| Learning to tie an effective fishing knot is essential to | | | | and then slowly pull your knot tight. Clip the free end |
| your success out on the water. An improperly tied | | | | of the line, using nail clippers to trim it close to the |
| knot can lead to lost hooks, line weakness, tangling, | | | | knot. |
| and can even cause your line to break. Learning to tie | | | | A palomor knot is also simple to tie, and will hold |
| just a few solid knots can significantly increase your | | | | securely if done properly. To tie a palomor knot, |
| changes of landing a good catch. | | | | double the last six inches or so of your line. Thread |
| One fishing knot which is should definitely be learned | | | | the looped end of your doubled line through the eye |
| by any beginning fisherman is the clinch knot. This is | | | | of your hook. Let the line sag, with the hook hanging |
| one of the simplest and most effective knots to | | | | down loosely, and use the doubled end to tie a loose |
| learn. Begin by giving yourself approximately 12 inches | | | | overhand knot just above the hook. (Tip - try to |
| of free line to work with. Thread the line through the | | | | avoid twisting your line, and make sure not to tighten |
| eye of your hook, and bring the end up towards you. | | | | the knot yet.) Then, pull the looped end of the line |
| Wrap the loose end back, behind, and under the main | | | | down, and pass the swivel or hook through the |
| line, and then bring it back over the top, forming a full | | | | looped end of the line. Holding both the main line and |
| loop. Wrap the end of your line loosely around the | | | | the doubled end together, tighten the knot. Again, |
| main line five or six times, continuing in the same | | | | wet the line with a drop of water or saliva to help |
| direction (moving up the main line, towards you). | | | | tighten it, and then trim the loose ends with your nail |
| Then, as you come to the bottom of your next | | | | clippers. |
| loop, take the loose end back towards the eye of | | | | Using either of these knots to help secure your hook |
| the hook, and thread it through the space in | | | | or swivel will help ensure a proper connection, and |
| between the first loop you created, and the eye of | | | | greatly increase your effectiveness when out on the |
| the hook. Wet the line with a drop of water or saliva, | | | | water. |