On the subject of knots - to continue the theme, here's a couple more things to bear in mind or try, at you leisure.........
Ever question the amount of turns you put into a knot and what it effect it has? Well you should ......
Every article i can remeber seeing about knots always uses the classic example, and possibly the most well known knot in the world, the Half Blood Knot.
Funny thing is it's always shown using five turns which i never bothered to question 'till i started moving away, many years ago, from the old favourite line i had been using (maxima chameleon).
Trying out a 'more modern' line at the time, i was unimpressed to find the breaking strains weren't living up to the strain on the packet .........
Curiosity got the better of me and i started mucking about with different knots. Couple of knots later and a few pulls on a set of scales meant my old faithfull half blood wasn't living up to expectations which i couldn't grasp as it'd never let me down before ......... i knew there had to be a reason for it logically.
I started reducing the number of turns on the new line and bingo! better knot strength, a more compact knot and no problems !
Each type of mono has its own characteristics, i.e. a good line that has great abrasion resistance will be a bit 'stiffer' than a softer line (obviously!) , but the softer line lays better on the reel and casts smoother ..... therefore..... yep you got it, the softer line will not take a large number of turns very well because it basically gets 'squashed' easier when you try to knot it.
After hours of testing knots i found that a THREE TURNED tucked half blood knot gave me the best strength, neatest knot and the best reliability, especially on fine diameter lines. I've been using my three turned version ever since with no problems whatsoever, and can honestly say, the only times i've lost fish since has been down to me not paying attention or a snag that i hadn't accounted for but not my knots!
I dont get line breaks for no reason, don't get the 'pigtail effect' after tying one up and i am 100% confident that if my line goes, it wont be right at the end where it matters most .......
Another cracking knot . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
This one's the Palomar, in stages - absolutely reliable again......
Simply form a loop in your line and pass through the eye ........
Then tie a simple 'overhand knot' 'granny knot' whatever you want to call it .....
Then take the hook or swivel that you are tying on, and pass it up through the loop you have now made ...........
Now 'tease' the knot smaller, wet it and pull tight slowly and evenly - taking care at the last stages as it's tightening up , to make sure it all looks 'even'.
If tied correctly this will give you as near to 100% knot strength as you're ever gonna get ......
The end result should look like this ........
Enjoy people and have fun !!!!
