Thoughts on Knots

Of all the things you need to know to be a successful fisherman, knots are probably responsible for creating more confusion and anxiety than anything. I have one friend who has fished with me for years who still asks me to tie one specific knot even though I’ve shown him how to do it dozens of times, and it’s not a particularly difficult one to tie or remember. He just has no confidence in his ability to do it correctly. Weird but true.

For new comers to the sport, knots can be a conundrum because there are so many basic knots capable of doing the same thing and so many different opinions on which ones work best. It can really make your head spin if you let it. The funny thing is fishing knots don’t have to be a source of confusion. Most are not hard to learn, you just have to be willing to practice a little.

Here’s some simple advice. Forget about trying to learn dozens of different knots (unless you are a knot collector, and I have met a few over the years) and instead just learn to tie the few you’ll need. I figured out a simple truth a long time ago—it is far better to know how to tie a few knots really well than to know how to tie lots of different knots poorly. Tying a simple knot that might only be rated at 85% of the breaking strength of the line perfectly will serve you better than trying to tie a more complicated knot that is rated at 100% of the line strength, except you tie it so sloppily that it only tests out to 50%! Get the picture?

There are plenty of resources for selecting and learning to tie knots—books, pamphlets and even animated websites. You can call or email AFW/HI-SEAS and request a free booklet on the subject. But all the information in the world is useless unless you’re willing to practice tying the knots you want to use. Get some line, sit down with the resource, and start tying following the instructions. Once you understand the procedure, close the book or website and keep tying it from memory. Tie it a few dozen times examining each knot carefully to see that it cinched up properly. Test the knots to see if they slip or if they are strong as they should be. Only after you are confident in your ability to tie a knot perfectly should you start using it on the water.

I purposely keep my repertoire of knots to a minimum, but I can tie all of them quickly under almost any fishing conditions and feel confident that they will perform. It is so rare that I loose a fish because of knot failure that I can’t remember the last time it happened. So, learn to tie a few knots really well, go fishing, and stop worrying.

-Gary Caputi