Knots...

[Dick Dastardly]

Polamar knot every time.

 

atb

malc

 

 

A great knot but you wont get far trying to join two lengths of line together with it though Malc!

[RPM]

Sorry Fishy, can I hijack you thread for one second? I normally tie a half blood knot to swivels/eyes hooks etc which is fairly straight forward but when it comes to tying line to line I have always really struggled opting normally to tie two loops and bring them together (is this OK?) I have just tried to tie a full blood knott with line to line and it is really difficult, or maybe am too impatient! Anyhow, and this may be for Budgie, is it legitimate to tie a double Grinner knott to bring two lines together which I have just tried and it seems to work really well?

[Dick Dastardly]

is it legitimate to tie a double Grinner knott to bring two lines together which I have just tried and it seems to work really well?

 

I first learned the Grinner knot from a fly fisherman where it is used to make up tapered leaders by tying together various lengths of ever decreasing BS of line.It is used as not only is it a very reliable knot but the tag ends lay in line with the main line (unlike the double bloodknot which stick out at 90 degrees) and so cause a lot smaller wake when retrieved (especialy important when using a floating leader).It is also quite tolerant of the differences in the two lines diameter wise.I use the single version for all of my tying to eyes (be it hook,swivel or lead).Ive used it for snatching bleak to big game!

 

One strange thing is that some reccomend four turns whilst others five.Ive never found it to matter.Dont see/havnt found a need for the passing twice through the eye lark either.I do double up my braided mainlines before passing through the eye and tying the knot when putting a swivel on before attaching my rig.

 

I always reccomend the knot as it does so many jobs and is easy to tie,even in the dark.Why complicate things by using/having to learn different knots most f which are inferior?

[FishyFraser]

Cheers everyone, having a knot tying evening now...much to the chagrin of 'er indoors - who incidentally has become increasingly tired of seeing the sky+ clogged up with discovery realtime fishing month

[Newt]

Palomar for me for braid and mono.

 

Braid because it is an easy knot that does not slip even with the slickest of the superlines and has a b/s that is so close to the b/s of the line as to not make a difference.

 

Mono because it works as well as it does with braid and only leaves me one knot to remember.

 

Line to line - well I just avoid that.

[Vagabond]

I can't understand this "Palomar every time" thing.

 

With a set up involving a hook link, a swivel, and the main line, that involves two knots. (ignoring the hook-to-link knot)

 

Question, are you saying both these knots should be Palomars ?

 

If so, once you have tied one Palomar, if you have tied the swivel to the hook link first, then the second one involves passing the whole end rig through the "loop" of the Palomar - clumsy. (and if you tie the swivel to the main line first, then tying a second palomar is impossible - unless you pass swivel, main line plus rod and reel through the Palomar loop )

 

Which is one reason why I use grinner knots - other reasons include the "thick-eared" appearance of the Palomar, the ease of tying grinners and the reliability of the grinner etc etc

 

To me, the Palomar is only appropriate for tying a hook direct to the main line, and even then I use a grinner

 

...and I agree the half-blood knot is a poor one.

[ColinW]

If you want to join mono to mono, either mainline to hooklength, or to create a tapered fly leader, then I find the best knot (neatest, strongest and easiest to tie) is a surgeon's knot.

 

http://www.flyfishingnetwork.org/knots/ima...rgeons-knot.jpg

 

For swivels or eyed hooks I usually use a uni-knot, I find it easier to tie neatly than a grinner and I can't tell any difference in strength.

I don't like blood knots either!

[Anderoo]

I'm surprised at the poor reputation of the good old half blood knot! I assume people have had bad experiences with it, but I honestly never have, otherwise I wouldn't keep using it.

 

For mono to mono where the diameters are similar I use the full blood knot. It is quite fiddly but nice and neat and strong once it's done. For different diameters (e.g. tapered fly leaders) I'll use a grinner. Except hooklengths, which I attach loop to loop.

 

Never really got on with the palomar. If I had trouble with the knots I use I'd probably give it a fair trial.

Edited June 1, 2007 by Anderoo

[ColinW]

I'm surprised at the poor reputation of the good old half blood knot! I assume people have had bad experiences with it, but I honestly never have, otherwise I wouldn't keep using it.

 

99% of the time you won't notice any problem. It's more noticeable in heavy tackle like that used in sea or pike fishing. If you tie swivels using half blood knots each end of a piece of 18lb line, hold one swivel in a vice and then pull the other with a pair of pliers one of the knots will slip and fail. Grinners and uni-knots won't. As I said 99% of the time it doesn't matter whether a knot fails at 3.5lb or 4lb, but that 1% when it does matter could be the difference between losing and landing the fish of a lifetime.

[Colin Brett]

I have used the tucked half blood for many years and the only problem with the knot is usually me not tying it correctly or with not enough care.

The Grinner knot is one I have been using more recently with braid, however there seems to be 2 versions of the grinner! Which one is correct? Which one is best?

 

Version one; is similar or the same as a uni knot and the line is passed repeatedly through a loop. here

 

Version two; the line is twisted around it self and then passed repeatedly through a loop. here

 

I use the version one method but very often take the line through the eye of hook or swivel twice. I sometimes double over the line as well especially if using heavy leads.

 

Anyone else do use these methods?

 

Colin