When fishing in saltwater or brackish water having the right equipment is vital. The choice of terminal tackle will depend on what you are after, however if you are targeting larger game fish then having a suitable knot for tying your braid to your swivel and leader is essential.
I have previously discussed how damaging even light lines can be to fish if they are not handled correctly, I'm sure we have all experienced the tragedy of losing a fish due to using a poor knot, and although it is sometimes just bad luck and maybe we should have known better, you can't put that one back and anticipation of landing that fish keeps us coming back.
So what knot do we use? The Turle Knot.
The turle knot is a simple knot to tie, especially if you use a pair of hemostats to hold the knot together while you tighten it up. It should be noted that you have to do both sides of the knot or it will not be as strong as using two knots. These can also be used in conjunction with a blood knot to add strength when joining two lines together.
I have been using the turle knot for over 35 years, and in all that time I can honestly say that I have never lost a fish due to the knot failing under load, this is not to say it won't happen because anything can happen, but my experience of this knot tells me it is one of the most reliable knots you can tie. I add a final touch to the turle knot by using a drop of super glue when I have finished tying it off, this further helps in making sure that the knot doesn't come undone.
The turle is also known as a double figure 8 knot, this is because the knot looks like 2 figure 8's side by side.
The turle knot can be used to join lines of differing diameters, however it is advisable to use a smaller line diameter for the leader as with all knots there will be some loss of strength due to using different size lines.
When you are dealing with line of different diameters it is important to make sure the knot is formed correctly and makes good contact on both lines.
When you are using this knot remember that some knots will slip when wet or if they get a lot of movement, this may sound obvious but sometimes we use a particular knot for so long we forget about its limitations. When your line is under pressure it will bind the knot more firmly, therefore when you are playing a fish it is advisable to keep your line taunt at all times. This will prevent the knot from slipping, if you slacken off on the rod and allow the fish to take line this can cause your knot to slip.
The turle knot should be used as a swivel to line fishing knot as it does not have any give in it, you should also never use this knot with braid as it can damage the braided main line over time.
An alternative knot which will work well with braid is known as a Bimini Twist Knot and I will be discussing this in more detail later on.
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