How to Duncan Uni Knot Animated knots

How to Tie a Cat's Paw Knot

How to Tie a Cat's Paw 

Connect a swivel to a double line with the Cat's Paw, a proven knot. 

 Also referred to as an Offshore Swivel Knot, the Cat's Paw is an effective and easy knot to use when attaching a monofilament double line to the ring of a heavy-duty swivel. Start by taking your double line and placing it through the eye of the swivel. Then make a half turn of the loop.

 Fold the loop back over the double line and hold both sides of the loop open, leaving enough room to flip the swivel back through the loop.

 Start passing the swivel through the opening you've created. You'll want to pass the swivel through the loop more times if you're using light line and fewer times with heavy line. When using 50-pound monofilament, five loops will suffice. If you make too many loops the knot will be difficult to cinch and wont sit correctly.

 Once you've made a sufficient amount of passes through the loop with the swivel, lubricate the mono with some saliva and begin to draw the Cat's Paw tight.

 Slowly tighten the knot using two hands. Pull the swivel with one hand and the double line with the other.

The finished knot is very strong because the stress is distributed along multiple wraps instead of a single pulling point.

Story and photos by Steve Dougherty.

How to Tie a Bristol Knot

How to Tie a Bristol Knot 

The low-profile Bristol Knot provides an ideal line-to-leader connection.

 The low-profile Bristol Knot's strength makes it ideal for joining a heavier leader to the double line of a Bimini Twist, Spider Hitch or similar loop knot. The Bristol, also known as the "no-name" knot, is easy to tie and a preferred connection for longer, stronger leaders with spinning and casting tackle. With a Bristol Knot tied to the end of a double-line formed from a loop knot, the line and leader slip easily through rod guides. This knot is especially effective when tying a fluorocarbon leader to a braided double-line loop.

 STEP 1: Pass the tag end of the heavy leader through the loop of doubled line.

 STEP 2: While keeping your index finger hooked around the leader as shown, wrap the leader five to seven times around the double line.

 STEP 3: Pass the tag end of the leader back through the loop formed by your index finger, and in the opposite direction of the original wraps.

STEP 4: Moisten the knot with saliva and cinch it down very tightly by pulling firmly on both the leader and the double line. Trim the tag end, which should protrude at a 90-degree angle when the knot is seated properly. A closely trimmed tag end makes for a very streamlined connection that will easily pass through guides, wind onto your reel's spool, and be less prone to snagging weeds and grass when retrieved.

Text and illustrations by Tom Waters

How to Tie the Double Improved Clinch Knot

How to Tie the Double Improved Clinch Knot 

Learn to tie an improved version of this favorite fishing knot.

 Quick and simple to tie, the standard Improved Clinch Knot has long been a favorite for attaching mono and fluoro lines to hooks, terminal tackle and lures. While the breaking strength of the standard Improved Clinch Knot knot is already considered to be 95% or better for up to 50-pound test, doubling the line to create a Double Improved Clinch Knot will add further strength. Doubling up is particularly useful when targeting bigger fish with smaller-diameter lines.

 Double the line, bringing the tag end back parallel to the standing line so there is about eight inches of double line to work with. Take the end of the double line and pull about three inches of it it through the hook eye. Wrap the double tag end five times around the doubled standing part of the line. For both the standard and double knot, testing has shown that five wraps is optimum, but some use 10 to 15 wraps with slick braided lines to help prevent the knot from slipping.

 Pinching the coils with one hand, use the other hand to push the double tag end through the small loop formed near the hook eye. Pull the double tag end through the loop, then pass it back through the large loop you just created.

 Moisten the wraps. Then, while holding the tag loop and wraps, slowly pull on the standing lines to seat the knot tightly, being careful that the wraps around the standing lines don't overlap each other. Because this knot tends to continue cinching up each time pressure is applied, an overlap wrap can eventually cut into the wraps beneath it and weaken the knot. Complete by trimming the tag end loop close to the last tightened wrap.
Text and illustrations by Tom Waters.

How to Tie a Knot Bimini Twist

How to Tie a Knot Bimini Twist

When properly tied, the Bimini Twist is stronger than the original rated breaking strength of your fishing line. The Bimini is the primary knot used for making double lines in offshore trolling applications. It is also used to fashion shock leaders for casting, fly leaders, or as a connection for attaching swivels. The following directions are for creating a double line of five feet or less -- two people are usually required when tying a 15- to 30-foot Bimini (IGFA-compliant) double line. A lot of practice is required to tie this knot correctly, but those who become proficient can tie a 20-turn Bimini Twist using mono in less than a minute.

STEP 1: Measure a little more than twice the length of main line you'll want for the desired section of double line. Then, double the tag end of the length back against the standing part to form a loop. Hold both the tag end and the standing line firmly with the left hand, while you slip the four fingers of your right hand in the loop. Separate your hands to keep the loop tight. Then, rotate your right hand 20 times (30 or more times if your main line is braid) in a clockwise direction.

STEP 2: Prop up your right foot to bend your knee. Slip the loop in your right hand over your knee, keeping the line tight with your left hand so the twists don't unravel. Separate the standing part of the line (left hand) from the tag end (right hand) so they form a 90-degree angle. Pull the tag end and standing section of the line toward you evenly, maintaining tension and a 90-degree angle. The twists will tighten and draw down towards your knee.

STEP 3: Once the twists are tight, shift the position of both hands to the right, keeping the 90-degree bend. The standing line should now be inline with the twists and the tag end at a right angle to them. As you pull on the standing part with your left hand, the tag end in your right hand will start to feed over the twists. Maintain moderate tension, but allow the line to feed (A). Place the forefinger of your right hand inside the loop and pull toward you to help the tag end feed smoothly (B).

STEP 4: When the wraps over the twists reach the junction of the loop, hold them against the twists with the forefinger of your left hand (A). Make a single half-hitch with the tag end around the right leg of the loop and pull the tag end (B) until the half-hitch seats. You no longer have to maintain tension and may remove the loop from your knee. NOTE: With braided line, consider tying a half-hitch or two around each leg of the loop, followed by two to four half-hitches around both legs.

STEP 5: To finish the knot with a locking hitch (uni-knot), hold both legs of the loop together with your right hand. Lay the tag end against both legs, leaving enough slack underneath to form a small semi-circle. Wrap the tag end around both legs of the loop five times, passing each turn inside the loop. Moisten the wraps, then work the tag end back toward the twist slowly. You may have to use the thumb and forefinger of your right hand to draw the wraps back repeatedly as you tighten so that they don't jump over the knot. Draw the locking hitch down as tightly as you can (use pliers if necessary) and trim the tag end a 1/4-inch from the knot.
Illustrations by Tom Waters.

How to crimp your connections so they don't slip.

How to crimp your connections so they don't slip.

Crimps are aluminum-alloy sleeves made for monofilament connections. This type of crimp can be used on leader ranging from 50- to 900-pound test. Crimps are used mainly on heavier monofilament lines where they outperform bulky knots. The crimps pictured above work on 200- to 600-pound test.

These shorter crimp sleeves are better suited for cable. Longer aluminum crimps are preferred for monofilament because they grab more line and don't pinch a small area, which can cause damage to mono.

The basic crimping tool offers several hole sizes to fit the various sleeves used to meet the thickness of the line. For lighter lines that require smaller sleeves, you should always use a light-duty pair of crimpers so you don't apply too much pressure and damage your line.

To create a loop using crimps, start by sliding a sleeve that matches the thickness of the line onto the end of leader.

Taking the end of line, run it back into the sleeve leaving a loop that is larger than the one you plan to use. Bring the end of the line flush with the end of the sleeve so the line does not extend outside the crimp or get pulled inside.

With the end of the line flush with the edge of the sleeve, begin to slide the sleeve up the line to make your loop. Adjust the sleeve until you get a loop size that fits your needs.

Place the sleeve into the groove on the crimping tool that fits the sleeve you're using. Leave a small amount of the sleeve outside the jaws of the crimping tool.

Compress the sleeve with the crimping tool. With a small amount of the sleeve left outside of the tool, the sleeve should flare its edges so it does not pinch the line with the edge of the crimp.

The final crimped connection should look like this. The sleeve is compressed, but the line is not pinched and retains its full strength.

To add extra protection, tubing can be added to the loop before making your crimp. The tubing is also matched with the line size, helping you create a solid loop that is resistant to chafing.

When done correctly, crimps will give you a streamlined, solid connection that won't fail under pressure.

How to Tie a Figure-8 Knot

How to Tie a Figure-8 Knot . 

This knot improves on the classic Figure-8 to reducing slipping with heavy lines.

 A traditional Figure-8 Knot can slip when used with heavier lines and wire. That led to saltwater tackle expert David Justice experimenting and devising a "modified" Figure-8 Knot that eliminates slippage when used with braided lines and heavy monofilament. The knot also works with coated braided wire and kink-proof nickel-titanium wire leaders (both single and multi-strand), which have grown in popularity among those fishing for toothy critters like bluefish, king mackerel and wahoo.

 STEP 1: Pass the end of the leader through the eye of the hook and around the standing part of the leader.

 STEP 2: Bring the tag end through the original loop (nearest the eye of the lure or hook), then back through the second loop formed when the tag went around the standing line. Note: If you miss the second loop and only pull the tag end through the third loop formed when passing the tag back through the first loop, the resulting knot will fail by slipping badly under most circumstances.

 STEP 3: Grip the hook or lure in one hand and pull firmly on the standing part of the line or wire to seat the knot properly (pliers can be useful with heavier wire). This knot will not slip, even with a closely trimmed tag. It makes for a nice compact knot that's ideal when using hard-to-see-leaders to attract more strikes from wary game fish.

Story and illustrations by Tom Waters

How to Tie a Knot Albright Special

How to Tie a Knot Albright Special

 The Albright Special has long been the angler's "go-to" knot for joining two lines of unequal diameters. It's most commonly used by big-game fishermen to create heavy shock leaders. When used with a Bimini Twist on your lighter line, you can create a knot system that has nearly 100% breaking strength. The Albright Special is also a favorite knot for tying monofilament or braided lines to wire leaders when fishing for toothy critters. Anglers fishing clear waters with braid can also use the Albright Special to attach a low-vis fluorocarbon leader for line-shy fish.

 STEP 1: Double the tag end of the larger-diameter line to form a small loop and hold it in your left hand. With your right hand, push the tag end of the smaller-diameter line through the loop (as shown), leaving 10 or 12 inches for ample room to tie the knot.

 STEP 2: Slip the smaller line under your left thumb about 6 to 10 inches from the tip of the tag end. Then, using your thumb and forefinger, pinch the line firmly against the larger strands of the loop. With your right hand, start wrapping the smaller line away from you and around the loop, working from left to right toward the round end of the loop. Each wrap should shoulder the one before it.

 STEP 3: Make 10 to 14 consecutive wraps with the smaller line around both legs of the loop (you can use fewer wraps with heavier line, but no fewer than 20 to 24 wraps when using braid). From the bottom up, push the tag end of the smaller line back through the loop, being sure that it exits on the same side of the loop from which it entered. Moisten the knot before beginning to tighten.

 STEP 4: With the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, carefully slide the coils of the smaller line neatly toward the end of the loop, but stopping 1/8 inch from the loop's end. While still holding the lines with your left hand, use pliers with your right hand and pull hard on the tag end of the smaller line to draw the coils tight so they can't slip off the end of the loop. Then pull firmly on the standing part of the smaller line. Moisten the knot again and alternately pull hard on the tag end and standing part of the smaller line one more time.

  STEP 5: Finish the knot by using both hands to grip the standing parts of the smaller line and larger line, then simultaneously pulling them as hard as possible to firmly seat the knot (take extra care not to slice your hand if using braid). Trim the tag ends. When tied properly, this knot has a comparatively low profile, allowing longer leaders to flow smoothly through the guides when casting and retrieving.

Text and illustrations by Tom Waters

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