Scott: For anglers, knots truly are the tie that binds

It’s hard for me to find a worthwhile purpose for snow that’s deeper than my beagle’s legs are long, because if Grace is snowbound, then I’m snowbound.

There are several things I could do to occupy my time.

Preparing firearms for offseason storage or getting fishing gear in shape for the upcoming season would be good choices.

However, both of those tasks are normally relegated to the garage, and as of this writing, it’s so cold in my garage I’m using part of it as a walk-in refrigerator.

Instead of subjecting myself to temperatures that would only be bearable afield or afloat, I accept that I’m going to be snug and warm for a few days, and use the time to practice tying knots.

I heard that snicker. Let me know if you still think learning how to tie an appropriate knot is a waste of time right after you need to secure a load on a trailer, to restrain a dog, to hold a boat in place beside a crappie-filled tree or to connect several lengths of rope and cable after overestimating the capability of four-wheel drive.

Fishing is, by far, the most important reason to know how to tie knots because choosing the right knot and then tying it properly is essential for any angler who hopes to remain attached to a fish all the way from bite to boat.

I must not be the only one who thinks so. When I Googled “fishing knots,” pages of potential links popped onto my computer’s monitor.

The top site (marinews.com/fishing/fk — main.htm) provided step-by-step line drawings of more than a dozen knots, some of which I’d never heard of.

I bookmarked the site because I want to learn how to tie some of the unusual knots it depicts. But how many knots does a casual angler really need to know how to tie?

When my father was alive, he and my mother only went fishing when they were with me. Knots weren’t a problem for either of them, because rigging up was a simple matter of handing the rod to me.

When Mother traded her widow’s weeds for a new life, she and her new husband decided that fishing was too much fun to be limited to their infrequent visits to Sedalia.

Fishing on their own meant at least one of them — preferably both — needed to know how to tie a few basic knots.

After giving the matter considerable thought, I came to the conclusion that basic was the key word for anglers who, like my mother and Pat, just wanted to be able to catch fish without having to become computer savvy.

There’s no knot more basic than the loop. To tie one, just fold the last few inches of the line back over itself and then use the doubled line to tie an overhand knot after moistening the line with saliva and trim the tag end.

The resulting loop can be used with hooks, snaps and with lures. Loops can even be used to join two pieces of line.

On paper, the loop shouldn’t be an especially strong knot. In the real world, it’s the most fail-safe knot I’ve ever used. I’ve never had my line break at the knot when using it.

The International Gamefish Association claims that the Palomar is the strongest knot for use in monofilament and polymer lines.

It’s relatively easy to tie. First, double a generous length of line compared to the size of the hook or lure. Pass enough of the doubled line through the hook eye to allow you to tie an overhand knot around the doubled line in front of the hook. Then pass the hook or lure through the loop. Pull the knot tight first with the standing line and then with the tag end.

The uni-knot is a relative newcomer, but it’s a multi-purpose gem. To use it to attach a hook or lure, pass 4 to 6 inches of line through the hook eye and then use the line to form a loop.

Hold the loop alongside the standing line and pass the tag end over both the standing line and the line that forms the top of the loop and then through the loop. Repeat five times for light lines and four times for lines testing over 15 pounds. The knot is then pulled tight. Once formed it can be snugged against the hook eye or a small loop can be left between the knot and the eye.

Two uni-knots are the best way I’ve found to join two pieces of line no matter their relative diameter. I even use this method to join TyGer leader material to monofilament.

First overlap the last several inches of the two pieces of line. Tie a uni-knot in one line using the other line as a replacement for the standing line in the previous instructions. Repeat this process with the other line. The two knots are tightened and then jammed together by pulling on both lines. The tag ends can be trimmed extremely close, allowing the knot to pass freely through rod guides.

Those three knots are all 90 percent of all anglers will ever need to know. I rarely use any others myself.