KNOTS & RIGS
Good fishermen are known for the flawless knots they tie. Here are three beauties you need to learn about and use.
TO become a successful all-round angler requires a commitment to perfection in rigging. Those fishos who are always proudly showing off the photos of their latest big catches are the guys who possess the attention to detail to ensure that their knots are tied flawlessly. Equally importantly, they are continually looking to improve their rigging techniques. The best anglers are always on the lookout for ways to improve their results and are constantly trying out new connections in the search for perfection. I’ve always found that the really outstanding anglers set very high standards in rigging. For example, if a knot looks a bit suss they will cut it off and tie it again. On the other hand, anglers who tell the “one that got away” stories often do so because the knots they tie fail them at critical times.
This month we’re going to look at three key knots that feature on video demonstrations by Fisho regular David Hodge on the Fishing World website. The well-known connections are the Ducknose Knot, the Albright Special and the snood or snell as it’s commonly known. These renowned knots are used by keen fishos all over the world targeting big fish and are time proven for their reliability and high break strength.
Ducknose Knot
This connection is a personal favourite of mine for heavy tackle lure casting, particularly when targeting barramundi and Murray cod. This knot is ideally suited to connecting a GSP doubled main line to heavy hard mono casting leaders in the 10 to 40kg range. Once using leaders over 40kg I find that the Ducknose Knot becomes too bulky and thus prefer to use the Albright Special as it provides a more compact connection with very heavy leaders. When tied correctly the Ducknose is an extremely reliable knot that travels through rod guides well. This knot requires the GSP main line to be doubled with an appropriate knot such as a Bimini twist. It is a relatively easy knot to tie, although it requires considerable force to be exerted to fully form and pull the knot up. A lubricant such as saliva should be applied to the knot prior to pulling it up fully to avoid friction damage and to make the task a bit easier. A word of warning, I have had the Ducknose Knot slip when tying it with Berkeley Vanish fluorocarbon as leader material in a tackle shop demonstration – much to my embarrassment!
Albright Special
Originally developed by famed Florida Keys fishing guide Jimmie Albright for connecting light saltwater fly fishing class tippets to heavy hard mono shock leaders when chasing giant tarpon, this time-proven connection has been used by generations of sportfishermen. Renowned for its reliability, this knot is credited with countless world record catches over the years. In the video demonstration on the Fisho website Hodgie demonstrates tying the Albright Special with the main line doubled. Tying the knot in this manner provides the maximum break strength, although the connection can also be tied with a single strand of main line with good results. Care should be taken when forming this knot to ensure all the wraps are neat and do not cross over each other. Once again this knot should be lubricated with saliva prior to being pulled up forcefully. The only time I have had an Albright Special slip during my fishing career has been when tying it in heavy rain with wet hands which prevented me from getting enough purchase on the heavy leader to pull it up adequately.
Snell
A very old knot that was originally used for tying line to hooks that featured spatulated or flattened eyes. The actual knot is formed around the shank of the hook. It was commonly used many years ago by luderick anglers and fly fishers. These days it is most often used by anglers fishing baits for species such as snapper and mulloway utilizing two hook rigs as per Hodgie’s video demonstration on the Fisho website. I like using the snood when live baiting for gamefish with hook patterns such as the Mustad Sea Master which feature a welded eye. It is a strong, reliable connection that provides a smooth transition between leader and hook. It is ideally suited to use with hooks with a turned down eye such as the suicide pattern as the line naturally lays straight through the hook eye, providing an excellent presentation. Once again care should be taken when forming this knot to ensure all the wraps around the hook shank are neat and do not cross over each other as this can weaken the knot. Renowned rigging authority Geoff Wilson also features a variation of the snell in his excellent rigging books. Known as the “sliding snell”, the advantage of this knot is that it allows you to adjust the distance between the hooks in a two-hook rig to allow for the size of the bait being used.
More online
To view Hodgie’s excellent how-to video demo of these first-rate connections, go to www.fishingworld.com.au/news/video-how-to-series-2-tying-three-key-knots. These three key knots are worthy additions to any keen angler’s rigging arsenal, but especially for those guys targeting big fish such as barra, cod and jewies.
