A lot of skill and practice go into becoming proficient at most outdoor activities. Casting a fly, wing shooting, bow hunting, paddling or poling a canoe, blowing a duck call, and even using an ax to prepare firewood all require training and repetitive practice to ensure efficiency and safety. Beyond learning initial competence with a particular rod, gun, bow, call, or any other particular piece of outdoor gear, new and different styles or upgrades of gear require sportsmen not just to maintain each ability but likely to improve it.

Oddly, however, some skills are accepted as status quo by even the most forward thinking outdoorsmen. A perfect example of this is the ability to tie knots, and certain of these practiced knots in the cast-and-blast community lend credence to “old habits die hard.” I’m as guilty as the next guy; up until four years ago, I used the same “fisherman’s knot” (a type of clinch knot) that my Dad used all his life and taught me more than 40 years ago. Regardless if I was tying a bait hook, plug, split ring and lure, or any size fly, the tried and true fisherman’s knot was the answer.

Then came the summer when I lost several trout, salmon, and striped bass because my fly knot broke or loosened and gave way. The final straw was the evening I lost three expensive topwater bass plugs, as well as the trio of hefty smallmouths attached, all within less than an hour. It wasn’t the fish’s fault and it wasn’t the line’s fault, the blame lay entirely on my shoulders, an ardent angler using antiquated ideas. Don’t get me wrong, most of the old, proven knots are good, but why settle for good when with no extra cost and just a bit of tutoring and practice a knot two or three times as strong and functional can be utilized.

Fishing knots

Let’s assume that most Pine Tree anglers enjoy rod and reel battles with freshwater trout, salmon, togue, and bass, and even when fishing inshore saltwater, a 50-pound trophy would push the size limit. Within these constraints, there are only about eight truly important knots to master, and once the reel and line are set up, only three specific knots get repetitive use for building leaders and tying on baits. Fly casters require more knots to join their backing, lines, and leaders than bait or spin casters, so an overview of their reel-to-leader tippet connections will include the right set of knots for most every outfit.

Over the years I’ve seen novice anglers attach monofilament, backing material, or running lines to reel spools with slip knots, square knots, and even half hitches, and if a big fish runs out all the line, each of these connections will fail under steady pressure. A simple but sturdy and tenacious line to reel-arbor connection consists simply of two overhand knots.

Pass the casting end of the line through the line guard, or under the bail in the case of a spinning rod, then around the arbor, pulling out 8-10 inches of tag end. Using the tag end, tie a loose overhand knot around the incoming length and another overhand near the tip of the tag end, then tighten and trim this last knot. Now pull slowly and firmly on the outgoing line and the first knot will tighten and slide, forming a loop around the spool arbor until the tag-end knot pulls into place against the first overhand knot and prevents any further line motion. Leader or line will usually break before this backing-to-reel knot lets go.

To connect two lines of different sizes, say backing line to a fly line, level running line to lead core, or even heavy leader to a fly line, a nail knot is the answer. Also called a tube knot, this set of interlaced loops is strong, getting tighter as more pressure is applied, yet compact enough to slide through the guides without snagging. Nail knot proficiency requires a bit of practice, but there are a couple of small tools manufactured to ease and quicken the tying process. A surgeon’s knot may also be used to connect line to line or leader to leader, but while strong, as well as simple and quick to tie, it results in a more cumbersome result not recommended for fly fishing.

A surgeon’s loop (not to be confused with a surgeon’s knot) may be used to connect a heavy butt section of leader to a fly line, but despite extra time and effort to tie, the needle knot is still more compact. When connecting various sizes of leader material, especially for long, tapered multi-section dry fly leaders, only the blood knot will do. For anglers who often use two flies, say a wet fly and nymph combo, there’s even a simple technique for a blood-knot with a dropper line.

Finally, we come to the terminal end of the tackle, where fly, hook, or lure is attached to leader or monofilament material. This connection must be quick and easy to tie since it is used again and again every outing, and it must be tough since it endures the greatest direct pressure and takes the most severe duress from casting pressure, underwater obstacles, and of course, fish. Fly casters must learn the improved clinch knot, also referred to as Duncan’s Loop. This is a stronger, more versatile version of the “fisherman’s knot” most of us learned years ago. When fishing flies with up-turned eyes, very common in Atlantic salmon patterns, veterans prefer a turtle knot for a firm attachment and proper fly posture on the swing.

Named after Berkley’s Trilene monofilament, the Trilene knot is perfect for bait hooks, plugs, and lures, especially with 4- to 14-pound mono or with 4- to 20-pound test fluorocarbon. More dependable than the widely used clinch knot, when properly tied the Trilene knot tests at almost 100 percent of line strength. Simply insert 4-6 inches of line through the hook eye, swivel, or split ring, then insert the mono through again forming a small, double loop. Hold the loop open and steady between the thumb and index finger of the off hand, then using the master hand, take five turns around the standing line with the tag end. Now insert the tag end through the double loop, moisten with saliva and pull the standing line to tighten the knot.

My favorite knot for attaching any hook or lure is the strong and simple Palomar. Less complicated and quicker than the Trilene or improved clinch knots, and just as strong as the Trilene, the Palomar is a must for bass casters and inshore saltwater anglers using mono, superbraids, and fluorocarbon. As with all the terminal tackle and joining knots, a lot of lubrication with saliva and a slow, steady pull on the standing line while securing the tag end will result in the firmest, strongest knots.

Travel knots

Every sportsman who’s going to haul, hang, or suspend a heavy burden, such as a deer or bear, secure a load for travel, or tie down a canoe, boat, snowmobile, or ATV must know four basic knots. Ratchet straps, tie-down belts, and bungee cords often aren’t the correct size or length or have unserviceable end hooks, if they’re available at all. It’s easy to store a hank or two of rope in a couple of sizes between 1/4- and 3/4-inch under a truck or boat seat, in an ATV storage bin, or in your knapsack, and it can be cut to fit any need in short order.

For tying a horse to a hitching rail, lashing game to an ATV, or just mooring a boat to the wharf, the old-fashioned clove hitch is tough to beat. This knot can even be formed using the center of a rope when both ends are already tied off. Since this knot can work loose over time, it’s not a first choice for long-term use, but for a quick loop to hold for several hours, clinch it with a clove hitch.

The taught-line knot is a first cousin to the clove hitch with the added feature of being adjustable. Perfect for hanging lines between trees or posts and for tent guy-lines attached to pegs, this sliding hitch grips and holds tight once adjusted. Remember to tie the double hitch around the length of rope you need to push against to alter tightness.

Consider how tightly a boa constrictor encircles its prey and you’ll understand the strength and uses for the constrictor knot. This easy-to-tie figure-eight style twist applies an untenable grip to soft material or curved surfaces. For lashing gear or meat to a pack frame, supplies on a horse, or just tightly securing a dunnage bag, the constrictor knot holds like a clamp. This knot’s benefit is it’s only disadvantage, it unties with difficulty, but then you don’t’ need to fret about it accidentally coming undone.

Perhaps one of the most useful traveling sportsman’s knots is called a trucker’s hitch by some and a transport knot by others. Used to secure a car-top canoe, tie down gear on a raft or on a tote sled for ice fishing, or to strap supplies to a pack frame for man or horse, this knot is a must. Moderately difficult to tie, the adjustable-tension knot applies downward pressure across a wide area to secure cargo in place. The trucker’s hitch is actually a series of simple knots, but it never puts a permanent loop in the rope and it’s invaluable in a multitude of sporting endeavors.

General purpose knots

Whether a sportsman needs to quickly rig a boat anchor, build a blind, replace some decoy lines, haul gear up to a tree stand or tie off to a tree and rappel down a steep bank, solid simple-to-tie, easy-to-use knots are a must. A quartet of favorites, old and new but useful every outing, would include a bowline, a double-sheet bend, a figure-eight, and the butterfly coil. All can be tied with little difficulty and will work using line as small as kite string or as large as tugboat hawser.

The bowline and its first cousin, the running bowline, may just be the world’s most recognized knot. From suspending food or gear above ground to dragging game, and from creating a snare to performing emergency rescue, bowlines do it all. It can be tied with one hand, it never jams, and it unties with ease. It is the magic rope trick.

Bend is the term used to describe tying two ropes together, and the double sheet and the figure-eight are the two most dependable knots for joining two shorter, different-sized ropes into one longer, stronger one. Using a square knot for this purpose is the most frequent error in knot tying and may lead to disastrous results when lives are at stake. Properly tying a bend is an essential outdoor tool.

While not a lifesaving knot, the butterfly coil will certainly save on frustration and frazzled nerves. It’s a fast, simple method of coiling or securing string, rope, or even electrical cords for transport or storage without any twisting, kinking, or tangles. Every one of these knots I’ve mentioned can be found in hundreds of books, magazines, and pocket cards, from the Boy Scout Manual to Search and Rescue guidelines to the L.L. Bean Fly Fisherman’s Knot Guide. Take a couple of cold winter evenings and bone up on how “knot” to be a klutz when loose ends need to be tied up on your next outdoor adventure.

Outdoor feature writer Bill Graves can be reached via e-mail at bgravesoutdoors@ainop.com