Rigging for big game
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Do you know the breaking strength (as a percent of the tippet) for the Palomar? I’ve been using the clinch for so long, just because I learned it early and it works for me. But of course, when I say it “works”, what I really mean is sometimes it holds, sometimes it don’t!
Anybody know of an easy-to-access on-line table of the various knots and their breaking strengths? That would be useful to book mark.
Berkely did a series of youtube videos pitting different knots against each other using a test jig, and the Palomar knot was the champion. I have used it on many different sizes of tippets, and I can honestly say I would never say to someone “sometimes it holds, sometimes it don’t.” In my experience, when tied properly, the Palomar always holds.
Here’s my rig for musky:
I use 25 lb Flouro as my main line on SA sinking or intermediate 400gr for the 10 or 12 wt.
Do you know the breaking strength (as a percent of the tippet) for the Palomar? I’ve been using the clinch for so long, just because I learned it early and it works for me. But of course, when I say it “works”, what I really mean is sometimes it holds, sometimes it don’t!
Anybody know of an easy-to-access on-line table of the various knots and their breaking strengths? That would be useful to book mark.
Berkely did a series of youtube videos pitting different knots against each other using a test jig, and the Palomar knot was the champion. I have used it on many different sizes of tippets, and I can honestly say I would never say to someone “sometimes it holds, sometimes it don’t.” In my experience, when tied properly, the Palomar always holds.
Well, if your knots always hold, you aren’t fishing for big enough fish
I tie knots that I can tie fast, consistently, and preferably in the dark. I’ve boiled it down to this:
- Backing has a bimini twist large enough to pass a spooled fly line through for easier line changes
- fly line loop created by doubling over the line and whipping (nail knot) three spots together, sealed with pliobond or knot sense
- short piece of 30-lb mono tied to the fly line with a nail knot, and a perfection loop in the other end.
- leader connects to this via perfection loop
- connecting knots in the leader are triple surgeon’s knots (my blood knots suck and they take too long)
- fly is connected via non-slip loop (for streamers), improved clinch (tippet over 8-lb), or Orvis knot (tippet less than 8-lb).
The Orvis knot is supposedly 100%, ties small, and is pretty simple once you get the hang of it. However, fishing in the dark or with very cold hands I stay with a clinch. I seem to remember hearing that a well tied clinch is over 90%, and that’s good enough for me.
I’m not going for IGFA records, so if I’m really concerned about breakage, I use flourocarbon and upsize the leader.
Failures usually occur somewhere this side of the cork handle. 😉
Do you know the breaking strength (as a percent of the tippet) for the Palomar? I’ve been using the clinch for so long, just because I learned it early and it works for me. But of course, when I say it “works”, what I really mean is sometimes it holds, sometimes it don’t!
Anybody know of an easy-to-access on-line table of the various knots and their breaking strengths? That would be useful to book mark.
Berkely did a series of youtube videos pitting different knots against each other using a test jig, and the Palomar knot was the champion. I have used it on many different sizes of tippets, and I can honestly say I would never say to someone “sometimes it holds, sometimes it don’t.” In my experience, when tied properly, the Palomar always holds.
Well, if your knots always hold, you aren’t fishing for big enough fish 😉
Just kidding. I’ll take a look at the knot. Any idea what the breaking strength is?
I think it is rated upwards of 95% to 100% by most references, versus 85-90% for the clinch. I just don’t view the clinch as a powerful and trustworthy knot. Obviously, many others disagree as someone else has posted they use it too.
I have caught a lot of 10lb+ carp on 2x Maxima rated 6 lb test (a conservative rating imho) and I do not remember ever breaking one off at the knot (palomar). Obviously your mileage may vary, but may we all be catching fish that put our gear to a test of 100% its capacity and beyond! 😀
Tight lines,
I use the clinch knot a lot, especially for bonefishing. Most people don’t pull it up properly. You NEVER pull the tag to tighten this knot, only the standing part and it doesn’t need “improving” either. Adjusting the number of turns
You know, in real terms a Clinch Knot is nothing more than half of a Blood Knot, just as a Duncan’s Loop is half of a Double Uni Knot.
You know, in real terms a Clinch Knot is nothing more than half of a Blood Knot, just as a Duncan’s Loop is half of a Double Uni Knot. People swear by their Blood Knots but as Morsie says, how you tie it is just as important as the type of knot you choose if not more so.
The Davy Knot is a great example of this: with tippet that is approximately the size of the hook wire gauge (which works out to 5X or 6X for anything under #18), the Davy Knot is ridiculously strong, but if you tried to tie the same knot using 5X on a #4 bonefish fly, it’d fail immediately because the architecture of the knot would not set up.
Zach
That’s a great point.
I rarely use a clinch knot because I use fluorocarbon tippets, but I do use the Trilene knot sometimes.
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