Insert the line through the eye of the hook, then pass the tag end behind the standing part, then over both legs of the loop.
Make another loop behind and then over both legs of the initial loop.
Now pass the tag end of the line between the top part of the loop and the standing part of the line.
To tighten the knot, hold the loop just above the hook eye and pull on the tag end. You should begin to see something that resembles a figure eight. If not, you probably need to try again. Now release the tag end, grab the standing end, and pull. The knot will slide down to the eye of the hook.
This is one of my favorite knots because, with a little practice, it's easy to tie, even with the kind of cold hands you get from sitting on the ice all day.
The key to tying this knot is to hold the hook in your left hand (if right handed) and as you make the loops around the legs, pinch them between your thumb and forefinger.
With both loops pinched between thumb and forefinger, you can now pass the tag end through top of the loop with ease.
The breaking strength of this knot is 95% of the original tensile strength of the line.
There are stonger knots out there but for me, it's worth the loss in line
strength for ease in tying. I've used this knot for over 30 years now and I can honestly say, I can't
complain. Try it and tell me what you think.
©2004 Terry M. Trier