Knots - Blood Knot

So tying knots is a pretty essential skill for those wanting to tie their own rigs. Here I'm hoping to use a few posts to demonstrate a few basic knots, and then show you the way I make my rigs. While there's no doubting the quality of ready made rigs, I found when I was just starting out that I gained greater satisfaction catching on my homemade rigs.

When it comes to knots I have been using the same ones for years but never bothered to learn the names. I have now found out that this one is called the Blood Knot.

In the example I am attaching 60lb rig body line to a swivel, the line is an awful yellow colour but it is easier to see than the clear line I normally use. To make it easier to see what is going on I have used marker pen on the loose "tag end" of the line. So here goes...

Step 1
Pass the line through the eye of your swivel/hook and bring the tag end along side the mainline.

Step 2
Twist the tag end around the mainline between 4-6 times. I find thicker lines (60lb+) 4 or 5 times is ideal, being secure and not too difficult to manipulate. Thinner snood lines (up to 40lb) I found tend to be more secure when twisting 6 times around.

Step 3
Bring the tag end back towards your swivel/hook as pass it through the gap between the eye and the first twist of line.

Step 4
Moisten the knot to prevent any friction damage. Then, pull the tag end and mainline equally until the knot compresses. Marker pen gone now, its easier to see without it now.

Step 5
Pull the mainline as tight as you can, you might need to push the knot towards the eye of your swivel/hook in order to make it neat and secure. Make sure the tag end is sticking out at 90 degrees to the mainline, if it is inline the knot has a chance of slipping undone under pressure.

Step 6
Trim the tag end, leaving just 1-2mm sticking out. This leaves the knot neat and aerodynamic while also giving a buffer. Trimming right down there is a chance that the tag could slip back through the loop under pressure.

And there we have it, the blood knot. Unfortunately the picture quality isn't great, and it was a challenge to keep everything in place and take pictures with only one pair of hands. I think there's enough to go at there, and hopefully I'll be able to improve the photos in the future.

27/01/17

It seems I'm running out of slightly inventive titles for each post. Anyway, originally I wanted to go down the Llyn but the weather kyboshed that, so the plan for today was to try a new mark for bass then have a crack at the rays. This was all heavily weather dependent, while the worst of the wind was on my back a strong swell was pushing up the beaches and rock marks.

It helped I was able to dig a few lug the evening before, meaning no early morning/night digging. I drove down to my intended mark without a hitch, until barely 100 yards from the car parking area I was greeted by a herd of marauding cows. I was unsure of them and they were unsure of me so I backed up out of their path and waited for them to move on. At least 1/2 an hour after getting there they started to move on, away from the road and across the field. Clear of the unexpected bovine obstacle I was out of the car and on my way down the well trodden path in double quick time.

I cleared the dunes to be greeted with a raging surf, breakers forming 200-300 meters out. In  hindsight I should have gone for waders and fished from the beach but as I was in boots I needed to find a spot high up on the rocks. I took a range of gear but only fished one rod to see how it behaved. Initially it was a struggle with the waves catching the line and dragging the weight around and after a couple of casts my mind wandered onto what I could be doing/where I could be fishing instead. Third cast I had all but decided would be my last before moving on, until I was re-awakened by a sharp tap. A couple of minutes later I felt the unmistakable rattle of a fish through the wind and the waves, struck in and it was game on!

It wasn't a huge fish just by the feel of it but the game was going to be landing it. I thought I could give it a well timed lift up the rocks with help from the swell. However I just found myself lifting the fish up and out while copping a soaking from the wave. Still didn't matter, mission accomplished.

As the tide dropped I decided to move a little further up the coast and try for another (rude not too) however finding another suitable ledge proved tricky. When I did find somewhere a combination of weed and waves made it difficult to keep my gear static. I gave it another hour and half before my optimism dropped and decided to make a break for the ray mark.

With no other cars there I got the ledge I wanted, but was met with a reasonable swell riding up the rocks. Was disappointed to find the rocks covered in other anglers rubbish, worse than I've ever seen it meaning I'll leave the place alone and find my rays somewhere a little out the way

. Fortunately the way the rocks face I was out of the wind again. I went all out with sandeel/squid wraps and big chunks of mackerel but it wasn't too be. Despite baits being munched every cast I landed just a couple of whiting, and missed the most obvious bite on my last cast. Not wanting to chance it in the swell any longer I had plans to head back out for bass with the last of the lug, however being cold, wet and hungry I couldn't face any more fishing and decided to leave it till next time.

Another Bass Attempt

Last night myself and Paul ventured out to the fabled "big bass mark" to try and tempt a monster.
Arriving at low the tide was well out, giving us a chance to locate the gulleys we would be fishing into as the tide filled. Everything was quiet for the first hour fishing but just as the tide got going I had a bite and a small bass was soon in and released. Paul had a whiting and not long after recasting I had another small bass. Soon I couldn't keep up with the bites, getting at least another 4, hooking and landing yet another small bass.

The action slowed after that hectic first hour, however this did coincide with me switching to straight squid baits, instead of using lugworm. Paul went for a slightly more mobile approach, getting into a small bass and a coalie, before we each used up the last lugworm, managing a whiting each in the process.

No pictures unfortunately, the camera was way up the rocks, and nothing was particularly worth taking a picture of. Maybe out later this week, might go for a change of scene if the weather holds.

First success of the year

So earlier today I set my sights back on catching my first bass of 2017. The plan was to dig lugworm on the island, then head over towards Holyhead to begin fishing. Got onto the beach, and took a walk down towards the water to try and find some bigger worms. Unfortunately they were all a fair bit smaller than I would have liked, and what I was used to. Still they would have to do. After a fair bit of walking on the soggy beach I happened to find out that my walking boots weren't as waterproof as they had claimed. Thankfully I had a spare pair of socks in the car, an essential item to carry!

I made my way to the fishing spot, the tide still well out. As I got unpacked I realised I had left a very necessary piece of kit at home, the top bar of my tripod! I did think about turning straight back around but I was here ready to fish so I plodded on and made do as best I could. I went for one big rod and my spinning rod with a light ledger.

I was on the phone giving directions to Arwyn when I saw a bite on my spinning rod. Unfortunately I missed it but had another bait out there in double quick time, only this cast I decided to hold the rod. This did the trick, as just as Arwyn arrived I had a bite and connected straight away. It didn't feel big but not wanting to lose it I took my time and gave it line when it ran. Eventually I had turned it and got its head up in the shallows and slid it onto the sand. A shimmering silver bass was on the sand, brightening up a very dull day. Not the biggest at 1lb but more than made up with it and after a quick photo it was out swimming from whence it came.

We fished on but for the next hour and a half the current picked up and brought with it a fair amount of weed. Darkness fell and now we were getting pushed up the rocky ledges. We decided on last casts, loading the hooks with 4 or 5 lug each using up the last of it. 10 minutes and I had a little rattle and soon a much smaller bass was on the rocks and back in the sea. Arwyn didn't have to wait much longer to get in on the action with a little bass about 8 inches long. Size definitely didn't matter today though, target achieved and the ball is rolling for the year now.