I’m not a knot freak. Some anglers approach knots like an art form, which it can be, but I’m no artist. I’m a utilitarian.
And so it is that I spend 99 percent of my angling days tying a mere two knots. These two above (as illustrated by Rod
Walinchus for the book Trout Tips).
Nothing against knots, mind you. I once spent a good part of an evening trying to perfect the Bimini twist, which author Charles Gaines graciously taught me. I still practice it, but I think I actually use it about once a year.
Someone once told me that the two greatest “barriers” that inhibit people from getting into fly fishing are the challenge of the cast, and tying all those tricky knots. I do my best to work around that.
Still, if there are better alternatives to either of these, that are easier, stronger, and most importantly, teachable, I’d love the input.
—Kirk Deeter