to you and the fish.
A quick recap then.
... Moisten the knot before tightening.
... Take care when tying your knots.
... Seat the knots slowly to reduce the risk of friction.
... Take control of the final knot. Don’t leave it to outside forces to do it.
... Practice makes perfect. Know how to tie the knot properly. If you are not happy then re-tie it.
And my final point with regard to any nylon, whether it’s yours or the property of the caring soul that left 12 feet of 10lb b/s nylon on the floor or in the tree, is take your rubbish home, chop it up into small bits and destroy it. Better still get hold of a fantastic item called a Mono Master. Money well spent and you won’t drop your waste nylon inadvertently whilst fishing.
To see the knots above in animated tying sequences... take a look here.
Tight lines folks. Permanently!