Knots. Without you even realising are everywhere, from tying your shoes to using a rope swing. Tying a knot is a pretty important skill to know and learn. Whether you're always outdoors; fishing, camping and hiking or you're just an occasional fisherman, knowing how to tie some of the more common and well known knots might come in use. Each knot has a different use and knowing a variety of them is useful for when one knot might not be ideal to another.
Some knots are taught in school; for example, a simple overhand knot is taught when learning to tie your shoe laces, while others you might never have even heard of, let alone know how to tie.
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Bowline Knot
- - Lay the rope across your left hand with the free end hanging down. Form a small loop in the line in your hand.
- - Bring the free end up to and pass through the eye from the underside (the rabbit comes out of the hole).
- - Wrap the line around the standing line and back down through the loop (around the tree and back down the hole).
- - Tighten the knot by pulling on free end while holding standing line.
Albright Knot
- - Make a loop in the heavier line and run about 10” of the lighter line through the loop.
- - Hold the 3 lines between your thumb and index finger. Wrap the light line back over itself and both strands of the loop.
- - Make 10 tightly wrapped turns. Feed the tag end back through the loop and exit the loop the same side as it entered.
- - Hold both ends of the heavy line and slide the wraps to the end of the loop. Pull the light line to tighten and clip tag end close to the knot.
Cleat Hitch
- - Take a turn around the base of the cleat, and then bring the line over the top of the cleat.
- - Make a loop in the heavier line and run about 10” of the lighter line through the loop.
- - Wrap the line back under the arm of the cleat opposite the first turn, then back over the top of the cleat.
- - Pull the free end tight and you have the neat, tidy and secure Cleat Hitch.
Carrick Bend
- - Make a loop in the heavier line and run about 10” of the lighter line through the loop.
- - Hold the 3 lines between your thumb and index finger. Wrap the light line back over itself and both strands of the loop.
- - Make 10 tightly wrapped turns. Feed the tag end back through the loop and exit the loop the same side as it entered.
- - Hold both ends of the heavy line and slide the wraps to the end of the loop. Pull the light line to tighten and clip tag end close to the knot.
Blood Knot
- - Line up the ends of each line together for several inches, then wrap the first line around the second at least five times.
- - Wrap the second around the first at least five times, and bring both loose ends back to the middle between the two lines.
- - Pull tight on each line until the knot is snug.
Berkley Braid
- - Run a double loop of braid through the hook eye or lure.
- - Loop around tag end main line 8 times.
- - Thread double loop back between the eye and coils.
- - Tighten knot and trim double loop and tag end of braided line leaving about 1/4 inch.
In-Line Dropper Knot
- - Form a loop in the line at the desired location. Pass line from one side of loop through and around that side of loop. Make 5+ wraps and keep new loop, which is formed, open.
- - Push bottom of original loop up through new opening and hold with teeth. Wet knot with saliva and pull both ends in opposite directions.
- - Pull ends of line evenly until coils tighten and loop stands out from line.
Figure 8
- - Tie a single eight in the rope two feet from its end. Pass the free end through any tie-in point if desired.
- - Retrace the original eight with the free end leaving a loop at the bottom of the desired size.
- - Pull all four strands of rope to cinch down the knot.
Improved Clinch Knot
- - Thread the line through the eye of the hook, then make 5 to 7 wraps around the line with the loose end.
- - Thread the loose end of the line through the loop closest to the eye, then back around inside the loose section of line.
- - Pull both ends of the line until tight.
- - Trim the loose end of the line if necessary.
Haywire Knot
- - Thread the wire through the eye of the hook or swivel. Hold the loop between the first finger and thumb of the left hand, or even as some do, in a pair of pliers. Cross one strand of wire under the other strand. Grip the two strands between finger and thumb of the right hand and twist.
- - Make sure that the standing part of the wire and the tag end cross each other at an angle in excess of 90 degrees. This is the critical part of tying the Haywire. If they do not have sufficient angle, you will find that one wire is only wrapping around the other. You also must twist both at the same time so that they are both crossing each other. Make at least 3 1/2 haywire wraps.
- - After you have made the haywire wraps start to make your first barrel wrap. To do this, push the tag end until it is at a right angle to the standing part. Then make about five (barrel) wraps around the standing part with the tag end.
- - Bend the tag end into a little "handle" and use that to rock the handle back and forth until the wire breaks at the last barrel wrap. Never cut the wire with pliers as that will leave a dangerous burr that can make a nasty cut to hand or finger.
Hangman's Knot
- - Run line through the eye and double back, forming a circle.
- - Tie uni-knot by wrapping tag end around double line six turns and through the loop.
- - Moisten line, then pull main line to tighten knot.
- - Pull main line to slide knot down to the eye of the hook or swivel.
Fishermans Knot
- - Make two turns around the shackle, leaving turns open.
- - Pass free end behind the standing line and feed the free end through the first turns and pull tight.
- - Now tie a half hitch around the standing line and pull tight.
- - Seize the free end or tie the knot with a long tag end and tie a backup knot such as one half of a Double Fisherman’s (see Backup Knot) with the tag end around the standing part.
Double Surgeon Knot
- - Fold over the end of the line to make a double line, then tie a single overhand knot.
- - Pass the loop through the hole in the overhand knot one more time.
- - Moisten the knot and tighten.
Clove Hitch
- - Wrap the free end of a rope around a post.
- - Crossover itself and around the post again.
- - Slip working end under last wrap.
- - Pull tight.
Slip Knot
- - Make a loop by doubling line back onto itself.
- - Run tag end back toward loop and lay over the doubled lines.
- - Make one or two turns with the tag end around doubled lines and through new loop created.
Tautline Hitch
- - Make a turn around a post or other object several feet from the free end.
- - Coil the free end twice around the standing line working back toward the post.
- - Make one additional coil around the standing line on the outside of the coils just made.
- - Tighten the knot and slide it on the standing line to adjust tension.
Square Knot
- - Tie two over hand knots. First, right over left and twist. Then left over right, and twist.
- - Make sure both parts of the rope exit the knot together!
Snelling a Hook
- - Pass the end of the line through the eye of the hook twice; creating a loop that hangs alongside the hook.
- - Wrap the loop around the hook, forming tight coils, 5 to 10 times.
- - Holding the coils in place with one finger, pull the line up until the loop is snug under the coils.
Sheet Bend
- - Form a loop in the end of one rope. Pass the free end of the rope to be joined under the opening of the loop, around both parts of the first rope and back under itself.
- - Pull all four ends to tighten.
- - Two wraps around both parts of the first rope make a Doubled Sheet Bend.
Running Bowline
- - Double the end of a rope and wrap tag end over then under the standing line and up to side of new loop created.
- - Make a small loop on the topside of the original loop by twisting the line over itself.
- - Feed tag end through the small loop.
- - Wrap tag end once around topside of large loop and back down through small loop.
- - Pull tag end tight creating fixed loop that the main line can slip through.
Prusik Hitch
- - Make a sling of cordage (no more than 1/2 the diameter of main rope).
- - Tie a Girth Hitch around the main rope.
- - Pass the loop of the sling back through the center of the Girth Hitch three or four more times.
- - Load with weight to make sure it
Pile Hitch
- - Double end of a line into a loop and wrap around post or object from front to back.
- - Cross over standing lines and slide open end of loop over top of post.
- - Pull tight.
Palomar Knot
- - Double your line to make a loop, then push the loop through the eye of your hook.
- - Tie a loose overhand knot.
- - Pass the loop around the end of the hook.
- - Pull on the line to tighten.
- - Trim the loose end of the line if necessary.
Overhand Knot
- - Tie an overhand knot at the end of a rope but do not tighten the knot down.
- - Pass the end of the line through the loop created by the first overhand knot.
- - Tighten the knot down while sliding it into place at the end of the line.
Two Half Hitches
- - Pass the end of a rope around the object and tie an overhand knot.
- - For the Two Half Hitches, repeat with a second overhand knot in the same direction.
Turle Knot
- - Run the line through the eye of the hook, then tie a loose double overhand knot in the end of the line.
- - Pass the open loop over the hook and tighten the whole thing so that the loop tightens around the eye.
Tucked Sheet Bend
- - Pass the end of the line through the loop, then make a simple sheet bend knot.
- - Pass the end of the line back through the loop of the sheet bend.
- - Tighten until snug.
Trilene Knot
- - Slide your line through the hook eye, and repeat, entering the line from the same direction and being sure to form a double loop at the hook eye.
- - Wrap the tag end around the standing line four or five times, moving away from the hook.
- - Pass the tag end back through the double lop at the hook eye, moisten, pull the knot tight against the hook eye and trim tag.
Nanofil Knot
- - Double the line.
- - Run through the hook eye.
- - Make two wraps through the loop.
- - Run hook or lure through the doubled line.
- - Tighten to hook eye.
