A knotty problem

[tiddlertamer]

I use a tucked half blood knot to attach my line - normally 4lb mono - direct through to a eyed hook. Chub and roach are target species, 99% of the time on rivers.

 

On at least two occasions the knot has failed and the end of my line has been left looking like it has had a perm, while the fish has been left with the hook. Gaaargh! Only myself to blame. Should have tied the knot properly and checked it...

 

Nonetheless, do you use a different knot, thinking it more reliable than the tucked half blood knot?

[seph]

Either the Knotless knot or the palomar.

[Vagabond]

Almost anything is better than the tucked half-blood! (except the untucked version )

 

Take the trouble to learn the grinner knot (AKA the uni-knot) - it is the most versatile.

 

You can use it to tie line to hooks, swivels, split rings etc, and use the double grinner to join one line to another.

 

Better still, master several knots (grinner, spade-end, knotless, palomar, water knot, and turle) and test them at home to find those that suit you - both for ease of tying and reliability

 

I'll find you a link

 

http://www.animatedknots.com/index.php

 

Thats a good site, for most knots - except its comments on the double uni-knot are incorrect.(I suspect because it was tied incorrectly)

Edited April 21, 2008 by Vagabond

[BigKev]

Palomar knot all the time

[Neil G]

As above, switched to palomar and never had any problems

[Vagabond]

Palomar knot all the time

 

 

The palomar is a good knot - but "all the time"??? Well, true if you only fish for (say) carp

 

A Palomar is fine for tying on a largish hook with a large eye (I use it for sea fishing) but is a bit thickeared for small hooks - and tiddlertamer mentions he wants a knot for roach fishing. Passing doubled line through the eye of a small hook (say an 18 or 16 if fishing maggot for roach) is not impossible, but is somewhat fiddly. The grinner is better by far in such a situation.

 

All knots have advantages and disadvantages - best to be familiar with several.

[Steve Burke]

I believe it was Jim Gibbinson who said that different knots are better for different brands of line. I know he said that the best number of turns varied from line to line.

 

I agree with Vagabond - see what you get on with best. I find the palomar easier to tie than a grinner for instance, especially held up to the sky at night. So another vote for the palomar.

[Si...]

I'll vote for the grinner knot, never had it fail on me and imo its tidier than the palomar knot

[BoldBear]

I usually use the grinner knot which I used to practice tying in the dark in the cupboard under the stairs as I don't like to use torches at night.

Its never let me down and the wet knot strength seems very good. Although I sometimes use the Palomar for larger hooks.

[Anderoo]

I remember a similar thread a while back where I was the lone voice in praise of the half blood knot - and I think I will be again This is the knot I always use when tying small-medium hooks to mono. When using large hooks (which means heavier line, say 8lb+) to mono, or braid to any size hook, I use a grinner/Uni knot. If I'm using a hair rig, it's the knotless knot.

 

These work for me, which is all that matters really.