Cinching a knot

[Backroad Angler]

Hey guys

When you cinch a knot, whether it's a palomar, clinch, san diego jam knot, or whatever, do you pull on the tag end only? main line only? or both? to cinch it down.  I've never really payed attention to it. I'm not sure if it really matters which way you do it, just got curious. I see videos and/or comments of people doing one way or another and wanted to see what everyone else does.

Thanks

[PourMyOwn]

I pull the tag end while I hold the hook with my other hand. Just as important, I wet the line just before there's any friction on the knot. Surprising how many people I see tie knots without wetting the line.

[Backroad Angler]

23 minutes ago, PourMyOwn said:

I pull the tag end while I hold the hook with my other hand. Just as important, I wet the line just before there's any friction on the knot. Surprising how many people I see tie knots without wetting the line.

Why do you pull the tag end instead of doing it the other ways? I agree, wetting the knot is an important step. 

[garroyo130]

I pull both and am probably overly careful when cinching knots. 

 

For example when tying a palomar knot, the tag end is what closes the loop that the hook goes through. I always make sure that that one is drawn tight and just over the hooks eye before grabbing both the tag and mainline and drawing them tight. While this is a small detail, in my personal unscientific tests this is how i get the best knot strength out of the Palomar. 

 

Also as noted above, wetting the knot is important. 

[Hammer 4]

I slowly pull both, making sure I have enough spit on the knot, and the line close to it. Making sure all your wraps are inline, and not crossed is important also.

[Team9nine]

Depends on the knot. For the Palomar which I tie the most and have used for probably 30 years, you want to pull both lines at the same time. Also, if tied properly, wetting that knot makes very little difference. Most times I don't.

  

[schplurg]

All I know is when I do a clinch I always have to push the wrapped part down with my fingers. If I pull both ends to tie it it NEVER goes down tight on it's own and I always wet it.

 

I do maybe 5-6 wraps. I suck at tying knots I guess.

[Backroad Angler]

I'll probably start making sure I pull both ends at the same time from now on!

Thanks for the replys guys

[basser27]

Pulling the tag end of a clinch knot isn’t necessary. I hold the tag end in my mouth with my hand on the hook or lure and slowly draw the knot up tight by pulling the main line.

 

palomar knot I draw both the main line and tag end tight, then pull the tag end by itself then the main line by itself. 

[PourMyOwn]

11 hours ago, JoshFromBolo said:

Why do you pull the tag end instead of doing it the other ways? I agree, wetting the knot is an important step. 

garroyo said it better than I could have. His response answers your question.

[J Francho]

It depends on the knot.  Palomar, I pull both until snug, then cinch the tag.  Uni, I cinch the tag, but slide the knot tight to the bait. Same for an Alberto.  Cinch, I pull the both tag and main, but it doesn't seem to matter which.  Like T9, I don't wet the knot.  With any knot, if the main line isn't kinked, and it passes the pull test, you should be fine.  You can get really scientific process oriented like me, and test actual strength of the knot when practicing by attaching a spring scale to a vice and pulling until it breaks to be really sure.

[Brad Reid]

Well, a knot of any sort has to be snug as it is required for what makes them work best: surface or skin friction.

 

But, if one really yanks hard on a tag end, what you are in essence doing is flattening and stretching the line from that end, especially so with monos and stretchy lines, and making it harder for the wraps above it to bite down. It'll fail more often.

 

What you really want is similar to a tight ring stuck on a finger where as you attempt to pull it off, your skin bunches up in front of the ring in the direction you are pulling. It blocks the ring from coming off. So, you soap up your ring finger, friction is eliminated, and the skin doesn't get dragged up into a hump.

 

But, for a knot, we want to be "dug in." You want the wraps to press down as much as possible into the tag end material in a relaxed state. Stretching line taut makes it rather denser, harder to dig into for a good hold. You want the wraps tight, yes, as in that taut state they'll dig in better, but you want the tag end line down, the receiving end, rather relaxed (comparatively) for the best contact. 

 

I first saw this demonstrated by an elite angler and lure maker, Bo James, warning viewers to not over-pull on the tag end of a double uni knot he ties as best as any I have ever seen. Man, he ties a great knot!

 

Brad