BLOG: Knot too bad?

Fishos by nature are very precious people. I say this with a hint of sarcasm but in actuality I don’t think I’m too far from the truth.

In this game there seems to be a great divide in popular opinion in just about every facet of what we do from the rods and reels we use, opinions on boats, techniques, locations, fisheries policy and just about any other variable you can think of.

Most of this ends up as friendly banter but on occasion I’ve seen fishos get a little hot under the collar. I guess it’s just a primitive throwback to the days where the best hunter got the most eligible chick in the tribe. Nowadays it’s just the dude with the most money!

One area in particular that gets the competitive juice flowing is knot tying. I have had more "discussions" about what I would consider the best knot for a given application than I care to remember. The one thing that stands out about all this is I rarely have the other person in agreement. There are literally hundreds of different knots and many different knots might suit an application. Knowing which one to choose at times can be difficult.

One example stands out in my mind. I fish plastics in estuaries almost exclusively. While in this pursuit I have tried numerous knots but I find two knots are superior for this application. I use an Improved Albright for my main to leader connection and a Lefty’s Loop Knot to connect my jighead.

Now I don’t get too precious when fishos show me other comparable loop knots as I feel there are a few of similar grade. However, in light line classes the Improved Albright is the supreme main to leader connection by a considerable distance. I hear people push the barrow for the Double Uni or the Slim Beauty.

These in my opinion are great for heavier line classes but in the light line SP game, there is no comparison. The improved Albright is extremely slim and can be tied blindfolded. The only drawback is the knot strength is a little poor, usually breaking at 70-80 per cent of the line class. While this may seem unacceptable, in light line classes when would we need to be at full lock up on estuary species?

Do you agree with me here? Or will this be another slanging match about which knot is better?

Go to our Practical section for videos on tying many popular fishing knots.