What are the three essential knots I need to know to get started?
I have this saying that the best knot is the one you know and I’m not trying to be a smart aleck. My guidance to anglers is to stick with the knots that they are confident in tying on the water because the last thing you want to do is waste precious fishing time trying to do so or worse, lose a fish because the knot came undone.
That said, there are a few staples if you primarily fish freshwater.
Jay’s Knot
Double Surgeons
Uni Knot
The first knot above is my favorite and one that you won’t find in any books on the subject. It’s a knot I learned from my father-in-law Carl. The instructional video on how to tie it step-by-step is available here. This is also a great knot if you fish the saltwater.
In general, I try to keep things simple and practical when it comes to knots. The test I use is whether the knots perform well when tied using both mono and fluorocarbon. If the answer is “yes”, it’s good in my book.
Now, things get a bit more complicated if you focus on big-game species in the salt or braided materials. but that’s a topic for a different day.
Jay
