Fishing Knots & Rigs

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BOOK

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I N S T R U C T I O N A L

SET



K HO TS : L ltiE S T O T EitM ltiA L T AC KL E 15 Dropper Loop 24 ReverseTwist Blood Knot for

6 Locked Half Blood Knot 16 Twisted Dropper LoopJoining Lines

6 Clinch or Blood Knot 17 End Loop25 Opposed Nail Knot

7 ReverseTwist or Blood Knot 17 Double Overhand Loop25 Plaited Splice

7 Palomar Knot 17 Figure of Eight Knot or

7 Gary Martin's World Fair KnotBlood Bight KHO TS : L itlE TO LEADEit

8 Centauri Knot 26 Albright Knot

8 Pitzen KnotK HO TS: SU PE it L ltiES 27 Improved Blood Knot

8 Marshall's Snare 18 Silly Snell 27 Slim Beauty

9 Rebeck Knot 19 Triple Palomar Knot28 Shock Tippet and Leader Knot

9 Penny Knot 19 Braid Snell

10 Uni Knot 20 Collar & OapstanD fiC itO H: lO ltls A tiD S PL IC ES

10 Thumb Knot 20 Braid Ring Knot 29 Wind On Dacron Leader Splice

11 Nail Knot with Loop 21 Bimini Cat's Paw Splice 30 Wind On Leaders for

21 Twisted Leader Knot for Game Fishing

S HE LL S: L ltiE S T O T EitM ltiA L T AC KL E Gelspun Lines 32 Wind On Wire Leaders

12 Simple Snell 22 Rigging for Sport, Game &34 Dacron Joining Splice

13 Common SnellDeep Sea Fishing 35 Tanaka's Loop

13 Multiple Hook Rigs: Sliding 35 Attaching Your Line to Your

Snell KHO TS: L itlE TO L itlE Reel

KHO TS : TyltiG Loops23 Double Uni Knot

23 Double Centauri Knot forDOUBLES

14 Homer Rhode Loop Joining Lines 36 Plaiting a Double

15 Perfection Loop 24 Double Four Fold Blood Knot 38 Bimini Twist



39 Hand Tensioned Bimini Double 50 Westy's Dropper 57 Rigging with Wire: Flemish Eye

40 Spider Hitch 50 Creating End Loops in 57 Multiple Hook Rigs: Double

41 Tony Jones' Leader KnotSaltwater Fly Leaders Rigging on Wire

41 Cat's Paw to Ring or Swivel

42 Loop & Cross-LoopRIG S: FLO AT F IS HING R IG S: FRE SH WA TE R

Connections 51 Fixed Stem Floats 58 Rigging with an Egg-Shaped

52 Bob Float

Bubble Float

KHO TS : FLY FISH ING 5259 Bumper Knot or Salmon Egg

Fixed Waggler Float Loop

43 Duncan's Loop 52 Alternative Running Float 59 Double Hook Bumper Knot

43 Lefty's Loop 59 Rigging Spinnerbaits

44 Improved Turle Knot RIG S: S AL TW ATE R 60 How to Hook Freshwater Baits-

44 Blood Knot 53 Fixed Sinker Rigs61 Soft Plastic Rigs

44 Half Blood Knot 53 Paternoster Rig61 Rigging Rubber Worms on

Worm Hooks

44 Locked Half Blood Knot 53 Running Sinker Rigs

45 Attaching Fly Line to Hollow 54 Rough Bottom Rig

Braided BackingRIG S : G AM E AND SPORT

54 Baiting Up and Fishing With

45 Monofilament Loop to Fly Line Tuna Circles 62 Rigging a Strip Bait

46 Nail Knot Using Tube 55 Double Pinch Method of Strip 63 Making a Double Loop Bridle

Baiting Circlesfor Live Bait Trolling

46 Indicator Knot

55 Rigging Circles on Cable64 Rigging a Garfish as a Skip

46 Surgeons Knot for Attaching Bait

Dropper 56 Live Baiting with Tuna Circles

47 How to Split Leaders 56 Baiting Tuna Circles with Soft

48 Making Saltwater Fly Fishing Baits

Leaders 57 Fish Head on Two Hooks

5

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/

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--_-_

OTSLlriE TO TERMlriAL TACKLE

Locked Half Blood KnotT his s im ple and s tro ng kno t is adequate fo r

ty ing ho oks and s wivels to line tes ting up to

25 kg breaking s train. It is an es pecially f irm

favo urite w ith w hitin g an d s nap per an glers .

l.Thread the eye of your

hook or swivel and

twist the tag and main

line together.

2. Complete three to six twists

and thread the tag back

through the f irst twist. The

heavier your l ine, the less

twists you will use.

knot, thread

the tag

through the

open loop

which has

formed at the

top of the

knot.

3. Pull the line sothat the knot

begins to form.

Do not pull it

up tight yet or

you will have an

unlocked half

blood which

may slip should

you be tying

new line to a

shiny metal

surface.

5. Pull the knot up

f irmly and the

result should be

something like this.

Should a loop form

within the

knot , simply pull

on the tag until it

disappears.

CIinch or Blood Knot - A Geoff Wilson preferred knot

T his is undo ubtedly the s tro nges t kno t fo r

ty ing a medium s ize ho ok to a medium

s ize line such as hoo k s ize 4 to 4/0 onto

line s ize 3 kg to 15 kg. 1. Thread the

eye of the

hook with

the line.

3. Then wrap the tag around the

main line from three to f ive

t imes. The heavier the line

you are using, the less the

number of wraps. The lighter

the line, the more wraps you

use.

4. Complete the knot by passing the tag

back through the first two wraps you

made before pull ing the knot t ight .

The best resul t is achieved when

the loops through the eye of the hook

retain their wrapping sequence and

don't spring apart.



KNOTS: LINE TO TEitMINAL TACKLE

Reverse Twist or Blood Knot

T he fo llo win g kn ot illu strates h ow

addit io nal w rap s can be m ade to

blo od kno ts by m aking at leas t half

the wrap s required in the us ual

d irectio n, th e res t in the

oppos i te d i re ct ion .

3. Twist the tag and

standing part of

the line together.

4. Do this three t imes, then

wind the tag back

in the other direction

around the f irst wraps

as shown.1. First, when tying on a

hook, thread

line through

the eye of

the hook.

5. Wind the tag back three times and

thread it through the centre of the

double loop on the eye of the hook

so you have three turns up and

three turns back. (This is for

monofi lament. Do six up and

six back for gelspun lines

but more on those later).

6. Finish the knot with pressure

on the standing part against

the hook. Some pressure on

the tag may be required to

take up the slack here as well.an extra wrap to

ensure the knot

doesn't slip.

Palomar KnotT he P alo mar kno t is qu ick to tie and suffic ien tly s tro ng fo r m ost

f ish ing s i tua ti ons .

1. Make a loop in

the leaderand

4. Close the knot

by pull ing tagand leader.

Trim the tag

when com-

plete.

knot on

the eye of

the hook.

Gary Martin's World's Fair KnotG ary M art in called th is kno t the 'W orld's Fair K no t' after being s elected the w inn er fro m 498 en tries in an internatio nal,

o riginal, fis hing kno t co mp etitio n co nducted by D u P ont at the K no xville, U SA , W orld's Fair in 1982. It is qu ick and eas y

to tie yet shows no tendency to s lip .

2. Fold the protruding

sect ion of the loop

back over thedouble strand.

1. Make a loop in

your line andpass it through

the hook eye

or swivel. 3. Now bend the

tag back and

pass it over the

folded loop and under

the doubled strand as

shown.

5. Shown is the f inished

knot formed with gent le

but f irm pressure on the

main line.

4. Now pass the tag

through the loop

formed by the

previous step.

.---

~ /

. .



KtiOTS: LitlE TO TEitMltiAL TACKLE

Firs t p ublis hed by fis hing w riter D ick L ew ers , the

C entauri kno t is useful o ver a w ide range o f line

diam eters becaus e it fo rms with a minim um o f

frictio n and therefo re do es no t dis to rt the line.

Ideal fo r s mall ho oks , rings and s wivels .

l.Thread the eye of hook or

swivel with the tag and

make the configuration

shown, f irst passing the tag

behind the main line. The

crossover is held between

thumb and index f inger of

the left hand to

3. Again, the tag is passed

behind the main line and

the crossover held between

thumb and finger. I will point

out that some anglers make

only two wraps, not three,

but this produces a weaker

knot.

Centauri Knot - A Geoff Wilson preferred knot

~The first step is

repeated and the

second crossoveralso held between

thumb and index

finger of the lef t

hand.

5. Having formed the knot,

the loop wi ll have enlarged.

Simply slide the knot down

the leader onto the eye of

the hook or swivel.

3. Make three wraps in all

then pass the tag back

through the small loop.

6. The f inished knot should lock

down onto the hook eye with

the tag po inting back ----' ..w....

up the leader.

loops you have made and form the knot by

pulling gent ly on the tag against the hook .!or swivel. Ideally the loops should close up

evenly.

Pitzen KnotC red ited to E dg ar P it ze n bauer o f G erm any , the P itzen

kno t is us eful fo r ty ing m ono filam ent to ho oks , rings

a nd sw iv el s.

The chief advantage o f the P itzen K no t is that it

is very s mall which makes it a favo urite w ith fly

fis herm en. It is als o very s tro ng w hen tied co rrectly .

1. Thread the eye of the hook

and loop the tag back under

the standing part.

2. Wind the tag back·~~r=~~

around the loop

so another smaller

loop is formed at

the beginning of the

knot.

4. With gent le pressure on

the tag, close the knotaround the standing part of

the line but not too tight; just like

I 've drawn it here. If you t ighten it

right up now, the strength of the

f inal knot will be reduced quite a bit.

5. Slide the knot down the standing part, onto

eye of the hook and tighten, this t ime with

firm pressure until you feel the knot

sort of click into place. Then trim the

tag.

This method o f ty ing on a hook was introduced to anglers byA us tralian fis hing w riter Frank M ars hall s om e decades ago . It is

s im ple to tie in the dark and adequately s tro ng fo r m os t s ituatio ns .

l.First make a loop in the end of your

line and tie an overhand knot with thetag, encircling the main line.

Pass the loop

entirely over the

hook and pass

the tag through

the loop as well .

2. Pass the loop

through the

eye of your

hook.and pull the noose up

t ight around the hook.



Rebeck KnotIntro duced to anglers by B arry R ebeck o f S outh

A frica, the R ebeck kno t p ro vides a s im ple and

s ec ure ho ok c onnec ti on .

Thread the eye of the

hook and wrap theleader around the shank.

the hook in both

hands as shown.

2. Make four complete wraps

and thread the eye of the

hook once more.

4. And slide the wraps that

you made on the shank,

up and over the eye.

like this. 6. Close the knot by pull-

ing gently on the main

line, then on the tag to

close the second loop.

Penny Knot

T his excellent metho d o f attaching a ho ok o r fly is nam ed

after R on P enny . T his des crip tio n o f the kno t, and technique

o f ty ing it, is by P eter H ayes ' o f P rem ier G uides .

1. Thread the hook, which is held

between thumb and third f inger

of the left hand. The tag, which

is extended in a loop, is held

between index finger and thumb.

The standing part of the line

is held in the palm of the right

hand and looped over the right

index finger as shown.

6. The tag is pulled free of the

lef t thumb and f inger grip

and through the loop as

shown.

2. The right index f inger,

st il l retaining the loop

in the standing part of

the line, goes in the

loop of the tag.

Pulling gently on

the tag closes theknot so the hook

is now on a loop

of l ine.

8. The knot is slid down onto the

eye of the hook and locked in

place with f irm, but gentle pres-

sure, on the standing part of the

line. The tag is t rimmed short.

3. Pu lis it back over the

standing part, which

was looped over the

right index finger.

4. And rotates it anti-clockwise

around the standing part.

A complete rotat ion is

made, then the right thumb

is inserted into the loop

beside the index f inger to

grip the tag on completion

of another half rotation.

------- __- ---



KtiOTS: LitlE TO TERMltiAL TACKLE

Uni KnotThe U ni K no t is w idely used fo r attaching

hoo ks , rings and sw ivels to the end o f the line. 1. Thread the eye of

the hook with the

line so the hook

is suspended on

a loop.

3. Wrap the double strand

inside the loop with the tag.

Close the knot but do not p

it tight just yet .

2. Encircle the main line with

the tag so another loop is

formed.

4. Make four wraps in all, leaving

the tag protruding from the

loop.

6. Slide the knot down onto the

eye of the hook, pu II it tight and

tri m the tag.

Thumb Knot

T his kno t is us ed fo r attaching ho oks , rings

o r s wivels to the very heavies t ny lo n

monof i lament .

1. Thread your hook with the

line and make a loop so that

the hook is suspended from

the loop. Pinch the cross-

over between the thumb

and f inger of your left hand.

5. Secure the tag against your left thumb

with your middle f inger. Then take the

hook loop in your right hand and ease the

wraps off your thumb, one at a time, in

sequence.

4. Push the tag back under those

three wraps alongside your

thumb. Push it all the way back

toward the base of your thumb.

10

Commence wrap-ping your lef t

thumb and loop

with the tag.

6. Close the knot by exert ing pres-

sure on the loop against the tag.



KNOTS: LINE TO TEitMINAL TACKLE

Nail Knot with Loop

T his kno t is us ed fo r ty ing ho oks to heavy m onofilament leaders because it p ulls up witho ut damaging the line.

loop as shown, then bend

the tag back to form

another, larger loop.

3. Now, give the whole thing a half twist: This

does nothing to the knot except make it easier

to t ie.

4. Wrap the small loop, from which the hook is suspended, with

the larger loop, catching the wraps in sequence with your

thumb, index f inger, and middle finger of your left hand; the

reverse should you be left handed.

Continue until six

or seven wraps

have been made.

6. At this stage the conf igurat ion

of the knot wou Id be as shown

i f unobstructed by the hands.

7. Close the knot with firm pressure on the tag

against the hook, then slide the knot down

to the hook and lock it in place by increasing

pressure on the tag.

1



LIHE TO TERMIHAL TACKLE

Simple Snell

T his is the firs t fis hing kno t I ever learned. M y fathershowed it to me at age five or s ix. It is a safe and sound

way o f attaching a hook to a snood but it requires a

up turned eye hook like the M us tad 92554, o r an down-

turned eye ho ok like the M us tad 540 (illus trated) to be

effective. It a lso requires bo th ends o f the sno od line to

be free because bo th have to be threaded thro ugh the

eye o f the hook.

A fter dis carding this attachm ent fo r m any y ears , I am

us ing it again fo r ty ing the ho oks o nto bait jigs becaus e

it p ro vid es a p articu larly q uick and s atis facto ry m eth od

o f no t o nly attaching the ho ok, but als o facilitating the

easy addit ion o f a small p iece o f woo l to the hook to act

a s a f is h attrac to r.

l. Thread the tag end of the snood line

through the eye of the hook from

underneath and bend i t back against

the shank of the hook.

2. Wrap both the tag and

the shank of the hook

with the main line of the

snood.

3. Having completed nine or ten wraps,

th read the other end of the snood line

through the eye of the hook, once

again from underneath, and pul l the

line up tight.

4. Trim the tag to finish the knot and

the result should look like this. The

main line runs over the wraps, not

underneath as in the common snell ,

avoiding the risk of a separation

through the line being cut by a

partial ly open eye.

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Perfection Loop

S ho wn are th e s tep s in attachin g a

lure to a heavy m ono filam ent leader

u sin g th e P erfectio n L oo p .

Tie an ordinary underhand knot in

your leader but don't close it up.

Then pass the tag of your leader

through the eye

of your lure.

3. Now comes the tricky pa rt: the tag has to bend

back, go over the main line, up through the

crossover forming the underhand knot , then up

through the gap between where the tag was

passed through the knot in step 2.

4. Close the knot with

pressure on the loop

against the main

line.

Dropper Loop

T his lo op can be tied any where along a length o f line fo r the attachment o f a hoo k o r leader.

1. Makea generous loop in

your l ine where the drop-

per isto bet ied, then pul l

out a section of the loop

sothat it crossesover

the main line at one side

forming a second smaller

loop.

2. Begin twisting the

smaller loop,

alternating the

twisting and holding

between hands.

3. Make four complete twists (eight half twists)

when using monof ilament and six complete twists

(twelve hal f twists) when using gelspun l ines.

Then thread the larger loop through the srnaller

loop which you have been twist ing.

Put your larger loop around

a peg or the like and gently

tension the line both sides

of the knot until it pulls up

nicely. Particular care needs

to be taken with this step

when using gelspun or

the line can be sheared

off at either side

of the knot .

5. The finished loop

is neat and of

adequate strength

for the majority of

fishing situations.



KNOTS: TYING LOOPS

Twisted Dropper Loop

D ro pp er lo op s facilitate the eas y attachm ent o f ho oks . T wis ting

the line befo re ty ing a dro pp er lo op s tiffens the dro pp er s o that it

canno t tangle aro und the m ain line.

l. Twist the line so a loop

spirals out roughly at

right angles.

2. Having made a dozen or so twists, twice that number should you

be counting the half twists, pull the twisted spiral apart so that :

* One, the loop is reduced to the size where it can be threaded

through the eye of a hook.

* Two, the twists are compressed more tightly.

3. Allow the loop to

spiral back into

place again.

spiral by

crossing the

l ine from each

side to form

a loop. Yourindex finger

goes between

loop and tag.

5. Twist the cross-over alternately

wi th each hand, insert ing and

withdrawing the index f inger of

each hand as each half

twist is made.

6. Having completed four complete twists

(eight hal f twists), pass the spiral

through at the cross-over where you

were twisting with your fingers.

7. Close the knot with firm

pressure.

Thread the eye of the

hook (a Gamakatsu octo-

pus circle in this case)

with the twisted loop.

10. The hook is presented

far enough away from

the line so it is most

unlikely to tangle.



End LoopT his is o ne o f the quickes t and s tro nges t w ay s o f ty ing

an E nd lo op , o r S ho rt D oub le, in m ono filam ent.

Make a loop in the end of your mono and wind

i t back around the doubled strand of tag and

main line.

2. Wind it back two or three times. Twofor heavy line,

three for l ighter l ine.

3. Then wind it backthe other way.

wraps as you did in the first

direct ion and pass the loop

through the loop of doubled

line.

5. Close up the knot with firm,

but gentle pressure, aganst the

loop and doubled strand of tag

~==~~~a~n~d~m~aian~li;n~e.~~~~~4.

Double Overhand Loop

A quick and easy way to tie a lo op on the end o f your line.

1. Form a loop in

the end of your

line.

Close the

knot up

tight.

Figure of Eight Knot or Blood

U sed fo r lo op to lo op co nnectio ns , usually between a sho rt dro pp er

and a dropper lo op in the main line.

EXAMPLE

1. Bend the line

back upon

itself to form

a loop.

3. Wind the loop over

the double strand

then th rough the loop

in the double strand

giving the knot its

characteristic figure of

eight appearance.

4. Close the knot

up tight and

trim the tag.



--~-----

SO PE it L IN ES

Rigging with Super Lines

P oly eth ylen e g els pun fis hing lines are n ew , and w ith

thes e p ro ducts b eing im pro ve d co ns ta ntly , th ere are n o

a bs o lu te ru le s. H owe ve r t he se s up er l in es g en era lly s ha re

s evera l p ro perties w hich inclu de, v ery hig h s treng th fo r a

g iven diam eter a nd very little s tretch; th ey a re als o very

s he er o r s lip p ery . T he se p ro p ertie s mak e rig gin g d if fic ul t,

bu t there a re kno ts an d rig gin g s trateg ies fo r thes e lin es

that w ork very w ell.

H ere w e exam ine s om e kno ts and rigging s trategies fo r

super lines , but I do po int out that my tests on a number

o f thes e lin es ind icate d th at the b rea king s train s tate dby the m anufacturer w as us ually lo wer than the actual

b reak ing s t ra in .

T his co uld eas ily give the illus io n o f very high kno t

s trengths , even w ith badly cho sen o r p oo rly tied kno ts .

T o illus trate m y p oint, I w ill qu ote th e p erc enta ge

o f manufa ct ure rs b re ak in g s tra in , a nd p ro bable a ctu al

b re aking s tra in, retain ed by th e kno ts d is cu ss ed in jus t

tw o o f the s everal s up er line p ro ducts I tes ted.

O ne o f tho se p ro ducts w as B erkley Fireline. M y tes ts

w ith 6 and 10 p ound B erkley Fireline indicated actual

breaking s trains o f 15 and 25 pounds (6.8 and 11.35

kg) respect ive ly .

A no ther p ro duct w as 30 p ou nd S pide rw ire (S pectra2000). Its actual breaking s train w as difficult to

as certain but w as at leas t 33 p ounds (15 kilo gram s).

Silly Snell

A ltho ugh, like the B raid S nell, this very easy hook attachm ent was unsuitable fo r

use with the finest super lines , it p roved suitable fo r most super lines . It broke at

27 pounds (12.26 kg) when tied in 30 pound (13.62 kg) Sp iderwire 90% o f the

m anufacturer's breaking s train, (80% o f the p ro bable actual breaking s train).

1. Thread the eye of the hook

and wrap the line around the

shank, taking care you wrap

away from the end of the

wire which has been rolled

to form the eye of the hook:

This is most important.

2. Begin wrapping back up

the shank of the hook

with the tag.

4. Slide the wraps up to the eye of

the hook, pulling on the line to

tighten the snell.

3. Continue almost back to the eye of the

hook so that you have a binding some

1.5 cm (5/8") long. Then, simply tuck

the tag under the last wrap as shown.



ij ' ' -; : : ; : :=:=::: :~~

IIII

1 /

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Triple Palomar Knot

T he Trip le P alo mar K no t is reco mm ended fo r ty ing sup er lines to

m etal rings , to wing eyes o n lures , and ho oks .

W hen tied in B erkley F ireline this kno t retained 217% of

the m anufacturers breaking s train (86% o f the

actual breaking s train). W hen tied in 30 Ib

S piderwire, this kno t bro ke at 25.3

pounds (11.49 kg), 85% o f the

m an uf actu rers b re akin g s tra in (7 4.5%o f th e p ro bab le actu al breaking s train ).

l. Double the super line and pass it

through the eye of the hook twice

so a loop is formed,

3, Close the three loops

around the eye of

the hook, then wrap

the protruding loopof doubled l ine back

around the mainline

and tag. Then pass it

back through the loop

so an overhand knot

is formed.

2. Repeat this step

twice so three loops

of doubled line have

been formed on the

eye of the hook.

Braid Snell

T his kn ot p ro ved u ns at is facto ry w it h t he very fin e s up er lin es

like B erkle y F irelin e b eca us e t he lin e s lip p ed b et wee n t he

ro lled down eye and the shank o f the ho oks I was us ing.

H owever, it wo rked well in m ost lines : In 30 p ound

S piderwire this kno t bro ke at 32 p ounds (14.53 kg), 106%o f m an ufa ctu re rs b reak in g s train (94% o f th e p ro bab le ac tu al

break ing s t ra in ) .

1. Hold the hook with the eye to the left and the

bend to the right. Extend a 30 cm (one foot) tag

and wrap it around the shank of the hook in an

anti-clockwise direction as shown.

2. Having completed a

spiral of five or six

turns, commence a

tight b inding back in

the opposite

direction.

3. Keep the wraps as close as you possibly

can, and continue binding almost, but

not quite, up to the eye of the hook.

5. Close the knot with gentle

pressure on mainline and

tag, making sure the loop

in the doubled line rides

up over the eye of the

hook and does not bind

on the shank below it.

Close the

remaining loop

by pul ling out

the tag.

4. Now turn the hook

around. Fold back

the tag so a 100P~iS~~~~_~~formed, and finish -...c::::o---::;/

the binding

clockwise·r======c:/

5. Rotating the loop as shown,

over-bind the tag all the way up

to the eye of the hook. Should

you have dif ficulty doing this,

chances are you commenced

binding in the opposite direction

than what was indicated.

Shown is the finished snell with the tag

trimmed short. The main line emerges

from the snell a short d istance back f rom

the eye of the hook, although not as far

back as it appears to be in this diagram

due to the exaggerated thickness of the

line.

19



K NO TS : S UP ER L INE S

Collar & Capstan

This knot was developed for anglers who prefer tying fine gelspun lines

directly to the towing eye of a lure. It tests a good deal higher than

most other knots tested.

Tested in 24 Ib Spiderwire Fusion, (which actually tested over 25 Ibs

- 11.35 kg), the Collar and Capstan broke at 22 Ibs (9.99 kg) against

the Braid Ring Knot 19.6 Ibs (8.9 kg), Triple Palomar 19.6 Ibs (8.9 kg)

and the Palomar at 16.5 Ibs (7.49 kg).

lao First tie a loop in a

piece of monofilament

of similar breaking strain

to the gelspun l ine. This

will be used later as a

pull-through to finish the

knot.

gelspun

line through

the towing ey

of the lure.

2. Do this at least three

times to produce

a capstan effect.

3. Int roduce the monofi lament loop --==~~:J)

as shown and begin wrapping

it with the tag back toward

the lure.

(which you have

just tied in the

tag), down onto

the capstan and

trim the tag.

4. Continue to make about ten wraps before feeding

the tag through the monof ilament loop, taking

care to leave enough slack in the last wrap

to prevent it jamming.

5. Withdraw the mono loop, drawing the tag of the

gelspun line back through the knot producing the

collar.

This step is easy enough provided there was

some slack in the last wrap of the gelspun line. If

there was not, the tag may jam.

Braid Ring Knot

This is simply a basic blood knot (with two wraps around the eye of

the hook in this case) but with quite a few more wraps (or twists) than

usual, with the tag and standing part.

We use more wraps in super lines (than with monofilament) to ensure

the knot will not slip undone. When tied in Berkley Fireline, this knot

retained 191 % of the manufacturer's breaking strain (76% of the actual

breaking strain).

When tied in 30 Ib Spiderwire, this knot broke at 25.3 pounds (11.49

kg), 85% of the manufacturer's breaking strain (74.5% of the probable,

actual breaking strain).

Pass the l ine through the

hook eye, or r ing, twice

leaving plenty of tag.

4. Thread the tag

through the

centre of both

ring wraps.

5. Slide the knot closed with gentle

pressure on the main l ine, stroking

the knot back periodically as you do

so to keep the wraps in sequence.

This prevents them bunching up as

the knot closes.



Bimini eat's Paw SpliceThe Bimini Cat's Paw Splice is a most satisfactoryway of joining

two gelspun lines. In this case, the line from the spool(right) is

being added to the line already on the reel.

When tied in 10 Ib Berkley Fireline the Cat's Paw sheared at

8 kg (17.6 Ibs) 176% of lines stated b/s, (70% of the probable,

actual b/s).

When tied in 30 Ib Spiderwire the Cat's Paw broke at 12.5 kg

(27.5 los), 91.5% of line's stated b/s , (83% of the probable actual

b/s.)

1. Tie a short Bimini double in

the end of each line to be

jo ined and interlock the two

loops.

K NO TS : S UP ER L INE S

3. Make at least ten folds in

your Cat 's Paw Splice and

spread the spl i ce right out /

with your hands.

This is to

Rotate the spool of l ine through

the loop of the line coming from

the reel so a Cat's Paw effect is

produced.

4. Finally, with firm pressure from each side,

c lose the splice up tight.

1. Wind the gelspun l ine (black)

around one end of the monofila-

ment leader. I suggest doing this

twenty times.

2. Tie a knot in the twisted lines and

pul l the entire monofilament leader

through.

Twisted Leader Knot for Gelspun Lines

This isthe strongestmethod I know of tying a single strand of

gelspun line to a monofilament leader.

I tested it six times with a sample of Berkley Fireline, which waslabelled 14 pounds. When tied to a 12.5 kg Maxima monofilament

leader, the highesttest obtained was 9.4 kg (20.7 pounds). Only

one knot tested below 8 kg (17.6 pounds).

6. Close the knot

5. Then, with firm but gentle pressure on all four legs, close the knot.

Should a loop of slack gelspun line appear within the knot as it

closes, re lease the mono leader tag and apply tension to the

gelspun l ine until the loop disappears.

21

•



K NO TS : S OP ER L IN ES

Rigging for Sport, Game and Deep Sea Fishing

T he p hy sical p ro perties o f gelsp un lines s uit them adm irably to s po rt, gam e and deep -sea fis hing. H ow ever, s ho uld y ou be

fishing line class with a view to reco rding cap tures under A NS A o r IG FA , then it is yo ur resp ons ibility to ensure yo ur line do es

in fact, tes t w ithin that des ignated line clas s.

F or s po rt, g am e an d d eep -s ea fis hin g ap plicatio ns , all t erm in als are rig ged o n exten ded m o no filam en t lead ers , w hich are

attached to B im ini do ubles tied in the gelsp un sup er line. T his is ho w we add that extended m ono filam ent leader.

l. Take at least four metres of monofilament,

of at least the same, but preferably of a

higher breaking strain than that of the

gelspun line in which we have just tied a

short Bimini Double. Then wind the

gelspun loop around one end of your

extended monofilament leader.

2. Make at least ten wraps if the breaking strains of the

gelspun and the monofilament are similar, but reduc:;,e~~~~2:'(:J~

the number of wraps if the monofilament is

stronger.

Then thread the tag of the monof ilament

through the loop in the gelspun l ine.

3. Hold the tag of the monofilament as shown and

tension the join so: One, the monof ilament tag

begins to spiral around the wraps, and Two,

the loop in the gelspun l ine closes.4. Take a firm grip both sides of the

join and increase tension until

the join closes up. Make sure

the join is completely closed

before trimming the tag.C A U T I O N A R Y N O T E

While attaching extended monofilament leaders of sufficient length to be wound through the rod guides and onto the reel to gelspun lines,

is recommended for the purposes described, it may not be suitable where long casts need to be made.

This is because leader knots, travell ing through the rod guides at the extremely high speeds associated with long distance casting, may

disintegrate after only a few casts.

Should an extended monofilament shock-leader be required in a long distance-casting situation, then the solut ion is to use the dacron

leader-splice described in this publication.

GA ME FISH ING RIG S DEEP WATER BOTTOM FISH ING RIG

Bimini Double in

gelspun line.Braid leader knot

joining gelspun line to

monofilament leader.

Bimini Double joined to

monofilament leader with

a Braid Leader knot or

Dacron Leader splice

Monofilament leader is t ied

to a snap swivel al lowing

wire traces and other

terminal rigs to be attached.

Monofilament leaders used in

game fishing are usually 4 to 9

metres in length and twice to four

t imes the breaking strain of the

main line.

Monofilament

leader at least four

Twisted dropper loop in mono-

filament leader to prevent tangles

when deep-dropping.

This is a simple rig with a hook tied to

the monof ilament leader such as would

be used when strip-baiting in a berley

trail for tuna.

Wire snap permits

leaders to be

changed easily.

Heavy sinker

at tached with a

loop.



OTSLlttE TO LlttE

Double Uni Knot

A no ther jo in w orth kno wing is the do uble uni kno t, s om etim escalled a grinner. T he do uble uni-kno t is us ed fo r jo in ing lines

o f e ith er s im ila r o r d iffe re nt d iame te rs .

1. Overlap the l ines to be joined

and encircle one l ine wi th the

tag of the other.

4. Close the knot, but

not too t ight ly , then

do the same with

the other length of

line.

5. Two knots are formed,

one in each line, around

the other.

7\\~6. Slide the knots together,

t ighten each in turn, and trim

the tags.

Double Centauri Knot for Joining Lines

T he C en tauri k no t w as in tro duc ed to A us tralia n an glers

by fish ing writer D ick Lewers as a so und kno t fo r ty ing

o n ho oks , s wivels and rings . H ow ever, w hen tw o C entauri

kno ts are tied aro und s ep arate lengths o f line, o ne

enc irclin g th e o th er, th e jo in crea ted is s tro ng a nd du rab le.

W hile the bes t res ults w ere o btained w hen us ing lines

o f s im ilar diam eter, a s atis facto ry jo in co uld be created in

lines o f different d iam eters . T ry it and y ou w ill be s urp ris ed

at how s tro ng it is .

2. Make three

circles altogether

and pass the

_d~r=== tag through the

middle as shown.

Count one and

two and three and

through.

3. Do exactly the same with the

opposite number so each length

of l ine encircles the other.

5. Gently slide both knots together and

t ighten each in turn. Slide them together

once more to c lose them completely.

1. Place the two ends to bejoined together and encircle

one wi th the other.



KNOTS: LINE TO LINE

Double Four Fold Blood Knot

S om etim es , we have to jo in two s im ilar s ize lines . T he D ouble, Fo ur-Fo ld

B lo od kno t is w idely us ed becaus e it is neat, eas y to tie, and retains

adequate s trength fo r m os t s ituatio ns . T his kno t is us eful fo r jo ining

tw o lines o f the s am e o r s im ilar diam eters . It is no t s atis facto ry

w hen there is a s ignif icant dif ference in the diam eters o f the

tw o lin es .

l. Overlap the two lines

to be joined. (I have

shaded one to make

the operation easier

to follow).

2. Twist both ends together.

Do this eight or

nine times; then

pass each tag

through the central

twist from opposite

directions

4. Close the knot

gently with

tension on the

line each side.

5. Close the knot right up

tight and t rim the tags.

Reverse Twist Blood Knot for Joining

T he do uble bloo d kno t requires fo ur wrap s each s ide s o it

wo n't s lip undo ne. H owever, by doubling the wraps each

s ide fro m fo ur to eight the s trength o f the kno t is s ubstan-

tia lly increas ed. W e add the fo ur extra wrap s each s ide

u sin g th e re vers e tw is t p rin cip le.

===~~~~iIIS"'"il'"'. ~Overlapthe lines to be joined by a

generous margin and twist them together.

2. Make four complete twists in one

direction, then reverse the process.

. .~

3. Making four more twists over the first four but in the Iother direction. Thread the tag between the lines before

the first crossover.

4. Now, do the same with the tag of theother line from the opposite side.

5. Thread the tag through, what

has now become the cent ra I

wrap, alongside the tag of the

other line but f rom the opposite

direction.

6. Close the knot up

with gent le, but f irm,

pressure on the line

~ach~eknot.

'((I~



Opposed Nail Knot

O p po sed N ail K no ts p ro vid e a s oun d co nn ectio n betw een m on ofilam en t

lines o f either the same or different diam eters . To tie them yo u will

need a metal tube. Those made by K &S and so ld in model aircraft

s ho ps are ideal. T he s malles t tubes , tho se w ith an o uts ide diam eter

o f 1/16" will handle l ines to 36 kg. -:

l.The lines to be joined / A

are marked

Aand

B . /s shown beside the tube

while A encircles both

tube and B. ;/"' " B

~-~

3. Extract the tube and

close the resulting knot

with gentle pressure,

do not pull it t ight.

Continue to wrap with the tag of A

around main line B, A and the tube

until ten wraps have been completed.

Then feed the tag of A into the tube.

ANow lay the tube parallel . jwith line A, extend tag B B Ithrough the knot and wrap'"

the tube and main lines A

and B.

KNOTS: LINE TO LINE

A

5. Complete ten wraps and

extract the tube. Close the

resulting knot with gentle

pressure, do not pul l it t ight .

6. Lubricate, pull the knots

together, then t ighten each in

turn. Pull together once more

and trim the tags with nail

clippers.

l. Ideal ly, line B should be

the line coming from the

new spool of l ine, C shouldbe the line coming from I,

your reel. While it is harder /'

to p lait like this becau se 1 ///

the line from the spool is //

difficult to keep tight, it is B ////

better because the leading ",.;"'

end of the plait will go out C A /","'"'

through the runners first. C ~ / /.-""=..-"

This is desirable because fj I

the finish of the plait,

where the ends are 4. Continue to plait for the required length,

secured, is likely to bunch LOOP as we do in the Plaited Double, then we make a

up if pulled out through the (B . loop out of one of the loose legs, in this case B~_/_/_.~--=

runners under tension. Lay I So Instead of plait ing with leg B, we now plait with

the two ends to be joined loop B. Remember to keep plenty of tension on the

as shown. j legs as you plait, or the plait will be too loose.

Plaited Splice

M etho d o f jo ining tw o lines fo r m axim um s trength.

Keeping B tight,

pass A over B

so that A is now

between Band C.

it is now between B

and A. Keep the legs

tight so that the

plait is f irm.

6. Pull end B against

A and C to secure

the plait and your

5. Having plaited with

loop B for several steps,

thread the other loose

end, which is A,

through loop B.

7. The join is complete and, although it

takes longer to tie than ordinary joins, it

is very strong and does not increase the

diameter of the l ine very much.

25

•



OTSL IN E TO LE fiD E it

Albright Knot

S ho wn is an imp ro ved m ethod o f ty ing the A lbright K no t.

1. Double the last few centimetres of the heavier

monofi lament leader and thread the l ighter line

through, then around, the result ing loop.

2. Continue wrapping down the loop in

the heavier monofilament leader with

the lighter monofilament l ine.

Make five wraps down the loop

then commence wrapping in theother di rect ion, back over the

f irst wraps you made.

4. Complete five wraps in each direction

and thread the tag back through the loop

alongside the main line.

Part ially close the knot f irst with gentle

pressure on the main line and tag of both

leader and line.

6. When the knot begins to tighten, let both the

tag of the line, and tag of the leader, go. Then

tighten the knot with firm pressure on line

against leader.

7. Close the knot and

trim the tags.

26



Improved Blood Knot

T he im pro ved blo od kno t is us ed fo r jo ining tw o m ono filam ent

lines o f d ifferent diam eters . Fo r exam ple, w hen a heavier leader

is attached to a lighter m ain line.

l ine and overlap

with the heavier

l ine or leader.

2. Wind the doubled

lighter l ine along one

end of the heavier

line.

3. Push the tag of the heavie

line through the third or

fourth wrap and continue

to wrap with the lighter

l ine as before.

4. Make an addit ional f ive or six wraps then pass

the looped tag end of the lighter line through the

same wrap as you passed the tag of the heavier

line through. As you can see, I have made five

wraps; three up, and two back, before threading

with the looped tag end of the lighter line.

Slim Beauty

S lim B eauty is a kno t used to connect a mono filament main line to a

h eavier m ono filam ent leader. T hes e are the s tep s as d em ons trated by

p ro min en t A us tralia an gler an d fis hin g w riter D ean B utler.

Tie a double overhand knot in the

heavy monofilament leader.

figure of eight configuration.

3. Make a loop in the end

of the monofilament

main l ine and thread

it through the figure of

eight configu ration asshown.

Wind the monofilament

loop down the heavier

leader four t imes, then

wind it back again.

KNO TS : L INE TO LEAD ER

5. Close the knot with f irm but gent le

pressure on the line each side of

the knot , taking particular care

that no loops of slack line

appear in the doubled strand.

6. When the knot has

been pulled up really

tight, tri m the tags.

5. Having made four wraps down and four wraps

back, thread the remaining monof ilament loop

between the leader and the descending double

strand.

Tension the knot by pulling gently,

but f irmly, on both st rands of the

monofilament main line, against the

heavier monofilament leader. Trim

the tags and the join is complete.

27

•



KNOTS: LINE TO LEADER

Shock Tippet and Leader Knot

T his is the s tro nges t m etho d fo r co nnecting a clas s t ip pet to a s ho ck

tip pet, w itho ut f irs t s ecuring a do uble w ith either a B im ini o r p lait, that

I have tes ted. It a ls o p ro vides a s tro ng jo in betw een a m ono filam ent

m ain line and a heavier leader and is p articularly us eful fo r m akin g

w ind -o n le aders .

1. Tie a double overhand knot in one end of

your mono leader or shock t ippet .

2. Tension the knot to the point

where a double loop is formed

but no more.

3. Thread the class tippet or mono

main l ine through the double loop

configuration as shown.

5. We need to tie a nail knot in the class tippet

or mono main line using a fine metal tube. I

use a Lumbar Puncture which is C~;::::::=

4. Pull the double overhand knot in

the heavy line really tight so that

some f lattening or deformity is

noticeable.

brass tube, l ike those

used in model

aircraft.

7. Then thread the class

tippet or mono main

l ine into the tube.

9. Slide the two knots together , Close up the nail

knot but don't pull it too tight or you could

break the class t ippet and have to start again.

6. Wrap you tube or needle with theclass tippet or mono main line

eleven or twelve times.

8. Slide the tube out from

under the wraps.

10. Trim the tags and the

attachment is complete.

I tested this knot using a connection between a class tippet line marked Stren, High Impact, Hard Mono

Leader, 20 Ib Test, Dia .. 022" (0.55 rnrn), and a heavier line marked Jinkai 150 Ib, Dia. l.04 mm (.04").

In the first test the class tippet broke within the knot at 9.1 kg (20 lbs). In the second test the class tippet

broke within the knot at 9.25 kg (20.38 lbs).

28



JO INS fiND SP L IC E S

Wind On Dacron Leader Splice

D es cribed is the p ro ces s o f th readin g a heavy m ono filam ent leader

into the free end o f a dacron fishing line so it m ay be wo und thro ugh

the rod guides and onto the reel. T he leader is usually from five to ten

m etres in length and tw ice to three tim es the breaking s train o f the

dacron.

1. Sharpen the end of the monofilament

leader to a point, but don't make it

sharp enough to spear through the

weave of the dacron.

2. Remove any rough

edges using fine

sandpaper.

3. Push the tapered end of the

monofilament leader inside the

hollow dacron line.4. Work the mono up inside the dacron by

alternately bunching up the dacron over

the mono, then st retching it out again.

5. Having pushed the mono some 30 cm or

so inside the dacron line, t rim the frayed

dacron ends.

7. Having secured the join, over-bind the

loop you made for at least the same

distance as the existing binding, then

thread the tag through the loop.

8. Extract the loop,

and the tag.

6. Take a length of fine

thread, tie a loop in one

end, then cut the loop off

to use a pull-through to

f inish off the binding. Then

commence a f irm binding

on the join.

Having threaded the monof ilament leader into the dacron as described, it can't

be pulled out . This is because pull ing on the dacron contracts the weave,

holding the monofilament f irm. However, the mono may be released by

pushing the dacron of f so the weave expands. For this reason we must put a

binding on the join. Fine waxed thread is most of ten recommended, but I now

use a f ine gelspun f ishing line l ike Gori lla Braid or Spectra wi th a nominated

breaking strain of 20 or 30 pounds.

9. Pull the binding tight, t rim the tags,

then saturate the ent ire binding with'

a pliable rubber sealant l ike Pliobond

or Aquaseal.

CAUTION:

The join between leader and line is now secure: However, separt ion may occur when rigging skirted trol ling heads directly onto the leader. This is because

a hooked f ish taking line causes the lure to run back to the splice. While this is itself would not cause a separation, a situation which can

occur - and one which I have experienced personally - is the lure riding backwards, hard up against the joining splice, may be struck by

another game f ish, and with suf fic ient force, to cause a separation.

29



DACRON : )O IN S AND SPL ICES

Wind On Leaders for Game Fishing

T his vers io n o f S teve M orris ' T op S ho t, W ind-o n L eader features "S higes hi T anaka's L oo p S plice," an inno vatio n w hich ho lds

the dacron lo op firm ly in p lace, a m os t des irab le feature when large fish need to be p layed o ut over a long period o f time.

A lthough yo u can use a doubled length o f s ingle s trand wire as a needle, this connection is bes t perfo rm ed us ing the

T op S ho t dacro n s plicing needles p ro duced by T op S ho t T ackle in S outh A us tralia w ho exp ort m os t o f their p ro ducts to

the U nited S tates . T op S ho t glues are reco mm ended fo r s ealing the s plice, but s uitable alternatives include A quas eal and

Pl iobond.

O ther m aterials include a five to ten m etre length o f m ono filam ent three to five tim es the breaking s train o f the line already

on the reel, and som e ho llow dacron line about tw ice the breaking s train o f the line o n the reel. There is room fo r som evariatio n w ith s leeve and lead er s ize, bu t heavier, o r lighter m on ofilam ent lead ers , require a co mp atible d acro n s leeve.

You w ill also need a sharp knife o r scalpel fo r sharpening o ne end o f the m ono filament leader, and loop gauge o r pencil to

keep y our lo op o pen. A fine w axed thread, o r o ther s tro ng binding thread, is us ed fo r fin is hing o ff.

1. Take a approximately 50 em

of dacron and fold it into

three as shown. Then mark

the dacron a third the way

along its length.

2. Put the dacron sleeve aside

for the present, and sharpen the heavy

monofi lament leader to a point with your knife or scalpel.

3. Having sharpened your leader to a fairly fine

point, insert it into the hollow end of your

end-splicing needle.

The end-spl icing needle is to al low you to thread the heavy monofi l-

ament up the hollow dacron. However, with a little practise, you wi ll

probably be able to thread the dacron sleeve with the heavy mono

without using the needle.

4. Take up the dacron once

more and thread your

loop-splicing needle

through the weave of

the dacron at your

one third mark.

Then thread the eye of the needle with

the short end of the dacron.

6. Thread the loop splicing needle

through the short end this t ime,

right up next to the loop, and

thread the eye of the needle

with the long end of the dacron.

, Then pull the long end

through the short end.

9. Push the needle all the

way through the long end

of the dacron so that the

short end tag emerges

from the long end which

is now bunched up to

less than half i ts original

length over the short

end.

8.

30



12. Now push the external two

th i rds of the dacron right down

over the internal join between

dacron and monofilament~


14. Stretch the leader out

really t ight using either

a Top Shot Spreader Jig

(illustrated), or other

suitable means. Then,

with your waxed thread,

make a clove hitch on the

monofilament just below

the dacron, and continue

making a series of f irm

half hitches back up the

monofilament and over

the dacron end.

10. Now, push your end-splicing

needle, the one you have thread-

ed with the sharpened end of

your monofilament leader, up the

short end so it protrudes from the

weave and holds the, bunched

up, long end in place.

16. Extract your pull- through, and with

it the tag. Close the binding with

f irm pressure on the tag.

CAUTION:

The join between leader and l ine is now secure: However, separat ion may

occur when rigging skirted trol ling heads direct ly onto the leader. This

is because a hooked f ish taking line causes the lure to run back to the

spl ice. While this is itself would not cause a separat ion, a si tuat ion which

can occur - and one which I have experienced personally - is the lure

riding backwards, hard up against the joining splice, may be struck by

another game f ish, and with suf fic ient force, to cause a separat ion.

11a. Pull the end-splicing

needle right through

until the tapered end of

the monofilament leader

protrudes. Disengage the

needle and smear the

tapered end of the mono-

filament leader with glue.

l l b , Draw the monofilament

back far enough to completely

contain the glued end.

13a. Pull the dacron

end back and

smear with glue

at this point.

15. Continue thus unt il t he waxed thread binding extends asimilar distance each side of the dacron end, over-bind a

loop of thread so you can use it as a pull-through to finish

off your binding.

17. The f inished splice should look like this and pass easily through the

line guides and onto your reel. Connect ion is achieved by f irst tying a

very short double or end loop in you main line, then interlocking the

loop in the leader wi th a Cat's Paw or Loop and Cross Loop connection.

Use at least one coat of waterproof sealant like Top Shot Dac Tac,

Aquaseal or Pl iobond and allow to cure.

31

•



D fiC RO N: JO IN S fiN D SPL IC ES

Wind On Wire Leaders

T his m etho d o f rigging full-length IG FA w ind-o n w ire leaders w as devis ed

by S teve M orris o f T op S ho t T ackle in A delaide A us tralia.

Ny lon o r p las tic coated, 49 s trand cable is bes t.

The sp ecim en used fo r these illus trations was rigged from 400 p ound,

ny lon coated, 49 s trand cable and 130 pound IG FA dacron. A Top S ho t,

loop sp licing needle was used to make the lo op in the dacron s leeve, but

you can use a doubled length o f s ing le s trand w ire as a subs titute.

PREPARATION OF THE WIRE

1. Remove the last couple of

centi metres of nylon or plastic

coat ing from the wire.

3. Allow the strands to fuse, then shave the fused st rands to

a taper using a belt sander like I did or similar device.

PREPARATION OF THE

SLEEVE

4. Take about 50 cm (20

inches) of 130 poundIGFA dacron and fold i t

into three roughly equal

lengths, then mark one of

the folds.

These steps prepare the wire so it will slide into the dacron sleev

without catching. However, because there may be some loose

strands, it is advisable to give the wire another applicat ion of

Super Glue and a sprinkling of talcum powder to make it smooth

An alternate treatment is to use Hot Melt Glue to cover the

exposed wire taper and allow it to cool.

7. Now, thread the dacron splicing

needle sideways through the

weave of the shor t end, the

opposite end to the one

you threaded before.

5. Take an object to use as a loop

gauge like a pencil or a pen,

pass one third of the line

around it and push your

loop splicing needle or doubled

wire through at the mark you

made in the previous step.

9. Finally, the loop splicing

needle, or doubled wire,

is threaded length wise

through the long end of the

dacron so the short end can

be drawn right through.

10. Draw out the short end

so the long end is now

bunched up over the short

end.



13. Then, push the long end right down

over the short end sleeving the wireo

12. Work the wire up right inside the short

end of the sleeve, as far up as the long

end of the dacron can be pushed back

D fiC itO rt: JO lrtS firtD S P LIC E S

II.The bunched long end is

secured in place, by a large

paper clip in this case, andthe tapered end of the wire is

pushed into the short end of

the dacron sleeve.

14. Trim the frayed end of

the dacron sleeve.

FINISHING OFF

There needs to be a binding on the dacron sleeve overlapping the

wire. This may be done with waxed thread, or - as I did when

preparing this example - with fine gelspun line.

15. Attach the loop splice in your dacron to a hook or the like so

you can tension the wire where the dacron overlaps.

16. Continue your binding past the over lap and onto the wire and

commence overbinding the loop you wi ll use as a pul l through.

17. Thread the loop with the

tag of your binding, makingsure there is quite a bit of

slack in the tag.

15b. Commence a f irm binding

on the dacron, where it

overlaps the wire, in the

manner shown.

18. Pull the loop out, and withi t the tag. Then tension

both tags so the binding is

really firm.

20. When the adhesive sets you will have a wire leader

which can be attached to a short double in your line

using a loop to loop, or loop & cross loop connection,

then wound onto your reel .

19. Apply a coating of a pliable

adhesive like Aquaseal or

Pl iobond to the binding and

work it right into the binding

and adjacent dacron with

your fingers, preferably

with a surgical clove so

it doesn't get on yourfingers and under your

fingernails.




Dacron Joining Splice

This metho d o f jo in ing two lengths o f IG FA , line class dacron, is

u se d a nd re comme nd ed by S teve M orris o f T op Sho t Tackle in

S outh A us tralia. A dacro n s plicing needle is requ ired .

1. Overlap the lines to be joined by a generous

margin, say 60 cm or two feet. We will call

the dark coloured line B, the l ight colour~

lineA. ~

some 50 cmfrom the end of B,

insert your dacron

splicing needle,

pass it through the

dacron for about 10 cm

or 4", and push it out

again.

Straighten out

B, trim the tag

of A, and test

join by pulling

A against B as

shown .

5. Thread your dacron

splicing needle with

the tag of B and pa

the needle throughA, right up close to

where it emerges

f rom A.

. /~

6. Pull the needle right

through A, the insert the

needle, passing it up

inside A for about 15 or 6

then out again.

9. The f inished centre spl ice

should look like this.

10. Make your final splice some

15 cm or 6" from the centresplice, the tag of B being

threaded through A as before.. Using the procedure described, make another splice

with B through A. This is the centre splice.

34

12. Shown is the configurat ion of

the Top Shot Dacron Joining

Splice.

11. Trim the tag of Band

straighten out the

splice.



D AC RO H: JO ltiS A HD SPL IC ES

Tanaka's LoopT his m etho d o f s plic ing a loo p in dacro n,

heavy gel s p un o r o th er h ollo w b raided

le ad er m ate ria l, w as crea te d b y ce leb rate d

s tan d-u p g am e fis he rm an , S hig es hi T an ak a,

o f J ap an .

T his lo op is to tally s ecure w ith no m ovem ent

at all making it ideal fo r the C at's Paw, and

s im ilar co nn ectio ns u sed w ith w in d-o n

leaders . It is bes t p erfo rm ed us ing a T op

S ho t d acro n lo op -s plicin g needle m ad e

by T op S ho t T ackle, A us tralia.

4. Cont inue in the same manner, alternately

threading each end through the weave of

the opposite length making each

stitch as close to the last as

you can manage.

1. Select a length of dacron or other

hollow braided line of suitable

diameter for the wind-on

leader you intend building.

Pass the loop-splicing needle

through the weave, more or

less at r ight angles, about

one third the way along,

and thread the needle with the short end tag. The pencil represents the

need to hold the loop open during the init ial stages of forming the splice.

7. Having pushed your needle down through the longer length

of the dacron, which is now bunched over the shorter

length, you may follow from step 9 on page 30 to complete

the Top Shot wind-on leader.

Attaching Your Line to Your Reel

O ur firs t tas k, after buy ing a ro d

and reel, is to w ind a line o f suitable

breaking s train o nto the reel. W e are

go ing to attach the line to the spoo l o f

the reel w ith a C entauri kno t.

I s ugges t that the line sho uld be

wo und o nto the reel under m oder-

ate tens io n, eno ugh to lo ad the ro d

s lightly . T his is eas ier to do s ho uld

so meo ne be ho lding the sp oo l o f line

o n a p encil, o r the like, and ap ply ing

a s mall am ount o f p res sure.

A better alternative is to firs t w ind

the line o nto ano ther reel. T his reel

is also mounted on a rod, which

is p laced in a rod ho lder. Then the

clutch (drag) o f the firs t reel is

adjus ted to the des ired tens io n fo r

s po oling th e s eco nd reel.

main line, or

standing part,

with the tag.

3. And again.

4. Then a third time,

this t ime passing

the tag right over,

then back through,

the previous loops.

5. By following these steps,

we create a noose,

which is pulled up t ight

on the spool of the

reel. When the noose is

pulled up tight we can

wind the line onto the

reel.

35



DOOBLESPlaiting a Double

2. As with the Bimini, your

rod should be firmly in a

rod holder and the clutch of

the reel set on strike drag.

Keeping the line t ight by pull -

ing away from your rod and

reel, pass Cover B (alongside

A). Pull B t ight . Because

tension must be maintained

throughout the plai ting pro-

cess, it helps to wrap each

successive leg in turn, around

your finger as shown.

A lth ou gh p lait in g is co ns id ered a little to o s lo w an d in co nven ien t

fo r m os t s po rtfis hing s ituatio ns it is the m os t s atis facto ry w ay o f

ty in g a fu ll len gth I.G .F .A . d ou ble, retain in g th e fu ll b reakin g s train

o f the line being used. This is how it is done.

1. Measure off just over twice

the length of line your f inished

double wi ll be. Say our double

will finish up at 4.5 metres,

then you will need to double

9 metres of line plus half a

metre or so for you r tag. The

main line or standing par t is A.

The returning length is B, and

the tag is C. Let's call the loop

formed, D.

3. PassA over C and

pull C tight.

5. Pass Cover B and pull C tight.

Having completed the f irst cycle of

the plai t, increase tension on the line,

even though some distort ion may

appear at the beginning of the plai t.

This is normal.

6. Now you are getting the idea, A goes over

C then C is pulled tight. Always pull the leg

you have just crossed, really t ight against

the line coming from your rod and reel.

That way your plait will be nice and firm.

36



7. Having plaited for at least a dozen cycles, or what

appears to be far enough say 5 cm for 10 kg, 8 ern

for 15 kg, 12 cm for 24 kg and so on double the

tag over to form loop E as shown.

10. Pass A over B,

pull tight.

13. A has already gone over

B, shown is E over A.

16. Then pull the ent ire

double through.

15. Continue for one

complete cycle of

the pla it then pass

loop D through

loop E.

8. Loop E is plaited in just like the other two

single legs. I secure the loop against the plait

with the thumb and forefinger of the right

hand as shown.

11. Pass E over A,

pul l A t ight.

DOUBLES

14. Shown is A

Transfer loop E to the index

finger of your le ft hand and

cross leg B over it to the

centre. Now pul l E tight.

12. B goes over E,

pul l E t ight.

17. Secure the double by pulling on

loop D against tag C to form a

collar around the double.



D~OOBLES

Bimini TwistS hort do ubles o r end lo ops like tho se used in s po rt and fly

fis hing, are eas ily s ecured w ith a B im ini T wis t w hich retains

the full breaking s train o f m ono filam ent and m os t o ther lines .

S everal ways o f ty ing a B im ini T wis t have evo lved. T he

method shown here, w ith the rod p laced firm ly in a rod

ho lder, is eas ies t to m as ter and s ho uld enable the angler to

g radu ate, m ore eas ily , to h an d-ten sio ned B im inis later o n.

1a .Thread the l ine through

your l ine guides of your

rod and place your rod

securely ina

rod holder with 0

your reel on

strike drag.

lb. Tie a small loop in the end of

your line, then cut it off and

put it aside. This is to act as

a pull-through to finish off the

Bimini later on.

2. Make a loop in the end of your line

and roll in at least 20 twists (I prefer at

least 30). In this drawing, the twists are made in a

clockwise direction.

4a. Keeping the maximum tension on

your line that your drag set ting

allows, compress the twists tightly

together.

~Old the tag back so it will spiral back

. - \\ 4b. ~~er the twists as you increase tension

with your right hand.

7a. Over-bind the pull- through three or four

t imes, taking care to cont inue (in this

case) anti-clockwise, then thread the

tag through the loop in the pul l- through.

6. Allow the tag to spiral right up to

the crotch in the double and insert

the short loop of line marked 1B

as a pull-through.

5a. Shown is the tag

spirall ing back over

the twists.

~Shownis'

, - - I I 0U ~hiSeffect

In close-u p.

step in close-up.

9a. Pull gent ly, but firmly, on the tag and rotate the Bimini (anti-

c lockwise) unti l several twists form in the loop. Don't pul l too

hard on the tag because you may shear it off and have to retie

the whole thing again.

8. Extract the pull -

through taking the

tag back through

the last few wraps.

9b. Trim the tag and the Bimini is finished.

38



DOUBLES

Hand Tensioned Bimini Double

W e have already disco vered how to tie a B im ini double w ith the

rod in a rod-ho lder to tens ion the line. No w we exam ine ho w to

tie a h an d-ten sio ned B im in i.

1b. Take a loop of line and secure the

standing part by taking a bight of

l ine around your left hand.

2. Roll in at least

thirty twists.

3. Pass the loop over your shoe,

or any convenient f ixture l ike

a rod holder in a boat, andkeep tension on the loop

so it won't come off .

5. Hold the tag between thumb and middle

finger of the left hand and put your right

hand inside the loop over your shoe and

open the loop by spreading your f ingers

and sliding your right hand toward the

left hand.This will cause the tag to spiral back

over the twists wh i Ie

tension on the tag is

control led by the

pressure of your

thumb against the

middle finger.

4. Keeping pressure on the standing part, rotate

the tag between thumb and forefinger of the

right hand to make the tag spiral back over

the twists.

6. When the tag has spiralledback to the crotch in the loop,

place your left index f inger in

the crotch to securethe tag.

Then take the small loop you

first made and commence

wrapping it with the tag.

7. Wrap the loop, and both

strands of the Bimini,

three or four times then

pass the tag through the

loop.

8. Withdraw your loop, drawing the

tag back out from under the last

few wraps.

9. Pull gently on the tag, rotating the

Bimini as you do so until a couple

of twists appear in the loop, then

stop. If you pull tag out too far you

wil l shorten the splice.

39



DOUBLES

Spider Hitch

Unlike the Bimini Twist and Plait, which are progressive splices, the Spider

Hitch is a knot, which retains around 80% of line strength in monofilament.

However, tied in gelspun lines it retains only 40 to 60% of the actual

breaking strain.

Although lacking the strength of the Bimini and Plait the Spider Hitch does

produce a double strand with which to attach terminals and leaders and

it is quick and easy to tie.

NOW A V A IL A B L E - G e o f f W i l s o n 's G u id e t o R ig g in g B ra id , D a c r o n a n d G e ls p u n L in e sDESCRIPTION:

More and more anglers are using braided lines. Geoff Wilson, has updated and

expanded one of his best sellers Guide to Rigging Braid, Dacron and Ge/spun Lines.

This guide illustrates and provides tying notes for using these lines when sport and

game fishing, deep sea f ishing, f ly fishing, lure f ishing and general purpose angling.

In this completely revised, updated and enlarged book Geoff has included six new

knots, included new rigging systems and enlarged the brand and breaking strain test

reports. Coupled with a new, bigger format book that disp lays each knot in simple

and comprehensive, step-by-step detailed drawings and instructions this book takes

the uncertainty out of using these new lines and every angler can be sure that they

won't lose a fish because of knot failure.

Geoff Wilson's Guide to Rigging Braid, Dacron and Gelspun Lines is a comprehen-

sive, well researched and easy to understand, making it an invaluable reference for

all anglers who want to switch over to the advantages of braid, dacron and gelspun

lines.

2. Wind the double ~~

around the thumb ~

of your lef t hand.

5. Pinching thumb and finger of the left hand

f irmly together so the loops disengage one at

a time, pull gently but f irmly

on the double until all the

loops have slid f rom your

left thumb.

FEATURES INCLUDE:

• Joining superlines

• Tying terminal tackle to superlines.

• Joining superlines to monofilament.

• Knot strength as a percentage of line strength for each knot.

3. Make four or five

complete wraps.

l.Having determined the size of your double or end

loop, twist in a second loop just above the tag end

and hold it between the thumb and f inger of your

left hand.

4. Then pass the loop in

the double through the

second loop.

6. Tension all four strands equal ly and

your Spider Hitch shouId look some-

thing like this.

40



DOODLES

Tony Jones' Leader Knot

I cal] th is T on y J on es ' L ea de r K no t b ec au se I learned

it fro m C ap tain T ony Jo nes o f Ra C harters .

1. Wind your double around

the end of your heavy

monofilament leader.

Cats Paw to Ring or Swivel

Bear in mind a double can be tied to a swivel o r ring

us ing the same kno t as you would use to attach a

s ingle s trand o f line. H ow ever, to retain the intact

do uble fo r the p urp os e o f o fficially reco rding cap tures

in sp o rt o r game fishing we use a C at's Paw.

The C at's P aw is usually tied to a high quality

snap swivel so leaders can be changed as

circum stan ces dictate. T he s wivel I've draw n here

has a larger eye than usual so you can see mo re

c lea rly w ha t is h ap p en in g.

2. Make half a dozen wraps orso, but use more wraps for

l ight leaders and less wraps

for very heavy leaders.

3. The wind the tag of the

leader back around the knot

and thread i t through the

loop in the double.

4. Close the leader knot with pressure

on the leader against the main line. 5. The fin ished should jo in a llow the

heavy monofi lament leader to be

wou nd onto your reel .

1. Thread the

loop end of

your double

through the

eye of the

snap swivel

and pass

the swivel

through the

loop.

Fold the loop

end of the dou-

ble back against

the standing

part of the loop.

Rotate the

swivel through

the central loop

formed.

5. Close up the Cat's Paw.Chances are you won't close

your Cat 's Paw as tight as th is

one unless you are using a sup-

ple braided line. Monofilament

can be closed satis factor ily by

lubricating with dry lubricant

or powdered graphite.

Lubrication with saliva

s unsatisfactory for

this purpose.

Do th i s from th ree to

six times depending

on the th ickness and

pliabil ity of the l ine.



DOOBLES

Loop & Cross-Loop Connections

Loop & C ro ss L oo p C onne ctio ns are us ed fo r jo inin g tw o lines , e ach

with a loop at the end to be jo ined. In this case, a W ind-on Leader,

which has been lo op-sp liced at one end, is being attached to a short

B im ini double in the end o f the line co ming fro m the reel: T here are

o th er a pp lic atio ns a s well.

1. Roll up the

leader then

thread the loop

of the short

double through

the loop spliced

in the end of the

leader.

leader through the

double loop.

Close the two loops,

but not too t ightly.

(Some anglers finish

the connect ion at this

point . However, this is an

unstable connection and

a "cut ting girth hitch" may form,weakening the connection)

4. Pull the double loop

through the loop in

the leader once more.

5. Rotate the double

loop through 360

degrees.6. Thread the

7. Close the loops together. 8. Loop & Cross Loop con nections

remain stable under extreme

tension.

42



FLY Flstt lt lG

1. Thread the eye of the

hook and roll a loop into

the tippet.

Duncan's Loop

So metim es co nfused w ith the Uni Kno t which lo ok s

s im ilar but is no t the sam e, Duncan's Lo op pro vides a

s im ple fixed lo op attachm ent fo r f ly to tippet o r ho ok

to leader. P eter H ay es o f "G uid ed F is hing " p ro vided th e

d em o ns tratio n o n w hich th es e d raw ing s are bas ed .

2. Thread the tag back through the loop

and commence wrapping

both strands.

and adjust

the loop size

but do notpul l i t t ight

just yet.

loop is of the

desired size,

pul l the knot

tight.

Lefty's Loop

When des irable fo r the fly to have free m ovem ent

at the end o f the tip pet, it is rigged o n a s mall

lo op . T his kno t is easy to tie and retains a sub-

s ta nt ia l p erc en ta ge o f th e l in e's b re ak in g s tra in .

l. First make an overhand

knot configuration in

the leader, pass the tag

through the eye of the

hook, then back through

the overhand knot.

3. Pull the knot tight

using gentle pres-

sure on the main line

against the loop.



KNOTS: FLY FISHING

Improved Turle Knot

T his kno t p ro vides a s tro ng, neat co nnectio n to

flies tied o n ho oks w ith turned-do wn ey es .

Blood Knot

l.Thread the tippet

t rough the eye

of the hook and

over the body of

the fly.

2. Then thread

the tippet

back th rough

the eye of the

hook.

hand knot in the

tag around the

standing part of

the tippet.

5. Close the over-

hand knot , but

do not pull it

really t ight yet.

6. Pull the knot up with

gentle pressure on

the t ippet so the knot

sl ides right down into

the eye of the hook.

Pull the knot up tight

and trim the tag.

P o ss ib ly th e s tro ng es t m eth od

o f attaching a fly to a

m on ofilam en t lead er is th e

B lo od kno t. It d iffers fro m the

H alf B lood in that the line is

p ass ed through the ey e o f the

hoo k tw ice. This lim its its use

o n very s mall ho ok ey es .

T o retain the full p otential s trength o f this kno t, the lo op sequence on

the eye o f the hook must be retained until the kno t is pulled tight.

Half Blood Knot T he s im ples t, and m os t co mm onus ed kno t fo r attaching flies is

the s imp le H alf B lo od. T his kno t

s ho uld be us ed w ith cautio n,

b ec au s e under s ome c ir cumst ance s

it is inclined to s lip . T his kno t is

tied by p as sing the line thro ugh

the eye o f the ho ok, wrap ping

the tag aro und the m ain line three to s ix tim es , then p as sing the tag

back thro ugh the firs t lo op made aro und the ey e o f the ho ok. T he finer

the diameter o f the line in relatio n to the diam eter o f the ho ok ey e,

the greater the num ber o f turns (up to s ix), that sho uld be made.

Locked Half Blood Knot

44

H alf B lood can be locked so that it won't

s lip . T his is do ne by firs t fo rm ing the kno t,

then tucking the tag back through the

trans vers e lo op befo re p ulling the kno t up

tight.



~---- --- ----

K NO T S: FL Y FIS H IN G

Attaching Fly Line to Hollow Braided Backing

l. The fly line has to go inside

the hoi low backi ng so it is

advisable to first ~

insert a coarse ~needle ins.ide the ,1 ~ )

backing to open _, - ~

the weave.'<

v . . ~ 2. Push the fly line at least

two inches (5 cm) inside

the backi ng. You may

have to jiggle it back

and forth if it gets stuck,

but it should go in.

This m etho d o f attaching a fly line to a ho llo w braided

backing is used and recommended by Rob M eade o f

C lear W ater T ou rs .

3. You won't be able to pull the fly line out from the backing

because the increased tension makes the backing contract.

However, the f ly line can easily removed by pushing the

backing of f the f ly line. To prevent this from happening we

make a lashing with very f ine f ishing line, preferably gelspun

fishing line, to make the

join secure. In this case we over-

bind a loop of line to use as a

pull- though to f inish of f.~~-6. Tighten the binding with pressure

on both side, trim the tags and

backing f ringe with a set of nail

c lippers, the cover the lashing with

a waterproof sealant l ike Aquaseal

or Pliobond.

1. Take half a metre or so of rnonof ila-

ment with a diameter of about 0.5

mm and make the double loop con-

figuration shown at the end of your

fly line (black) . Note that one loop

is larger than the other.

2. Wrap the fly line and

smaller monofilament

loop with the larger

monofilament loop.

4. Make ten or a dozen wraps

over the pull-though loop,

then thread the tag

through the loop.

Monofilament Loop to Fly Line

The fo llow ing p rocess was shown to me by Rob M eade

o f C lear W ater T ours . It enables lo op to lo op co nnectio ns

w ith fly lead ers in tro ut fis hin g.

4. Holding the loops together on the fly line so

they don't spring apart , hook the smaller loop

over a f ixed hook or similar object and close

the knot by pulling on both tags against

the loop, but not too firmly at this

stage. This wil l cause the loops

at each end of the knot to

close and the loop on the "- __if/J

hook to open.

8. Trim the tags and protruding

f ly l ine and your rnonofi la-

ment loop is complete.

one side of the loop

is f ixed, because i t

is tied to the fly line,

and the other side

of the loop wi II sl ide

because the knot it is

simply pinned against

the fly line by the

knot . Spread a smal l

amount of suitable

glue, like "Zap a Gap"

on the side of the loop

that slides.

7. Adjust the loop to the size required

by al ternat ing tension between tag A and tag B.

Then, and this is important, increase pressure on

tag B unt il the knot closes down really firmly on

the fly line, pinning the glued side of' .....__ ~".

the loop f irmly so it wont slip.

Remember, only one side the

loop is t ied. The loop is secured by

the tension of the knot and the glue

which you have applied.



KNOT S: F LY F IS H IN G

Nail Knot Using Tube

T his is a n e as ie r way to tie the nail kno t fo r so me. It requires

a slender, s tiff, tube o nto w hich the leader is tied. T he fly

line is then inserted into the tube and the kno t held by the

thum b and fo refinger while the tube is p ulled aw ay , this

leaves th e kn ot p os itio ned p erfect ly o ver th e fly lin e.

2. Begin wrapping by passing

the loop over the ~f"

tube and tag.

"I

3. Continue to wrap in this way

until a snell is formed on the

tube.

4. Close the snell tightly on the

tube by pul ling the tag against

the standing part. Then insert

the fly line in the tube.

snell from

the tube onto

the fly line.

6. Pull the snell up tightly on

the fly line so that it bites

down into the fly line mak-

ing a smooth join.

Indicator Knot l.Make this configuration in theleader where the indicator is to

be secured.his kno t p ro duces a s liding lo op in the leader fo r the

p urp ose o f securing a sm all p iece o f yarn to act as a

v is i bl e s t ri ke ind icato r.

F / ' - ; : : : ' zx :::-.::::::-~

/; ~II

II2. Pull one of the \\

crossed legs out ~~

through the loop so ~

that another loop is formed I f ""--with a knot around it.

3. Close the knot and insert

secure the piece

of yarn to

the leader.

Surgeons Knot for Attaching Dropper

T he S urgeo ns K no t is used fo r building fly fishing

le ad ers a nd multi h oo k bait catching rigs . It can also be

used fo r attaching a short dropper near the end o f your

main line. Its chief advantage over o ther kno ts used fo r

the sam e p urp ose are its s im plicity and sp eed.

Bear in mind that large loops are eas ier to work with

when ty ing this kno t so dro pp er o r tip pet sectio ns sho uldbe cut somewhat longer than when us ing o ther jo ins .

l.Shown is the main l ine,

white, and the tippet or

dropper, black. Lay

them alongside each

other as shown

with an overlap

of at least 15cm.

2. Tie an overhand knot

in both main line and

dropper.

four wraps

and five

crossovers

are formed.

4. With equal pressure on each strand, pull the knot

tight. Should the knot fai l to close properly, pull

gently on each end in turn until the knot is closed

before trimming the tag end of the dropper.



1. Anglers wil l recognise the

configu ration of the Spider

Hitch, but instead of tying the

hitch over our thumb, we use the stem of a float or a pen-

cil (illustrated) . The reason why we use a stem and not our

thumb is because we are working with considerably short-

er lengths of line when split ting leaders than we would be

when tying a double for sportf ishing, and wrapping the

double strand around one's thumb uses up too much line.

How to Split Leaders

'S plitting' leaders is the term us ed to des cribe the

p ro ces s b y w hich o ne s in gle s trand o f m ono filam en t

beco mes tw o w ith m inim al interrup tio n to the 'lay ' o f

th e lin e, an d w ith out s ig nifican t lo ss o f s tren gth .

This method was shown to me by fellow angling

s crib e P eter H o rro bin w ho 's p lit s' fly fis hin g lead ers

to p res en t m ult ip le o fferin gs . H o wever, an y m on o-

filam ent line m ay be 's plit' in this m anner, either fo r

m ultip le lure p res en tatio n o r fo r rig gin g w ith ho ok

and s inker fo r w hiting etc.

5. Having threaded the

entire double strand

through the loop, pull

the h itch off the stem

turn by turn.

KNO T S: F LY FIS H IN G

2. Holding the loop of the double

strand between the f inger and

stem commence wrapping the

loop against the stem.

3. Cont inue unti l f ive

wraps have been

made.

4. Then pass the final

wrap through the loop

followed by the ent ire

double strand.

7. Shown is a simple

application of split

leaders which is

useful for multiple

presentations when

flyfishing.

6. Close the hitch and cut the loop to pro-

duce a double strand, preferably so that

one strand is approximately twice as long

as the other.



K NO TS : FL Y FIS H IN G

Making Saltwater Fly Fishing Leaders

I.G .F.A . m akes p ro vis io n fo r s om e s alt-

water species to be claimed as line class

recordsprovided the line clas s leader

an d shock' tippet (h oo k len gth ) c om ply

w ith t he f ol lo w in g s p ec ific at io ns :

The line class leader be at least 15

inches in length m eas ured betw een

any knot, s plice o r lo op .The shock tippet or hook length be no

lo nger than tw elve inches including all

kno ts , s plices o r lo op s. T he fo llo wing

d ia grams s ho w rigg ing s trateg ie s w hic h

comp ly w ith th es e req uirem en ts .

Braided but t or heavy

monofilament leader

with a loop at each end.

Loop to loop connection

between f ly line and braid-

ed but t section or heavy

mono leader.

Loop to loop connection between heavy

mono leader or braided but t sect ion and

line class tippet or leader.

Line class

or leader.

1. Take your heavy monof ilament leader and t ie

it tightly around the Bimini Loop. In this case a

nail knot is produced in the heavier line

with the aid of a fine metal tube, but

an overhand knot may be used

provided i t is pulled up real ly

tight

B IM IN I TO HEA VY M ONO FILAM ENT LEADER

(H UFFNA GLE K NO T)

T he H uffna gle p rin cip le allo ws a h eav y m on ofilam en t le ade r

to be tied flus h w ith a do uble s plice, in this cas e a B im ini,

to co ntro l the o verall length o f a s hock tipp et w ith no lo ss o f

b re ak in g s tra in to t he le ad er.

2. Wrap the Bimini Loop and

tu be with the heavy mono-

f ilament four of f ive t imes

and thread the heavy

mono through the tube.

3. Remove the tube and pull

the na iI knot tight , r ight

up against the Bimini.

4. Begin making a series of half

hitches, with the Bimini loop,

around the heavy monofila-

ment leader and pulling them

up tight against the nail knot6. Extend the loop back down the leader

and commence wrapping

the end of the loop

back up the leader

under the extended

loop, toward the

series of half hitches

J

I

I

10. Pullout the loop leaving the outer double

strand twisted t ight ly around the inner

double strand, and the leader, which are

now both straight

8. Then wind the

extended loop

back over those

wraps in the

same direction. 9. Continue thus until the twists are

now transferred from the double

strand on the inside to the double

strand on the outside.

and the join is

complete.



K NO T S: FL Y FIS H IN G

MAK ING A BRA IDED BUTT SECT IO N

H ollo w butt leader m aterial o r dacro n

m akes an excellent lead er m edium

between class tip pet and fly line. It has

no memory and is quite s tiff when loop

s pliced as s ho wn.

250 ern

-+--55 cm ~-+-- 55 cm ~

125 cm

l. Begin with a length of hollow but t leader material twice the length of your intended butt section.

For example, a but t leader section l.25 metres in length would require just over 2.5 metres of but t

leader material. Mark the centre and posi tions for beginning each loop spl ice as shown. Allowing for

overlap, and for the end loops in a butt leader section of this length, those marks would be approxi-

mately 55 cm each side of the central mark.

4. Do the same from the other end so

a small amount of overlap occurs

in the centre. This central splice

may be secured with a small

amount of Pliobond or Aquaseal.

2. Thread the eye of your needle

with the tag fr inge and push

the needle into the butt

leader material at the spot

previously marked.

3. Work the needle through the hollow

but t material and out just past the

cent ral mark with a short tag.

four-strand

loop and

surgeons knot

coupled to a

braided butt

2. Although a section.

simple loop to loop

connection between class

tippet and butt sect ion is

quite adequate, for added security, some anglers, and

f ishing guides, double the Bimini loop so that four strands

are produced for the loop to loop connection. This doubled

loop is secured with a triple surgeons knot as shown.

connection is

used to connect

the class tippet

to the braided

butt section.

WH IPP ING AN END LOOP FOR L IGHTER L INES , LESS THAN lO -WE IGHT

1. Cut the end

of f the fly

line at an

angle.

2. Bend the fly line

over to form a

loop.

3. Using a fly- tying bobbin and thread, bind the

loop closed by spinning the bobbin around the

line forming the whipping. Thread should be

wrapped around the bobbin arm three or four

t imes to produce sufficient tension.

I~4. Coat the whipping with

Aquaseal, a silicon compound

used for rubber repairs.

WH IPP ING A N END LO OP FOR HEAVIER L INES IO -WE IGHT & UPWARDS

1. Cut off end

4. Using your f ly-ty ing bobbin once more, whip

the braid down onto the fly line and f inish

off like a rod binding, using a loop of binding

thread as a pull- through. The f inished loop is

coated with Aquaseal.

This method of whipping a loop may also

be used for heavier f ly lines provided the

Gudebrod butt leader is substituted with 24 or

37 kg class dacron.

2. Thread fly line up

centre of 35 Ib

Gudebrod braid.

3. Using a needle,

splice a loop in

the braid flush

with the fly line.

49



I

I

I

K NO TS : F LY F IS H IN G

Westy's Dropper

S ho wn to m e by P eter W es t, this kno t allo ws an additio nal

dro pp er to be attached to a fly t ip pet.,

1. Make an overhand loop

in the tippet.

2. Pull a loop of line

~-~ through as if to

make an indicator

knot.

3. Take the dropper line, thread

it through the loop, and begin

wrapping the standing part

with the tag.

6. You now have a

drapper on your

t ippet al lowing a

double presentation.,4. Having made three or four wraps,

thread the tag back through the f irst

wrap so a half blood knot is formed.

5. Tighten both knots in turn; first

the half blood knot and then the

indicator knot.

Creating End Loops In Saltwater Fly Leaders

L oo p to L oo p co nnectio ns , betw een leader an d fly line, and betw een

lead er an d clas s tip pet, are freq uen tly u sed in s altw ater fly fis hin g.W hen us ed w ith heavy m on ofilam ent, this p ro cedure allo ws the an gler

to co ntro l the s ize o f the lo op .

1. Make this double loop

conf igurat ion in the end of

your heavy monofilament

leader, one loop small, the

other large.

3. Shown is an effective

way of doing this.

4. Having made six or seven

wraps, pull the tag to close

what is remaining of the

large loop.

5. Passthe remaining

loop around a f ixture with desired

diameter to act as a loop gauge,

and close the knot, first by pulling firmly on

the main or standing part of the leader.

6. Sti ll maintaining some

pressure on the standing

part, pull gently,

but very firmly on the

tag until you feel the knot lock the

loop in posit ion. Trim the tag.

50



The mo st bas ic app licatio n o f a float is to sus pend yo ur bait belo w

the surface. S om e flo ats are fixed o n the line so the ho ok rem ains

a co ns tant dis tance belo w the flo at. O thers are des igned to s lide

along the line to make cas ting eas ier when the bait needs to be

p res ented deep er than u su al. T here are en oug h flo ats , in all ty pes ,

s hap es and s izes , to fill a bo ok. Fo rtunately , we can get by with

jus t a few . L et 's lo ok at so me bas ic flo ats and ways o f fis hing

w ith th em .

Fixed Stem FloatsS tem flo ats co ns is t o f a s tem , us ually with a p ear o r cigar-s hap ed

bo dy fo r added buo yancy . T hos e s tem flo ats witho ut the body are

referred to as p en cil flo ats o r q uills .

S tem flo ats used to be made from wooden stems with co rk bodies .

These days , many are made from p las tic. M os t have a p las tic o rrubber s leeve, which fits over the s tem at the top to fix the flo at in

p os itio n o n th e lin e.

2. When the required amount of

l ine has been passed through

sleeve and line guide, slide the

sleeve back over the stem to fix

the f loat in posit ion on the line.

1. The first step in rigging

with a stem float is to

remove the sleeve from

the stem and pass the

line through i t, then

through the line guide at

the bottom of the stem.

FLOfiT FISttlttG

3. Having fixed your float in position on

the line, tie on your hook and weight

the l ine with sufficient split shot to keep

the float in an upright position. The split

shot are clamped at intervals along the

ine above the hook.

We use a number of small weights (split

shot) instead of one larger weight, firstly, to

allow us to ballast the float more accurately,

and secondly, to minimise the pendulum effect

caused by a single large weight.

While the pendulum effect does not seem to deter

predatory fish like bonito, barracouta, tailor and salmon,

it is to be avoided when seeking shy biters like luderick.

It can also cause the leader to tangle around the main l ine

when casting out.

Some stem floats (like those used for luderick) carry sufficient

ballast at the bottom of the stem to keep the float upright. This

feature allows the angler to use, just enough weight (split shot) to

present his bait in respect to depth and tide.

51



itIGS: FLOAT FISHING

Bob FloatBob floats are popular among pier fishermen seeking

mullet and garfish. The floats come in several sizes and

consist of a plastic sphere, usually red and white, with

a spring-loaded catch to fix them onto the line.

Although Bob floats are among the easiest floats to use,

their application is limited. They tend to slide along the

line and the spring mechanism corrodes fairly rapidly.

Fixed Waggler Float

Wagglers are stem floats, and stem floats can be

rigged as wagglers. However floats designed to be

rigged as wagglers carry their body (if they have a

body), lower on the stem, and the line guide at the

bottom of the float is straight.

Alternative Running Float

A running float may also be rigged by attaching a leader of heavy line

to the lighter main line; say a 30 kg leader to a 10 kg mainline. We

do this using the Improved Albright knot I have already described.

This rig is favoured by anglers live baiting from the rocks for pelagic

fish such as tuna. You will appreciate that once

the leader knot is on the reel, the angler

has more control over the fish below. He

may even be able to lift smaller fish like

bonito straight out onto the rocks

without gaffing them.



3. Shown is the Ezy Rig which slides along the line like a running sinker. It

allows a bomb sinker, which would normally be tied on the end of the

line, to be used as a running sinker.

It consists of a plastic barrel, which slides along the line, to which is

attached a metal snap for changing sinkers as required.

Fixed Sinker RigsPaternoster,or Fixed Sinker Rig,

using Locked Half Blood Knot for

all connections.

A preferred option when rigging for

maximum strength such as in surf

casting.

Paternoster,or Fixed Sinker

Rig, using loop connections

for convenience and speed.

The hooks are attached using

Twisted Dropper Loops so

that they stand away from themain line and don't tangle.

Sf iLTWf iTEi t

Paternoster Rig

Paternoster Rig wi th hooks

on droppers secured with

triple surgeon's knot

Running Sinker Rigs

1. Shown is the simplest of all running sinker rigs with the

sinker running all of the way down to the hook. Although

simple and effective, this rig has its l imitations.

First ly, the sinker can't be too large because i t may

crush any of the bait threaded up the line above the hook.

Secondly, no provision can be made for using a heavier

leader to the hook, a desirable feature when seeking

large f ish l ike mulloway and big snapper.

2. Shown is a more complex running sinker

rig featuring two hooks on a separate

leader one sliding along the leader and

one tied on the end. At the other end of

the leader is a solid metal ring to which

the hook leader is tied, the knot shown in

both cases is a blood knot.

53



Baiting up and Fishing with Tuna Circles

R IG S : S AL TWATER

Rough Bottom Rig

T un a circles are fis h h oo ks w hich d iffer from co nventio nal h oo ks

in that the po int o f the hook faces back toward the shank at

s ome th in g ap p ro ach in g a rig ht a ng le.

T he tuna circle is des igned to trap any ridge o f cartilage,

bo ne, gill-arch, lip , to ngue, jaw hinge etc, in the gap between

the p oint o f the ho ok and the shank, a situatio n o nce initiated

is almo st imp os sib le t o rev ers e, h en ce t he ir e ff ec tiv en es s.

T un a circles h ave lo ng been u sed b y commercial lo ng -lin -

ers , p articu larly fo r larg e p elag ic fis h like tun a, b ut th ey w ork

eq ually w ell o n all s pecies from bro adb ill to b ream .

T hey are es pecially effective in g am e and s po rtfis hing s itua-

tio ns where the fish m ay take a long time-so metimes hours -

to bring in. T his is becaus e, o nce they are in p lace, tuna circles

are v ery d if ficu lt t o d is lo dg e.

T hey are als o p articularly effective in bo ttom b ou ncin g in the

deep sea where any fish, o nce hoo ked, must be bro ught up a

very lo ng w ay , s om etim es s everal hu ndred m etres . T un a circles

s ave th e d is ap po intm en t m an y d eep s ea an giers exp erien ce o n

b attlin g a really heavy b lu e ey e trevalla, trum peter o r w hatever,

only to lose it when the hook tears out as it is nearing the boat.

A ng lers rarely us e tu na circles : F irs tly , th is is b ecaus e th ey

are us ually fo rged in very heavy gauges to w ithstand the

s tre ss es o f la rg e f is h h oo ked o n h ea vy lo ng -lin es : S eco nd ly

they m us t be baited co rrectly o r they will no t wo rk.

T he firs t s ituatio n is being rem edied by ho ok

A. Big splash water bomb balloon inflated to

thumbnail size to buoy bait up from bot tom.

B. Bait rigged on two hooks and secured

with hosiery elastic (Bait Mate).

\C. Solid metal r ing or swivel.

F . D. Bal l sinker threaded on knot

tag from main line.

E. Removable spl it shot clamped onto

knot tag to hold sinker in place.

manufacturers: T o date I have a sam ple o f light gauge "W as abi"

tuna circles in s izes 1/0 to 5/0 fro m the New Z ealand firm

"B lack M agic" and have been ass ured by o ther ho ok m anufac-

tu rers th eir p ro du cts w ill be s oo n b e availab le as w ell.

T he s eco nd s ituatio n is rem ed ied b y th is article w hich d etails

s om e deadly m etho ds o f baiting with tuna circles. L et's see ho w

the job is do ne.

1. This simple method of rigging a

strip of fish or squid is

surprisingly effective when

f ish are "on the go". The

main disadvantage of

baiting like this,

particularly with

sof t baits, is that

the bait is likely

to be pulled

right off the

hook by small,

unwanted

species before

a big f ish comes along.

2. This is the first step to

making a str ip bait more

secure when the

fishing is a bit

slow, or, when the bait is deployed at

some depth where it may be inconve-

nient to check i t of ten. The diagram

shows the leader being pulled right

through the bait .

3. Next we fold the strip and impale

the fold with the poi nt of the hook.

Not too deep mind you because

we don't want to obst ruct the gap

between the point and the shank. If

we do this, then the hook becomes

ineffective.

The f irst step

in making the

hook appear

less conspicu-

ous is to cut

the strip of f

below the

hook.

4. This is a more secure bait

presentation. Some anglers

may be deterred by seeinghow proud the hook sits out

from the ba it, but that is a

situation which can be

section over

tightly and

impale

the fold.

7. Push the folded strip down into the curve of the

hook. This is a very effect ive bait presentation which

substant ially hides the hook without reducing its ef fi-

cacy. Its disadvantage is that the bai t is incl ined to

spin on the ret rieve or when fished in a current.

The spinning bai t problem is substantially solved in

deep sea presentat ions when the hook is rigged on a

twisted dropper loop which is far less inclined to spin

and tangle around the main l ine.



Double Pinch Method of

Strip Baiting Circles

W hen baiting s trip s o f squid o r fish o n circle ho oks , care needs to

be taken no t to obscure the gap between the po int and the shank.

The double p inch m etho d o f baiting s trip baits o n circles m eets

t ha t r equ ir ement .

1. Pinch the strip at oneend and push the hook

over, and through the

bend.

2. Shown is the bait

3. For added security a

second pinch is made

just over a hook length

from the first and the

R IG S : SALTWATER

5. The bait may be made

more att ract ive by f i rst ,

trimming the ends off

the strip.

Rigging Circles on Cable

C ircle hooks , like the M ustad 39960, may be rigged on7 s trand o r 49 s trand cable to great effect on sharks

and o ther gam e fis h.

1. Thread the cable through

a suitable size metal

sleeve, then

through the

eye of the

hook from

the front.

2. Loop the cable

around the front

of the shank, back

through the eye of

the hook and then

through the sleeve.

Extend the loop of cable,

put in a half twist, and

loop it over the point of

the hook.

4. Take up the loop,

slide the sleeve right

up the hook, then -

using a set of crimp-

ing pliers - crimp

the sleeve f irmly so

the cable cannot slip.

6. Then impaling

those ends onthe hook.

The knot used here is the Nail Knot with Loop refer to page 9.

5. Trim the tag from the

cable and the hook is

secure, but kicked out

at a sharp angle to the

cable.

6. The bait, in this

case a fish fil let,

is secured to

the leader using

electrical cable

ties, taking care

that the hook

remains kicked

out f rom the bait

at an angle.



i tI OS : S fi LTWf iTE i t

Live Baiting with Tuna Circles

T una circles are p ro bably the bes t live baiting ho oks

ever des igned. T his is ho w to bait them.

Baiting Tuna Circles with Soft Baits

Tuna flesh without any skin on it, a

h and fu l o f p ip is , m us sels o ys ters ,

p ieces o f cray -tail and bait fis h like

s lim y m ackerel an d p ilch ards w hich

have been frozen then thawed o ut

ag ain are s oft baits .

W e attach thes e so ft baits to tuna

circ le h oo ks u sin g h os iery elas tic w hich

is s old in fis hing tackle o utlets as B ait

M ate. H ere is how we bait up with a

p ilch ard. A s lim y m ackerel req uires th e

same t re atmen t.

3. Bind the bait tightly all

the way down to the

hook.

l. Impale the bai t f ish

sideways through

the nose.

bait. Note particu-

larly that the gap

between the point

and the shank is not

obstructed.

1. Dr ive the point into the bait just

behind the breast bone, but not

too deep. Then push it forward and

bring i t back out again.

2. Lay the leader alongside the bait with a st rand

of Bai t Mate, preparatory to commencing a

binding down the bait from the tail wrist.

4. Then bind it all the way back again,

continuing right past the tail, then

back to the tai l wrist before snapping

the elastic so that it bites into the

bait and will not come undone. These

baiting methods ensure excellent

results with conventional hooks as

well , but they are part icularly suited

to tuna circles because they do not

obstruct the gap between the point

and the shank.



Fish Head on Two Hooks-

When pickers and lice are on the job, flesh baits do no t las t

very long. T hat is why fis h heads , like this sm all barraco uta

head, are preferred w hen seeking large fish like snap per

which may take their time in coming along.

leader through

the sliding

hook.aws with

the sliding

hook.

and pin the head above

the gil l cover as shown.

Rigging with Wire: Flemish Eye

The Flemish Eye is used to attach hooks, rings and swivels to seven

and fo rty -nine strand wire when spo rt and game fishing. The Flemish

E ye is secured with a s leeve, which is firm ly crimped with a special

pair o f p liers called a crim ping to ol.

l.First sl ide a sleeve of the correct size over the

wire you are using. The size of sleeve required

is speci fied on the packaging of the wire.

Sleeves may also be supplied with the wire.

2. Thread on the hook and

in the wire on the

eye of the hook.

~1(iS: SfiLTWfiTE~

1. Tie one hook to the end

of your trace of leader

and bind the other in

place using hosiery

elast ic (Bait Mate) so

that i t sl ides under

pressure.

hooks once more by

pulling the leader

gently through the

binding on the second

hook.

5. Slide the Flemish EY~

up tight on the eye of

the hook, slide the sleeve

r"";~~~,,-right up against that,

then cr imp the

sleeve with the

crimping tool.

4. Thread the tag through

the sleeve alongside the

standing part.

Multiple Hook Rigs:

Double Rigging on Wire

T wo -ho ok rigs are us ed in gam e

f is h ing, p a rt icul arl y when t ro ll in g

lu res . T his rig, w hich co ns is ts o f

tw o h oo ks , a s wive l, a len gth o f m ulti-s tra nd

w ire an d c rim pe d s lee ve s, is as semble d

u sing a s eries o f F lemis h

Eyes, a conf igura ti on

described above .

6. Trim off the tag

and your hook

is secure. Or, an

alternative is to

leave a short tag

which is taped

to the

standing part to

avoid injury from

wire splinters.



Rigging with an Egg-Shaped Bubble FloatB ubble flo ats are us ed in fres hwater fis hing. T hey are m ade fro m clear p las tic and m ay be sp herical o r egg-shap ed.

B ubble flo ats are designed to be p artially filled with water to give them added weight fo r cas ting. T his is achieved by

rem oving bungs in the s pherical flo at and by dis placing the central tube in the egg-s hap ed flo at.

T he bubble flo at is rigged as a running flo at but differs from mo st running flo ats in that it do es no t suspend the baited

ho ok. T he baited hoo k is susp ended from a tiny seco ndary flo at which is fixed o n the line to regulate the dep th at which

the bait w ill be p resented, and as a s to pp er on which the bubble res ts when being cas t o ut or retrieved.

FRESHWf iTER

3. Shown is a length of pliable,

extruded foam from which

4. Make a hole right through the piece of foam

with a needle. Should you use a piece of

cork, you will need to heat the needle fi rst

so you can burn a hole through it.

5a. Thread enough

line through

your piece offoam for your

hook-length

or leader.

line back

through the

foam to fix it

into position.

5c. I suggest threading

the line through the

foam a second time,

just to make sure it

won't slip when you

cast out.

58

1. Displace the centra l tube and

partially f ill the float wi th water

so it will be heavy enough to

cast out.

Replace the tube

and thread your

l ine through the

float.

2b. Occasional ly a small bal l sinker

is first threaded onto the line.This is only done when the

angler is f ish ing from a wind-

ward shore. When the rig is

cast out , the sinker rests on

the bottom and prevents the rig

from being blown ashore.

6. Shown is the completed rig baited with

a dragon fly larva. The baited hook is

suspended from the tiny piece of foam

so that the fish can take the bait with-

out having to move the bubble float

which would probably scare it of f .



3. Make a series of tight wraps down the

shank of the hook. Eight wraps are

shown here but the number of

wraps is determined by the size

of loop required. Then thread the!l~ther end of the leader back '

through the eye of the hook I

eaving a loop large enough to make

several more wraps around the hook.

4. Turn the hook

around the other way

and commence

wrapping the entire

hook and standing part

of the leader - the part

you just passed back through the

eye of the hook - with the loop.

Close the loop by extract i ng

the standing part of the

leader with one hand

while holding the wraps

against the hook

with the other.

7. Trim the tag

up short and

the knot is

finishei/

R IG S : F RE S HWAT ER

Bumper Knot or Salmon

T his kno t p roduces a lo op alo ng the shank o f the ho ok enabling the

use o f so ft, delicate baits like salmo n ro e. W hen tes ted this kno t

retained the full breaking s train o f the line.

six or seven

wraps.

1. Begin with 24 to 30

inches (60 to 80 cm)

of leader material

and thread one end

through the eye of the

hook.

2. Adjust the length of the tag to the length

of the hook and begin wrapping the

shank of the hook, and tag, with the

standing part of the leader. Wrapping in

an anti-clockwise direction is

suggested because this makes finishing

the knot easier.

Lay the standing part of the

line alongside the second

hook to be added and twist

a loop into the line near the

eye of the hook as shown. The method of wrapping the added hook

is shown and becomes relat ively easy with

practice.

C: : :Ow;"he single hook Bumper knot

and trim the tag.

Double Hook Bumper KnotU sed fo r s lo w-tro lling, and drifting w ith s mall, live and dead fis h

baits fo r a variety o f s alt and fres hw ater p redato rs , the do uble ho ok

B um per kno t is well wo rth learning ho w to tie.

A fter adding a seco nd ho ok to the leader, it was sho wn during

tes ting that p rem ature s ep aratio ns co uld o ccur if the ey e o f the

ho ok w as threaded befo re w rap ping w as co mm enced. T his

hap pened when weight was exerted o n the bo tto m ho ok caus ing

the line to p inch down into the gap between the end o f the wire

fo rm ing the eye and the shank o f the hook. The p roblem was

comp letely o vercome b y u sin g th e fo llo win g s trateg y.

Commence a series of

t ight wraps down the

shank of the hook, just

as we did when attach ing

the f irst hook.

Rigging Spinnerbaits

C am ero n Jo nes d evis ed th is in ven tive m eth od

to allo w quick

chang ing sp inne rba it s .

3. This can be prevented by a short

length of plastic tube, the type

used for aquarium aerators.

4. Just slide the piece of hose

over the bend in the wire

before attaching the snap.

2. Trouble is, sometimes

the snap slides up

one of the arms, ruin-

ing the presentation.

59



R IG S : F RE SHWATER

How to Hook Freshwater Baits

SCRUBWORMS

Earthworms and scrubworms are excellent bait

for most f reshwater species. They may be used

singly or in a bunch of two or more as shown

in these diagrams.

BARD IGRUBS

Bardi grubs are a great Murray cod bait . They

are best f ished alive but will soon die and

discolou r if pierced with the hook. Th is is

why we bind bardi grubs to the hook with the

elastic thread Bait Mate to which we referred

BARDI GRUB TIPS

To best prepare bardi grubs for storage,

blanche grubs in boi ling water for 28 seconds

and freeze overnight. Then store in freezer

bags-almost as good as fresh baits and will

keep for ages.

Try Fred Jobson's method to make bardi

grubs irresistible by cut ting a large fresh grub

in half and filling the body of the grub with a

f ish scent , such as Halco Scent .

CATERP ILLAR

Best hooked through the body.

60

MUDEYES

Mudeyes, the aquatic

larval form of various

dragon flies, are prized

for bait . Most ly they

are used live, the hook

penetrating their newly

forming wings.

GRASSHOPPERS

Grasshoppers are

most effective when

lightly hooked and

drifted downstream

MAGGOTS

Blowf ly maggots are used in fresh water

for a wide variety of fish, but will take

saltwater species like garfish,

bream and whiting to name

just a few.

Maggots are hooked in the

tail (large) end on a srnall

hook say size 12 down

to 16. They may

be used singly

or several at

a time.

FR ES HW AT ER C RA YFIS H

Freshwater crayfish are usually f ished live

with the hook through the tail, with or with-

out a running sinker. Remove or break the

moveable joint on pincers to prevent it f rom

crawling under snags.

When using dead crayfish crush the body

to bet out all juices. Place a piece of bardi

grub on hook end as shown.

SHR IMPS

Hook in tail and always use live if possible.

They can be single hooked backwards or

double rigged with the hook through both tai ls.

~\ 1I'

t / , .

\ ,

M INNO WS & GALAX ID S

Minnow are used for t rout in fresh water. Two

minnow hooked on the same hook will often

be taken eagerly when single presentations are

ignored. Try any of the presentations shown,

twin minnow hooked through tail , above the

lateral l ine behind the shoulder, through the

upper jaw or with two hooks and a half hitch

on the tai l.

W HITEB AIT & G LA SS IES

Hook through gill and eye with a half hitch on

the tail. Also can ernploy a free running hook

and at tach just forward of tail . To rig whi tebaitfor t roll ing behind a downrigger hook through

the jaw and again under the belly.



R IG S: F RE SHWATER

Soft Plastic Rigs

T EX AS R IG

The advantage of Texas rigging a worm is to allow

the angler to f ish in heavy cover without hanging up.

Use an intermittent and slow retrieve.

This is a very effective rig for \

covering lots of water fast. Best Iused off points and on humps.

Slow retrieve.

/--)'\SPL IT SHO T R IG f / (Similar uses to a

Carolina Rig but also

useful in running

water.

RIG GING A JIG HEAD

Jigs are an effective presentation

for soft plastics. The exposed point

allows for better hook set tings. It

Rigging Rubber Worms on Worm Hooks

HOW TO RIG A RUBBER WORM HOOK : BERKLEY

To rig a worm, start the hook in the nose of the bait and

bring it out 1/4 inch from the nose. Slide the worm up over

the eye and rotate the hook 180' and re-enter and push the

hook back unt il it's just under the surface of the worm.

M U ST AD W EIG HT ED

WORM HOOK

MUSTAD POWER LOCK

WORM HOOK

R EN OS KI E AS Y

WORM HOOK

M U ST AD W EIG H TE D

WORM HOOK W ITH

POW ER LO CK



GAME AND SPOitT

, Rigging a Strip BaitT his is an excellent w ay o f rigging an unw eighted s trip bait o n heavy tackle.

It is ideally s uited fo r drifting do wn a berley trail becaus e it can be dep lo yed

a nd retrieve d co ntin ually w ith ou t d efo rm in g o r s p in nin g.

Yo ur leader m ay be heavy ny lo n m ono filam ent o r m ultis trand w ire and y our

ho ok s ho uld be s traight, no t kirbed o r revers ed, becaus e this m ay caus e the

bait to s pin.

In addition to your hook, leader and bait, you will need a length o f .7 mm

galvanis ed tie w ire w hich is available fro m alm os t every hardw are s to re.

Should.7 mm no t be available, you can use .8 mm.

1. First cut a sui table str ip,

either from a small tuna

or other oily fish. The st rip

should be in the shape of an

elongated, isosceles triangle.

Cut off the pointed end so

there is some width to the

narrowest end. Then, using

your hook as a needle,

draw your leader through

at the narrow end, then

back again about a third of

the way down.

= = - - . .

3. Turn you hook around

and, with the point of

the hook facing away

f rom the leader and

down toward the end of

the bait, push it into the

skin side of the strip.

4. Then back out the same side so the point of the

hook emerges from the bait near the end of the

strip.

Having secured the hook in the bait, we now

need to secure the leader to the bait with the

galvanised tie wire. Push a 30 cm or so length

through the bait where you first punctured it with

the hook.

5. With the bait central on the wire, bend both wire

tags back along the leader and, beginning as close

as practical to the end of the strip, wind one tag

t ight ly around the other, and the leader, in series of

barrel rolls.

6a. Having completed about eight

wraps, wrap the protruding tag

tightly around the leader also,

making sure that you leave

about 10 cm of tag st icking

out f rom each wrap.

/' 6b. To break the tags off close to the wraps, we

/~i- bend the tag over so that it f.orms a handle

or crank. Do this with each tag in turn.\.

, ~S= 6c. Using the handle you have made,

~ wind the tag around until it breaks

off. Do each in tu rn so that there

are no sharp tags to catch in your

hand or clothing.

Shown is the

completed bait.

62



1a. The bridle i tsel f is simply

a short length of

monofilament with

itIG S: G AM E & SPOi tT

Making a Double Loop Bridle for Live Bait Trolling

5. Pul l the second loop right though

and hook it over the point of the

hook. Then disengage the loop

from the open-eye needle.

T ow ing bridles fo r live bait tro lling vary a go od deal.

W e us e the do uble-lo op bridle p re-tied in m ono fila-

ment because it allows the bait to be attached and

p laced back in the w ater in the s ho rtes t p os sible tim e:

This is aro un d 15 s eco nd s fo r p ractis ed o perato rs .

To make a do uble-lo op bridle we need a rigged

leader w ith a s uitable ho ok attached, a length o f 24

kg m on ofilam ent o r th ereab ou ts , an o pen -ey e live-b ait-

ing needle and a loop gauge which can be a pencil o r

pen.

2a Then we tie another sliding noose in the

other end of the monofilament, keeping

in mind the bridle needs to be_q:;u:;,it~e'91ffqr;.~nshort, say 100 mm for A.

towing striped tuna

and about 75 mm for

slimy mackerel or frigates.

Tying bridles of

this short

length does

take a li tt lepractice.

2b. Close the loop up on

your loop gauge or

pen, but not so tight

that you can't get

i t of f.

4. When the bait fish comes aboard,

the hook is usually cut st raight of f to

save time, and the needle is passed

straight through the eye tunnel of the

bai tf ish taking care not to damage the

eyes.

6. The bait is placed back in the water and trolled slowly, usually as slow

as the boat can go - and if possible - back toward the shoal of fish

f rom which the bait was caught.

Note there is a little slack in the br idle. This allows the hook to fold

bait easily when it is taken by the game f ish. Anglers who rig the

hook too tight ly on the head miss fish because of this.

lb. We begin by tying a

noose on the hook

and pulling it up tight

using the knot con-

figuration shown here

and elsewhere in the

book as a Centauri

knot.

3. Slide the loop off

your loop gauge and

engage your open-eye

live baiting needle.

\,

7. The angler holds the line by hand and pulls about twenty metres of

line from the reel to act as a drop back when the fish takes the bait.

At this point the drag adjustment on the reel should be just heavy

enough to prevent an over-run when the drop-back is taken up.

The fish is struck by the angler by placing the reel in strike drag,

and signalling to the boat driver to accelerate the boat forward. This

takes up any slack line in the water and, hopefully, hooks the fish.



R IG S: G AM E fi S PORT

Rigging a Garfish as a Skip Bait

G arfish may be rigged as s kip baits o n either heavy m ono filam ent o r w ire. T his m etho d deals w ith rigging a garfish

o n m ono filam ent but 49 s trand cable co uld be s ubs tituted w here m ackerel o r o ther "to othy critters " are s ought.

To rig this bait you will need a large garfish, a length o f heavy mono filament o r 49 s trand cable w ith a suitable s ize

hook fo r the garfish you are us ing, and a ro ll o f 0.7 o r 0.8 mm galvanised tie w ire which is available in hardware

s to res . A n awl o r s to ut needle is als o useful fo r m aking p ilo t ho les fo r the wire.

1. Begin by taking 60 cm or so of the galvanised wire, bending it over

and twist ing it together to form a baiting needle.Push the rounded end into the gills of the gar , down through body

and out of its anus. Then, thread the bend in the wire with your

leader and draw it inside the body of the gar.

2. Pull the leader all of the way through until only the curve and

spear of the hook protrude.

3. Take a 30 cm length of your galvanised wire and bend it into a V

shape but with one side of the V about twice as long as the other.

Push the long side of your wire V down through the centre of

the gar's jaw hinge. Then, push the short side of the V through

the gar's beak, r ight at the apex of the bottom jaw.

You may need to use an awl or stout needle to make the pilot

holes for the wi reo

64

4. Push the wire V right down so it's flush with the jaw hinge and the

longer side of the wire now faces forward alongside the bil l.

Next, wrap the short piece of wire around the bill of the gar, the

leader, and the longer piece of wire.

5. Having used up the short piece of wire wrapping the bill, leader and

long end of the wire, snip the bill off just ahead of the wraps, then

wrap the leader tightly with the longer wire until it too is used up.

6. Rigged this way the gar can be trolled as a skip bait to entice a

wide range of pelagic f ish including tuna, sail fish and marlin.



Geoff Wilson's passion for knots and their correct

tying and application comes to life with the release

of this first full colour edition of Geoff Wilson's

Complete Book of Fishing Knots and Rigs. For the

first time you can combine the detailed and preciseinstructions-complete with written description and

intricate drawings-for tying each knot with a full

colour macro photograph of the completed knot.

Additionally, Geoff demonstrates the tie of

many of the line to terminal tackle knots-both

monofilament and superlines-in Geoff Wilson's

Fishing Knots and Rigs Instructional DVD that is

included free in this package.

Knots covered in this book include attaching

lines to terminal tackle, tying loops, special knotsfor super lines, tying and attaching leaders, tying

doubles, making up fly leaders and basic rigs-for

fresh and salt water.

With this new package there is no excuse for any

angler not being able to tie the correct, perfectly

secure knot every time.

"AFN~ AUST:ALIAN FISHNG NETWORK

ISBN 186.513100-8

Published by Australian Fishing Network

48 Centre Way, Croydon South, Victoria, 3136

Tel: (03) 97614044 Fax: (03) 97614055

Email: [email protected]: www.afn.com.au

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.afn.com.au/

http://www.afn.com.au/

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Fishing Knots & Rigs