blood knot woes

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mike_richardson

mike_richardson

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I have been trying to get the hang of the blood knot. It seems that it is basically 2 classic knots that connect each other together. My trouble is once i wrap the tag end and bring it through what is the best way to finish the knot. I have dampened the twists to allow a smoother slide. but do you pull both tag ends or putt the line itself. I want to get the hang of this knot to start tying my own tapered leaders.

Any insight?
 
The key to blood knots for me is twofold. First finger position and second tag lengths. First finger positon. After taking the right hand piece around 4 times I come up through the two pieces of line and run the piece over my index finger and use the middle finger to hold it in place and then wrap the left hand section 4 times and bring it down through the loop created. I pull both tags tight, moisten with my saliva and then pull the other ends to complete the knot. Clip the tag ends flush. Second, if you have long enough tag ends, you simply pull on the other two ends and the tag ends will not come back through. My standard formula for tying knotted leaders is to start the knot 1.5" less than I want the section to be. So if I'm connecting .015 to .013 and I want the .015 section to be 12" start my blood knot at 10.5".
 
Thanks for the insight. I was reading up and watching videos on you tube and they were suggesting 8 wraps.

no wonder my line was flying all over the place.

So when you pull the tag ends tight is snugs it up a bit to prevent slippage that when you pull the line ends it completes. I will keep playing with this i have to that were completed sucessfully and the other were the know but perpendicular to the line. I think i figured out what i did wrong with those however.
 
8 times is correct.

The trick I use is

Wrap 4 times, stick one tag end through, wrap 4 more, then stick the other tag end through.


With the first tag end through already, then it's easier to find the middle.
 
Yes 8 total but 4 on each side of the knot.
 
i wish to debate this a lil bit when using mono or flouro that is at least two sizes or diameters different a 5/7 blood knot is better... 5 wrps of the heavier material,and 7 wraps of the thinner material.. i believe its 0.002" difference in material this know will not slip like a normal blood knot that sometimes fails.
 
I have NEVER had my 4 & 4 blood knots slip. So I see no reason for me to do anything other than 4 & 4. But that's the beauty of this sport, no one way to do almost anything.
 
I also don't have 4x4 knots slip.

When making leaders at home, I make proper blood knots. But sometimes on stream I struggle a lot to do it, especially if cold or in a hurry. In those cases, I give up, lol.

I instead make double clinch knots, just both lines clinched to the other. I know technically it's not as strong, but it never breaks on me, even with steelhead and such, and it stays in line like a blood knot. And it's easier because you can do one knot then the other. I never break fish off, I only break lines when snagged. Honestly, probably 1 a year, no more.

I probably shouldn't lead you into my bad habits, but there it is.
 
I think Lonewolve is suggesting the different wrap totals for lines we dont normally bloodknot. His example is tying a 7x directly to a 5x. This is interesting and will be tried by me next time as I assure you sometime this year I'll be out of 6x while on the stream.
I can make it work with the normal knot method, but it never really seems to set quite right upon tightening, no matter how much assistance and manipulation.
 
I, too, will try it but I often blood knot 5x to 7x when making leaders and the 4&4 works fine with them too. On the stream I simply use the improved surgeon's knot and that works fine.
 
I often blood knot 7x to 5x and don't really keep track of the wraps, which are anywhere from 4-6, maybe 7 since I'm not sure if passing thru the tag end adds another, usually try for 5 but sometimes lose count if I see a rise while re-rigging...
 
Tomi, that's why I prefer 4 & 4, since counting above that becomes a challenge for me. :lol:
 
I pretty much use a blood knot or my basterdized version of the blood knot only, throughout the leader, regardless of line diameters. There will be a nail knot to join leader and fly line. There will be a clinch to join tippet to fly. Everything in between is blood knots.
 
Sorry if you mistook me for saying a four wrap blood knot is bad, not what i meant at all.an yes i know how to tie knots properly as well as always spit on them before i ever even tighten them.The 5/7 Blood Knot is for ex tieng 5x to 3x or like that an believe me it does work.I also know you can say what you want but up On the Great Lake Tribs where you deal with large Salmonids on a constant basis i am speaking particularly of Lake Ontario sooner or later a blood knot will fail .
Murphy can strike when you least expect it, give it a try, especially when yer streamside an run out of say 5x and have to knot 6x to 4x......... i wasnt trying to demean your methods only to introduce another option is all.
I also enjoy using a surgeons knot too
 
Rick - The guy that popularized the 5/7 blood knot is Gary Borger. He recommends it for knotting material that is greater than .002" difference in diameter. In other words, materials greater than two "X-sizes" different. So 3X to 5X is OK to use an equal turn blood knot. The knot doesn't form well if the difference in diameter is too great between the knotted sections, hence the risk of knot failure.

I never use a blood knot on smaller than 2X tippet material. A double or triple surgeon's knot is quicker and easier for me to tie.

H.A.
 
That's strange. Well, maybe I'm strange. :)

I find blood knots easier with larger diameter than I do with small.
 
if your having trouble with blood knots you can always try
back-to-back uni knots....it will stay in line like a blood knot, is fairly similar (but i think easier) and the breaking strength shouldn't suffer too much........I think sometimes people don't realize that the difference between 96% knot strength and 88% knot strength with 4 lb tippet is less than 5 ounces....if that really matters to you then great but it can kind of make you wonder if the easier to tie knot may be the better way to go

for anyone wondering those were arbitrary numbers to show a point
 
All knots are easy to tie once you learn and get good with them.

Don't get yourself in bad habits like me, you end up regretting them and trying to break them, which is harder than learning correctly from the get-go because you always want to revert back to what you know. Pick one and go with it.
 
pcray1231 wrote:
That's strange. Well, maybe I'm strange. :)

I find blood knots easier with larger diameter than I do with small.

Yeah, me too - hence the no blood knot thing below 2X (diameter). I find the 5/7 blood knot most useful when transitioning from Maxima Chameleon to softer tippet material. Once I get to the tippet sections, it's the surgeon's knot for the rest.

I like to use a double surgeons knot when adding droppers to a nymph rig - the knot doesn't lay "in-line" as well as the triple surgeons, and the dropper tag tends to stick out at an angle. Helps keep the dropper from twisting around the rest of the tippet. Tying a blood knot to connect 4X to 5X would require way too much caffiene for me, let alone trying to do that in the dark. :lol:
 
Mike .........it's good 2 c u r still here. I have tried for almost a year now to find the TAP club you mentioned awhile ago and i have just about given up. Is it at the bottom of the dirt road that has the sign that says "Rifle Range" i fished the Wilmore Dam outflow and caught a few just last week , is that the north branch? If i could make arrangements to meet up with u out that way i will show u the easiest way to tie a blood knot you will never go back to doing it any other way or buying one of the many tools out there supposed to make it easy. For less than $20.00 u can put a kit together and tie your own leaders with ease , guaranteed. While fishing below the dam i ran into 2 local fellows who called that stream the "Little Conemaugh" is that the same stream? Get5 in touch. I ran into a fellow while fishing for steelhead in Erie who belonged to TAP and who said he knew you.
 
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