Know More About Fishing Knots

There are various types of fishing knots commonly used around the world by anglers; however, knots and their tying styles vary from region to region or location to location where conditions like the lay of water, type of fish, kind of fishing line and technique used etc. Differences also exist between first-time anglers and experienced fishermen who have learned to perfect the art of tying fishing knots mainly through experience and the number of fish 'they have let go'! That simply can not be overlooked in a fisherman's angling experience.

Experts' advise the use of complex knots such as the Bimini Twist, Surgeon's Knot etc., assuming perhaps that every angler can easily get the intricacies of knot -tying soon enough. But that's easier said than done because a fishing knot is only one feature of assembling fishing line and tackle in its entirety. Joining line to swivel, a swivel to trace and then to hook calls for practiced perfection in any type of condition.
Some of the popular fishing knots are:

• Loop
• Uni-Knot
• Scaffold
• Hangman's Knot
• Clinch Knot '
• Palomar
• Blood Knot
• Surgeon's bow and many others.

The strength of a fishing line may depend on the material used but the fishing knot is an important aspect to prevent line breaks, snags and twists, thus enabling the fish to get away! Hence, it all depends on a fisherman's ability to tie a fishing knot in the right way. Some useful suggestions and tips are:

• Moisten the knot before tying and snagging it reduces friction heat and abrasions on the material when it is tightened

• A strong smooth pull at the end of the line where the knot is to be tied will ensure it is tied correctly; it is better to test it couple of times with hard tugs

• Leaving a little extra bit of line at the tag end before clipping it off will ensure that even when knots slip slightly they do not unravel completely

• Retying the knot before every fishing trip and checking the knot frequently even while fishing will ensure that the bow is stable; even the sturdiest knots can weaken with use.

The varieties of knots in other activities besides fishing include camping, climbing, sailing and sea-fishing. However, unlike fishing in lakes and other fresh water bodies, sea-fishermen can take to salt water fishing by knowing just the basics of a few knots. In olden days, anglers took a lot of pride in learning to tie complicated knots but the reality of modern day fishing rigs is that they are made with very few knots. The Uni-Knot is the most adaptable and strong although it is relatively smaller compared to others. Specifically developed for monofilament fishing lines it is the main knot used in a majority of the modern fishing rigs.