Knotty, Knotty: the Tie Fast Knot Tool

I've gotten back into fishing as a hobby over the course of the past year or so.

I normally fish for bass, and as such there's really only two knots you have to know: the arbor knot (to secure line to the reel), and a terminal knot. I've used the clinch knot, improved clinch knot, palomar knot and uni-knot. The cool thing about the uni-knot is that it functions as an arbor knot, terminal knot and splice. Palomar is better suited for braid, as the clinch & improved clinch will sometimes slip because braid is very slippery.

November 1 marks the beginning of trout season on Oklahoma's Blue River. Now, trout fishing is a whole different gig especially fly fishing.

Fly fisherman have knots out the wazoo. There's the standard issue arbor knot to secure backing to the reel. Then there's Albright knot to secure the fly line to the backing. Then there's the nail knot to secure the leader to the fly line. Then there's another knot to splice the tippet to the leader. And finally, the terminal knot to secure the fly to the tippet.

Knots for bass fishing are a lot easier. I usually fish 14-17 pound monofilament line, which is pretty bulky and stiff in comparison to 6 pound fly tippet, which is very small, thin and very flexible.

The nail knot is.... well, a pain in the ass. And if you don't have tools, it's an exercise in frustration at best.

I picked up a gizmo called a "Tie Fast Knot Tool". It makes tying the nail knot easy. Oh, but wait: that little gizmo can be used for virtually all knots! When tying it as a terminal knot, it's called a 'Gryp Knot' (sounds fancy), but it works well with braid & mono & tippet. What's neat is that the loose end (also called the tag end) is secured by every coil of the knot. The harder you pull, the more it cinches down on itself.

There's also a king-size version available for a couple of dollars more. This might be nice for older folks with less dexterity in their hands. Or you own after you've been freezing in a stream for several hours. Average price is $8-$10. I think this is an awesome tool. I have two of them -- one for my trout kit, one for my bass gear. And if I should lose one, you can bet I will be running out to replace it ASAP.

Here's a good video on the tool:

Product Review: Hart Buzzbait

Buzzbaits are one of those essential lures in a tackle box. As a topwater lure they are good producers at dawn & dusk, but I've watched my little brother pull over 20 bass from a pond between 11am and 3pm on a sunny day with one too.

Last week I was fishing a pond with a Hart Buzzbait. I've had this in my tackle box for a few months, but I've only used it about 5 different occasions. Much of the time I use a Lunker brand buzzbait with a black lead head and a black & blue skirt. This one is a white lead-head with a Hart white skirt with red trailer strands.

On the 2nd trip out with this bait, the factory skirt started sliding down the body and on to the hook. It refused to stay in place regardless of what I did. Every cast resulted in the skirt being halfway down the hook. OK, fine, put a Strike King skirt on which looks a lot better in the water. Problem solved.

Tonight, about the 5th trip out with this bait, the bottom of the blade comes off. The bottom pivot hole in the blade that the axle runs through is gone. Completely gone. This broke at the blade.

At $3.99 it's one of the cheapest buzzbaits at Bass Pro Shops. But come on. Really? 5 trips and it disintegrates into uselessness?

Empty Hand Versus Knife

Let me start with this: If you play with knives, you're going to get cut. Period. I seriously doubt there is anyone reading this who hasn't been cut with a kitchen knife while performing some task of slicing, dicing, chopping, deboning, filleting, etc. in the kitchen. Paper cuts don't count :lol:

If you have an encounter against an attacker with a knife, you're going to get cut. Period. Get used to the idea. It will probably help keep you from going into shock when he cuts you for the first time.

In tonight's Aikido class I asked the 11 people (self included) who carried a knife on a regular basis. Answer: 3. Just a random factoid.


In some of the classes the past couple of weeks, we've focused on knives. Defensively, we looked at the responses in Aikido's Koryu-Dai-San and some empty-hand Filipino arts entries that feed nicely to Aikido terminations. Offensively, we also looked at tori (the good guy) holding a knife, and using it during Aikido release techniques and how it will work the same as it feeds to the 17 techniques of Randori-No-Kata.

In all of this, we've also looked at things from two sides -- what you don't want to get cut if you are empty handed, and understanding areas to cut if you have a knife. It's the same targets. It's the same lesson with a dose of reinforcement about why. It's a short lesson to know the juicy spots that are show stoppers. This isn't about scoring points in a tournament, this is about the real world.

In martial arts training, empty hand defense against a knife is a tough game -- even against an untrained opponent. The Filipino arts deal with knives as a core element, so they're more prepared. Aikido, Judo, Karate, Kung-Fu, BJJ, etc. are behind the curve on this aspect.

Empty hand defense against a guy skilled in using a knife.... well, hope you can find a bigger badder weapon for that empty hand. Knives are a messy, lethal business, and the best solution is having a black belt in run-fu. Seriously, if you can leave, GO! Even with something in your hands with a range advantage this is still a problematic puzzle, as any over-commitment on your part results in giving your partner an opening to enter and wreak havoc. It can result in a Mexican standoff where neither side engages, which ought to be plenty fine.

Maintaining eye contact and using this to control distance is one of the best bets. DO NOT watch the knife. You're going to get cut anyway, but watching the blade ensures it will be very, very bad when it happens. Do not reach for the opponent, as he will only proceed to cut whatever you've offered him (assuming he's got some level of skill).

It's also important to note that in an encounter outside the dojo, it is good to pay attention to small details. Grappling becomes highly problematic should your opponent produce a blade and start carving you like a Thanksgiving turkey. The knife clips visible on the outside of pants pockets should be a beacon of potential danger, but most people will not even notice them.

Random thoughts. Need to play with different attack options yet, especially the prison shank "sewing machine" attack. Need to look at the brain-mouth disconnect when the attacker is forced to speak to provide a moment to gain entry.