Anglers are some of the most patient people in the world. We can fish for hours in the dark, withstand extreme conditions of rain, cold, or otherwise miserable surroundings that usually send most sane folks packing home. To reach this level of patience, an angler needs to have complete trust in his or her fishing setup: from the bait to the terminal tackle to the rod to the knot, it all needs to work. That’s what is commonly referred to as confidence: having confidence in your equipment and techniques allows you to endure tough conditions, and to make cast after cast even when the going gets tough.
Out of all the things used by an angler, there’s only one thing that is completely created and wholly controlled by the angler: the fishing knot. Everything else has been manufactured, built, crafted, harvested, or otherwise sourced and provided by someone else. And beyond that, the chances of landing a big catch are further determined by luck and nature. The choice and tying of a fishing knot are the sole point in an angler’s journey where one truly takes matter into one’s own hands.
Ask five anglers about their favorite and most trusted knot, and four out of five will likely name the Palomar Knot. The Palomar Knot is the perfect combination of simplicity plus strength, and works well across all line types. Its simplicity is probably its best attribute. Simple knots get tied more often, and are used by more anglers to land more fish. There are certainly stronger knots out there, but the act of tying those knots are often endeavors that require more than two hands or the use of special tools. When an angler is out on the water, every minute spent on tackle management and retying rigs is a precious minute wasted without a line in the water. The Palomar Knot is a knot many experienced anglers can tie in the dark, and with a very accessible learning curve to boot.
As an angler, the Palomar Knot may be one of only a handful of knots you will ever need to know. It is probably the most reliable knot for securing your bait or lure, and is also the basis for the classic drop shot rig used by so many anglers when the going gets tough. Whether you’re an old-timer trying to teach someone to fish or a novice learning to fish for the first time, you won’t go wrong with starting with the Palomar Knot, the One Knot to Rule All Knots.