Carp Catchers Blog

The Needle Knot is a very small neat knot used to tie a mainline to a leadcore leader. As for knot strength the needle knot rates at approximately 100%. The kneedle knot is the prefered knot when considering carp safety as due to its compactness it allows beads, hooklinks, rings etc. to slide of easily in the event of the mainline breaking. The Items you will need to tie this knot are leadcore in this instance I am using ESP Bulk Spool Leadcore  in the Choddy Silt colour, a largish sewing needle, a lighter, some scissors and your mainline obviously.

Step 1

Pull out an inch or two of the lead from the leadcore.

Step 2

Snip of the lead wire

Step 3

Insert the kneedle into the empty leadcore sheath and seal the fibres with the lighter to prevent fraying

Step 4

Thread your mainline through the kneedle and thread the kneedle through the leadcore and out of the side approx. half an inch in

Step 5

Pull the kneedle and mainline through the leadcore sheath

Step 6

Lay the kneedle alongside the leadcore sheath like so

Step 7

Whip the mainline around the leadcore and kneedle 5-6 times in the direction of mainline

Step 8

Thread the tag end of the mainline through the eye of the kneedle

Step 9

Pull the kneedle and tag end through the loops created by the whipping

Step 10

Moisten the knot then slowly pull the mainline and tag end in opposite directions to bed down the knot

Step 11

Carefully snip of the tag end

The Finished Kneedle Knot

Your knot should look even neater as I have used an extremely thick line for photographic clarity.

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Best fishes,

John�

The Leader used in this demonstation is the ESP Tapered Shockleaders tied using the Mahin Knot.

Step 1.

Form a small overhand loop with the shockleader. (See picture below)

Step 2.

Now pass your mainline through the loop. (See picture below)

Step 3.

Then whip the mainline 7 times up the leader. (See picture below)

Step 4.

Now whip the mainline 6 time back the other way and pass it back through the overhand loop. (See picture below)

Step 5.

Moisten the line thoroughly and slow tighten it down so it forms a nice neat knot and trim the tag ends. (See picture below)

The shockleader is now ready to use, the knot needs to be atleast 3 turns onto the spool with the knot positioned at the bottom of the spool to avoid it getting snagged on the cast.

Tight Lines

David

Leader knots are used for tying leaders of any sort from your mainline, leaders can be used for shockleaders when casting long distances or spodding as at a higher breaking strain they will take the force of the cast without the risk of cracking off. Leaders are also used for certain fishing situation where they maybe required for their abrasion resistance.

The Leader material used in this part of the demostration is the 5olb Korda Arma Kord, which is a braided leader material.

Step 1.

Hold your mainline and the arma-kord running parallel with each other but with the ends in opposite hands. (See picture below)

Step 2.

Now with the braided Arma-kord form a loop alongside your mainline to begin the grinner knot. (See picture below)

Step 3.

Pass the end of the Arma-Kord round the mainline and through the loop 4 times. (See picture below)

Step 4.

Moisten the knot slightly a tighten it down slowly making sure its nice and neat. (See picture below)

Step 5.

Now repeat the process with your mainline, forming the loop then passing it round the Arma-Kord and through the loop 4 times, before moistening the knot a gently teasing it tight again making sure its neat. (See pictures below)

Step 6.

Gently tease the two knots until they are sitting tight together and trim the tag ends. (See picture below)

Your now ready to use the leader, you want the leader atleast 3 turns onto your spool with the knot at the bottom lip of the spool so it doesn’t snag when you cast.

Part 2 will show you how to tie another leader knot but this time with a nylon leader.

Tight Lines

David

The Domhoff/Dumhoff Knot is a whipping knot traditionally used to attach line to spade end hooks. However more recently it has become very popular in tying The Chod Rig and The Hinged Stiff Rig. These two rigs are normally tied using hooks with an out turned eye some good examples are, the ESP Stiff Rigger MK2  , The Korda Choddy Hook and the Gardner D-Ceptor Carp Hook.

Step 1

Form a loop in your hooklink material

Step 2

Lay the loop against your hook and grip firmly

Step 3

Wind the hooklink once round the hook away from the join in the hooks eye

Step 4

Grip the turn with your opposite hand and continue winding the line round the shank of the hook towards the point. Do as many turns as is necessary, at least five.

Step 5

Pass the end of the hooklink that you have been winding round the hookshank through the loop created in step 2.

Step 6

Lubricate the turns with saliva and pull the two ends of the hooklink.

Step 7

Trim the tag end.

Step 8

Finally bed the knot down to the eye and you’re done.

That’s it, hopefully you will now be able to add the Domhoff/Dumhoff Knot to your carp fishing armoury.

Best fishes,

John

�

Which hooklink? good question, I’m going to run a little mini series featuring the most commonly used hooklink materials. I’ll also discuss the accepted wisdom as to their best use.

Coated Braids

Coated Braids as the name suggests are supple braid hooklinks covered with a thicker, stiffer material usually a plastic of some description. Some good examples are:-

    Sufix Camfusion             Atomic Jelly Wire             Super Mantis

These coated braids have a plastic coating. The coating can be stripped back to reveal the supple inner braid so that you have a stiff section running from the swivel towards the hook and a supple section near the hook. This is essentialy a combi link rig but easier to tie, which is the main reason coated braids were developed. Coated Braid Combi Rigs can be used with bottom baits or if you put some tungsten putty where the coated section ends, pop ups. Coated braids can also be used without stripping back any coating to produce a stiff rig with increased abraision resistance.

Cut your desired length of coated braid, decide how much coating you want strip and grip tightly with your thumbnail (if you have any).

Dig into the coating with your thumbnail and pull away till the coating is removed.

If you don’t have any nails get yourself a  Korda Strippa Tool  they strip away the coating quickly without damaging the braid, they’re brilliant.

korda Hybrid Stiff/Soft

Korda Hybrid Stiff  and  Korda Hybrid Soft  differ to the above because they have a fluorocarbon coating which is both stiffer and heavier than the plastic coatings. Because of their inherent stiffness the Korda Hybrids need to be steamed over a kettle to straighten them and to bed down knots though this is extra work it is worth it.

There are lots of different combinations that can be tied with these hooklink materials, imagination being the only limit.

Best fishes,

John

�

The D-rig has many uses in carp fishing but the D-rig tied in this demonstration is best suited to a bottom bait, my chosen bait for this rig is a bunch of maggots tied onto the rig ring with bait floss.

The components used in the demonstration is the Korda IQ Xtra Soft Flourocarbon Hooklink with a Korda size 8 Wide Gape and a Korda Rig Ring.

Step 1.

Start by cutting a 10 inch length of the IQ hooklink, then attach the hook with a knotless knot leaving an inch above the hook. (See picture below)

Step 2.

Now slide a rig ring onto the IQ above the hook. (See picture below)

Step 3.

Then thread the IQ through the back of the eye to from a small D with the rig ring running on it, trim the excess and blob the end with a lighter being careful not burn yourself or the hooklink below the hook. (See pictures below)

Step 4.

Pull the rig ring gently so the blobbed end sits against the eye, it should look like this.

Step 5.

Now tie a figure of eight loop in the other end of the IQ and trim the tag end. (See picture below)

The finished rig should look like this.

Tight Lines

David

The 5 turn grinner knot can be used for a variety of purposes such as tying hooks to hooklinks, swivels and leaders to mainline and floats to marker set-ups etc. The items used in this demostration are Gardner Mugga Carp Hooks and Nash Bullet Braid.

Step 1.

Firstly pass the braid through the eye of the hook twice to create a small loop. (See picture below)

Step 2.

Then double the tag end over the form a loop along side the longer length of braid. (See picture below)

Step 3.

Now while holding the loop in place pass the tag end around the longer length of braid and through the loop. (See picture below)

Step 4.

Repeat step 3 until you have passed the tag end through the loop 5 times and slowly tighten it down. (See picture below)

Step 5.

Now slowly push the knot down so it is sitting tight to the back of the hook. If tying this knot with mono make sure you moisten it enough and be careful not to kink it while tightening it up.

Below is a picture of the finished knot.

Tight lines

David

The Palomar is possibly one of the best knots you can use to attach swivels and leaders etc to you mainline as its small, neat and doesnt slip like some knots can do. The swivels used in this demonstration are Korda Size 8 Ring Swivels which can be used in conjunction with any of the korda lead clips or inline leads.

Step 1.

Double over the end of the line you wish to tie the swivel to and pass it through the eye of the swivel. (See picture below)

Step 2.

Now tie an overhand knot with the doubled over line. (See picture below)

Step 3.

Pass the swivel through the loop (The one to the right of the swivel in the picture above). (See picture below)

Step 4.

Now moisten the knot and slowly tighten it down making sure the loop you passed the swivel through sits above the knot away from the swivel. When tightening the knot start by tightening down the mainline end first then tighten down the tag end, this will prevent the knot kinking and weakening the line. Then just trim down the tag end.

Heres a picture of the finished knot.

Tight lines

David

The figure of eight knot is a knot used by many anglers for a variety of situations, I personally use it when tying a loop in the end of my rigs for quick attachment via a clip or when using a Atomic Rockbottom Clamlock Swivel. It also prevents coated braid hooklinks from breaking the coating at the knot which creates an unwanted hinge below the knot.

Step 1.

Double over your line or hooklink material. (See picture below)

Step 2.

Now form a loop with the doubled over line/hooklink material. (See picture below)

Step 3.

Grab the loop formed and twist away from yourself whilst holding the loop together. (See picture below)

Step 4.

Now pass the end of the doubled over line/hooklink through the back of the twisted loop to form what will look like a figure of eight, if you have achieved this then you’ve got it right. (See picture below)

Step 5.

Moisten the knot and slowly tighten it down starting with the hooklink end, then the tag end. Don’t tighen down the tag end first or it will cause the line/hooklink to kink when you tighten it down. 

This is what the finished knot should look like.

Knowing how to tie a Knotless knot will enable you to tie up a basic hair rig which can be used to fish with baits such as boilies, pop-ups, particles and other hard baits which can’t be hooked. Once you’ve made your hook and hooklink choice you are ready to go, the hook used in this demonstration is a Korda Wide Gape Hook size 6. 

Step 1.

Double the line over to form a loop. (See picture below)

Step 2.

Now tie an over hand knot with the loop and tighten down slowly manipulating the knot to make the loop as small as possible, this is for your hair stop so you dont want it too big. (See pictures below)

Step 3.

Pass the other end of your length of hooklink through the back of the eye on the hook so the hair is laying up the back of the shank and hold the hair against the back of the hook at your desired length, it will need to be matched to the size of bait you plan to use. (See picture below)

Step 4.

While holding the hair in place whip the other end of your hooklink away from the join in the eye 6-7 times round the shank towards the point of the hook. (See picture below)

Step 5.

Now whip the hooklink once around the shank moving back down towards the eye, if using mono or flourocarbon hooklinks this will prevent the knot slipping and moving the hair round the shank or from breaking under pressure near the eye when using a hook with an inturned eye. (See picture below)

Step 6.

Pass the tag end of the hooklink through the back of the eye holding the knot in position so that the hooklink is coming out the point side of the hook, it is very important that this is done correctly as it will create a slight angle to help the rig with its hooking potential. Moisten the knot and tighten down carefully. (See picture below)

Step 7.

Now the knot is complete you can either tie the other end of the hooklink to a swivel or tie a figure of eight knot which can be attached to your lead setup via a hooklink clip such as a Korda Kwik Link.

Tight Lines

David