Hooks and knots

[Dick Dastardly]

I can never tie a grinner without crinkling the line and I do wet the knot before I tighten it down.

 

 

Chris some monos are as you've guessed more prone to this than others.However one tip to avoid crinkling is instead of wrapping the line around itself (prior to making the loop that you take four turns through) just make a loop.This helps a lot especially with fluorocarbons and stiff lines such as Amnesia or thick shock leader mono.

[Dick Dastardly]

I have allways thought the Grinner THE knot to teach new anglers (in fact any angler). I say that as once you know it (and lets face it its a simple knot) You can use it for tying on eyed hooks,swivels,split rings etc, joining two lengths of line together (using the double grinner) and even as a stop knot! Truly versatile,easy to learn (and do even in the dark) and above all reliable.

[Andrew Burgess]

It depending on what water I am fishing from and where I am fishing from! I follow the clubs rules and fisheries rules on what hooks I am allowed to use! - i.e. barb hooks or barbless hooks

 

For my main pleasure fishing which sometime either using pole fishing/float fishing or feeder fishing is using various size hook from size 20 to Size 12 in the Drennan Super Specialist hooks in micro barb and barbless, Drennan Carp Maggot in size 20 to 14 and Drennnan Red Maggot also in the barb/barbless. All these hooks are either spade or eyed but always been tied by using an matchman hooktyer.

 

But for my specialist fishing for the big tench, bream, and carp is using the Gardner Mugga Hooks, Korda Kruv Hooks in mirco barb in Size 12 to Size 8 by usng the knotless knot rig.

Edited September 2, 2011 by Andrew Burgess

[Phone]

Stooby,

 

You say, "best manufacturer of hooks". "Best" is a strange word isn't it?

 

I believe there were 10 hook manufacturers in the world in 1990 (O. Mustad; Tiemco; Wright & McGill; Anglers Sport; Owner; VMC; Partridge of Redditch; Basstar; M-art). That's wire hook manufacturers. I was never really up to date on the number of mills that heat and hammer forged hooks (often not ferrous) for the market but probably not more than 10(?). I sure there are an untold number of "specification" order companies. The amount money they wish to spend on quality control is the "cost" issue among major marketing repackagers. Well, so much for history.

 

It's odd what different cultures (or the fish) demand. I use between 2 and 2/0 for carp.

 

I use a standard wire hook for safety. If you do this, you will have to change hooks rather often and you will have to inspect the hook with a 2X loop before using. Ultimately, they are quite expensive if used properly, you throw so many away. But they are safest for carp and that is what I fish for. Bronzed wire hooks will wollow or rust out in 4 to 7 days. No harm is likely to come to the carp in this in that time frame. Forged non-ferrous exotic hooks may stay lodged for a long long time, until they contribute to death.

 

So, use 2/0 for starters - Eagle Claw bronzed hooks.

 

Phone

 

Edit: On the tying hook to line question. You didn't give us enought information. Mono or braid? Hook eye size to line diameter? I like a doubled knot if it's possible to get the line through the hook eye twice - say - Triliene(sp). With small braid I don't think a palomar is to "blobby" really - some will.

Edited September 2, 2011 by Phone

[Andy_1984]

biggest majority of my hooks are by Kamasan but mostly in sizes 20,22,24 and only because the tackle shop has more of these than anything else. i use spade ends the majority of the time using a matchman hook tier. if im using an eyed hook in those sizes ill use a half blood knot.

 

for carp and tench i go with Korum S3's and use a grinner

[Mat Hillman]

For smaller than size 10 I have given up on trying to tie them myself, I use various drennan hooks to nylon depending on the situation, but mainly the "barbless carp" ones as they are strong enough to deal with my favourite quarry - tench

 

For bigger hooks I generally use a knotless knot, as I'll mostly be hair-rigging.

 

Mat

[RUDD]

For general coarse angling I use Mustad longpoints (spade ends) - maggot for maggot work or wide gape for pellets, casters, worms, bread, corn or meat. These are tied using a drennan hook tyer.

For hair rigging I use drennan carp for float work or carp feeder for ledgering methods. These are tied using the knot less knot.

For heavier work on the pole or waggler I use either Kamasan animal or drennan super specialist either tied with knot less knot (with or without hair) or Grinner knot.

When fishing in the dark drennan superspecialist which I also use for all my floater work - again with either knotless knot or grinner.

For carp fishing I use a ESP Raptor hooks - tied knotless knot.

To any swivel etc I also use a Grinner knot.

 

I have confidence in all I use so have never felt the need to change.

 

If I only could use one pattern for any type of work it would have to be the Drennan superspecialist with a grinner knot.

Both have stood the test of time. I have caught 1oz roach to 20lb + carp using them and only had them open up twice, I reckon I have used a good few hundred of them in all sizes over the years!!!

[Tigger]

I have allways thought the Grinner THE knot to teach new anglers (in fact any angler). I say that as once you know it (and lets face it its a simple knot) You can use it for tying on eyed hooks,swivels,split rings etc, joining two lengths of line together (using the double grinner) and even as a stop knot! Truly versatile,easy to learn (and do even in the dark) and above all reliable.

 

 

Yeaph, a very usefull and imo the most reliable of knots.

 

I much prefer spade end hooks nowadays since I learned how to tye them correctly. Presentation is so much better and I have total connfidence in them. I've been using them for my trotting when targetting barbel and they've enabled me to put on the maximum ammount of pressure possible. The knot is so strong that if I do hook a snag and have to pull for a break my hook nearly always straightens out/ opens up and frees from the snag (that's using 6lb straight through).

[Phone]

All,

 

I kinda thing if the Trilene knot as a two loop grinner. What do you think? The trilene is a bit easier to tighten with mono IMO - especially wet.

 

Phone

[Vagabond]

.However one tip to avoid crinkling is instead of wrapping the line around itself (prior to making the loop that you take four turns through) just make a loop.This helps a lot especially with fluorocarbons and stiff lines such as Amnesia or thick shock leader mono.

 

I've always tied grinners that way - never could understand why some people wrap the line first - its just asking for trouble (ie for the line to crinkle).