I struggle out of bed, cobwebs still in my head, gingerly getting off and head to the door. The only light I see is the faint yellow light passing through the cracks of the doorway. Shaking off the sleepiness, I slowly open the door and am greeted by the faint pink line in the horizon; First Light. A sight I never get tired of seeing.
Almost immediately the sound of the waves crashing the shore fills my ears. I look at my watch, then slowly walked out the door. The air was chilly and damp; the surroundings dim, but I can make out the shadows scuttling about the shoreline. I walked the front yard and see chefs and waiters’ busy going in and out of the back restaurant door; the boat crew getting the boats ready and the fisher folk slowly paddling their small outrigger canoes out to sea, while some, those who spent the night out in the water, are busy unloading their catch; handing them to their wives and children who would sell the catch at the local market.
Heading back to the cot, I found my fishing partner for the day, awake. The old guy obviously over excited to go out and try his luck, looked as if he hasn’t slept a wink. He was confused on what rods to take “You wont be needing those, everything we need has already been taken to the boat last night” I calmly said.
In what seemed almost like a fleeting minute, we were out in the water. The boat slowly edging away from shore, the salt spray hitting my face and lightly stinging my eyes. The water was flat and seemed like it went on forever, it wasn’t hard to imagine how the ancients thought the world was flat, it seemed like that today.
The old man watched patiently as I rigged each of the four rods; his eyes watching intently as I tied each Bimini twist; “That is one strange knot!” He said.
“This is the first time you’ve seen me do this huh?” I asked.
“This is technically not a knot it’s a Bend” I continued “A knot jams at one point and tightens and you use only one strand. A bend is when you join two or more strands together. We double the line so we increase the strength of the main line which is the most critical part of your system. This, is the most important length of line you have attached. 90% of the fish lost is when it’s boatside, with a Bimini Twist you will have twice the protection against shock when the fish is boat-side.”
“It looks complicated” He said. “It’s not rocket science, besides, I had a lot of practice, it looks harder than it is, but it’s really simple” I retorted.
As I go about the work, I calmly explain what I was doing: why I use this type of knot to attach the lure, why I wasn’t using a wire leader, why the other line is set farther from the others, why I chose this type of lure and why this color.
The old man listens intently, absorbing the words and thoughts as they are rapidly presented to him. I know he doesn’t remember most of it and I know that he wouldn’t understand the reasons why. I pretend not to notice the old man’s smile…He doesn’t need to understand. He has me. This was his first trolling trip and this doesn’t happen very often…
Knots are very important in fishing. I often tell my friends to master at least 5 knots, knots you can tie behind your back. Using the right knot at the right place in your fishing system will help you minimize mistakes. If you read last month’s edition about regret, you get the picture.
It may be as simple as a clinch knot. There is no excuse for a bad knot and they can not be substituted by anything else, even crimps.
Tying good knots is not a matter of exercise, it is a habit. If you lose a fish because of a bad knot, it means one thing and one thing only: You are careless.
A lot of people skip this step, you lubricate the knot before you tighten it. A lot of people use saliva, if you are squeamish, you can use water. Fishing lines are made of nylon, when it contracts, it heats up. Putting some saliva or water before tightening would lessen the heat and will give you some added strength.
Some knots are weaker than others. Attached with this article are some useful and strong knots you can try out. They may take some time to learn and master but its what it takes to catch the big fish, stop you from making excuses and more importantly, it is not beyond your control.
Next to the hook, the most important part in the fishing system, is the knot. Quite simply because it holds the hook that holds the fish. You can do away with swivels and weights, even a rod and reel. A hook at the end of your line attached with a knot WILL catch fish. Not a lot of people realize it’s importance and end up losing a lot of fish, going home with nothing but excuses.
…After the morning troll, we headed back to camp with nothing caught. But I had something far more valuable than a trophy catch: I went to shore with memories that would last me a lifetime: The morning I taught my Dad how to troll.
The spirit of fishing isn’t in catching a fish; it’s whom you share it with. And as the boy in the story, I came to realize, timeless memories that are kept in our hearts are far more valuable than its weight in gold.
It’s not often that we can take our fathers fishing. While they’re around, take some time to take him out on a trip. I’ve been fishing with some of my friend’s dads and I wish to take my own dad out and let him experience what he helped nurture. While we still have the time.
Till next tide change,
Kit
