A boy scout I am not...

[Deleted account]

2 hours ago, fishwizzard said:

I would love to take you up on that.  I used to work as a theatrical rigger and teaching new folks knots was one of my favorite parts of the job, and you are correct that a hands-on lesson is the fastest way.  However, having to suspend yourself 50' in the air with a knot you just tied also works well to keep a student focused.  

I can't get the picture of  Peter Pan falling flat on his (her) face after the flourocarbon fails...

[fishwizzard]

7 minutes ago, reason said:

I can't get the picture of  Peter Pan falling flat on his (her) face after the flourocarbon fails...

I believe they use spliced hollow core-ropes for most of that type of work, 2500lb test floro has too much memory.  

[J Francho]

KVD L&L, lol.

[fishwizzard]

Do they sell it in 55g drums?

[J Francho]

If it helped my memory, I'd bath in it.

[Angry John]

5 hours ago, J Francho said:

If helped my memory, I'd bath in it.

That's NoT HoW This works.  That's not how any of this works.

[ThatredneckguyJamie]

I tried the double uni knot..worked like a charm!

[Further North]

While I think the FG knot is better (smaller diameter), I think the Alberto knot is the easiest line-to-line knot.

 

Make certain the loop is in the leader (mono/fluoro/coated wire), and that your main line goes through the loop from the same side both times...and it's pretty easy.

 

I tend to think the FG knot is easier than most people do (It's really just weaving a line trap), but unless you watch a video and think, "That looks easy!" I'd start with the Alberto.

 

A double surgeon's knot isn't bad either, depending on low long your leader is...but it's not as a small knot as the Alberto, and nowhere the FG.

 

 

[hawgenvy]

Almost all knots are hard till you get used to them and practice them. Then they're all pretty easy. Like tying your shoelaces, which, if you think about it, requires a moderately complex knot.

 

I'm a surgeon and I can tie a square knot in the dark with my eyes closed using one hand in a quarter second. Now, I do some teaching, and I tell you the medical students these days, who don't practice knots like we used to do, more often than not can't put down a single throw of a simple square knot without getting all confused and all thumbs, and all embarrassed. I'll let them try one knot during surgery and if they can't do it I'll tie the rest of them or we will be there for hours. Inside someone's living body is not the place to practice your knots.

 

Now if the student has any motivation, they'll spend a whole bunch of hours practicing one-handed and two-handed square knots, and next time in surgery they'll get to do a bit more and learn a lot more and enjoy it a whole lot more.

 

My point is that it takes a ton of practice to tie any knot effortlessly and precisely, and for anglers the time to learn a new knot is at home, especially in the winter -- not out on the water where it counts.

[Further North]

20 hours ago, hawgenvy said:

I'm a surgeon and I can tie a square knot in the dark with my eyes closed using one hand in a quarter second.

I have a humorous question: Do closing your eyes and being in the dark make 2x harder? 

[FishDewd]

This is really intended to be a leader to tippet knot, but I have used it to join all sorts of lines together. It's very strong, but probably isn't the trimmest to tie. Still, it's easy once you learn it.

 

Alternatively, I also like the Albright, improved Albright, and Alberto knots. I never have been able to do an FG knot, it never cinches down well for me, and the hitches never work properly. I've been practicing it on/off but I've never been happy with it. So far, that's about the only knot aside from the Trilene knot that I haven't been able to tie when it comes to fishing knots.

[hawgenvy]

1 hour ago, Further North said:

I have a humorous question: Do closing your eyes and being in the dark make 2x harder? 

Yeah, because when the lights are on I sometimes peek.

[Further North]

1 minute ago, hawgenvy said:

Yeah, because when the lights are on I sometimes peek.

I thought I was the only one who did that.

[Boomstick]

I usually use either the palomar or the uni knot, depending on what I feel like. Also I always think if it's windy, a palomar would be much easier to tie, but experience has taught me the opposite is true.

 

Occasionally I will use an improved cinch knot because they are so quick to tie, but they do not hold anywhere near as well as a palomar or uni, which I never have problems with on any line.

 

The knot I struggle with is the FG knot, so I use the double uni knot to join lines. So far I have had no issues there either.