Knots are one of the most used, yet least practiced aspects of the sport of fishing. Learning to tie correctly and quickly can be the difference between success or failure. The last thing any angler wants is to be fumbling with a knot while the bite is on or worse yet, losing a fish due to a bad knot. The very first skill we teach students in our fly fishing courses are the basic knots necessary to spend a day out fishing. We use a knot kit which is simply two different coloured shoe laces (one black, one white) and for the hook we use small screws that have a looped eye on them. With today’s vast array of fishing lines available in a multitude of materials, monofilament, fluorocarbon, braids, Dacron and more, an angler must take the time to find and practice the best knots for his fishing situation. There are some very good knot books available that have managed to illustrate the knot tying instructions extremely well. Many of these books come in a smaller size and in a zip lock bag so they can be carried with you, thrown in your tackle box or into the glove box on your boat. By simply searching "fishing knots" on the internet you’ll find a ton of sites dedicated to knots, many with video on how to tie them. One of my favorites is www.animatedknots.com. This site has many of the more popular knots demonstrated in full speed, slow motion or step by step. Just like many things in life the key to being good at knots is practice, practice and more practice!
