One Handed Knots

[CoachBob 0]

Please help.

 

I am researching for a new article and hope to generate useful information to help amputees to fish -- information I can pass on to organizations that assist handicapped individuals, such as Project Healing Waters.

 

I am told that one out of every 1000 vets is an amputee. Add to this victims of accidents, stroke or some spinal injuries, and the number of one-handed individuals is very large. One of the biggest hurdles one-handed fishermen face is KNOTS.

 

After extensive research and experimentation, I can say that a one handed person is at an extreme disadvantage trying to tie fishing knots. Even tying a simple overhand knot in small monofilament is a daunting task. There are one-handed climbing knots, and some general use rope related knots, but fishing knots seem to need some serious attention.

 

SO...

 

This is an invitation to PM me, or add to this thread, or send me web sites or make any suggestion as to how a one handed person could tie simple fishing knots.

 

In connection with my research, I have purchased several knot books, found many knot sites on the Internet, and tried the two tools that are supposed to make one-handed knot tying easier. I am extremely disappointed.

 

Please. The more I think about this, the more it bothers me that no one seems to be finding a solution to a most basic fishing dilema. It bothers me that I want to help, and can't.

 

Want to feel helpless for a while? Stick a hand in your pocket and then try to do some simple fishing or tying skills...like getting the hook in the vise. (I actually worked that out by magnetizing my vise). But knots have me completely baffled.

 

Help...please.

 

[DrVette 0]

Last year i was in a one handed swap. it turns out that if you pull down on the bobbin till it is resting at an angle on the table there is enough slack to use the rotary style whip tool for a finnish knot. it is a little hard at first but if you clean the end well it will be just enough weight to pull off and leave a knot. Just pull hard on the thread after to sinch it up.

 

Sorry, miss-understood what you were looking for.

 

I don't know if i can tie a turtle knot single handed??? i will have to try it. It seems that getting the line through the eye might be a daunting enough task all by itself....

[Claudia 0]

hm,never thought about it before... but i believe this one is possible...

thread mono in the hook eye.

thread the end back into the eye again, creating a large loop.

make a circle out of the loop so that you can make a single knot around the mono conected to the leader. open up the loop you made and slide the flie thru one time.

Now tighten and cut of the end mono. i can make a step by step of how to make it if there is interest. but im sorry iv got 2 hands and i will probably use them.

 

to glue some thick foam to the fishing bag or something that stands solid that you have with you when you go fishing, to help you hold a hook so that you can tie it on to the mono might be a great support.

 

All the best with the program.

 

C

[oatka 0]

I think it was from the one handed swap that I read how someone started their fly by putting super glue on the hook first, then touching the thread and letting it dry. I know that you didn't ask about tying, but since it's also about one handed fishing stuff, I thought I'd add it.

 

I've also before given some thought to how I'd change flies if I had only 1 arm/hand. The best I could come up with was thinking you could have a friend tie all your flies to tippet before you go out. Have those wrapped around something (don't they do this in bait fishing?) and then when you are on the water, you'd just make sure that your loops for loop to loop connection from the tippet to the leader are big enough to pass the fly through. Yes, you'd have to change the tippet and fly piece each time you wanted a new fly, but you'd be out on the water and hopefully fishing.

 

Good luck in your efforts!

[buggybob 0]

How about a figure eight knot to tie the fly on. Used one for years pike fishing with wire leaders. The other potential could be the Homer Rhodes knot, essentially two overhand knots over the standing line. The only other thought I had was the pre-tied leaders that has already been mentioned.

[deeky 0]

My mind went to a clinch knot. The only catch is holding the hook. If they are in a boat, a small eye hook on the gunwale, or maybe a loop on their vest to put the bend of the hook in and give some resistance to the fly. Run the running end of the line over their leg or lean the rod to give it a little tension, and then twisting the line around itself shouldn't be too much of a problem. It's just a few twists and feed it back through. Of course, I say this without having tried it. Good luck, do a search for VA or other programs that are already doing it. I'm sure there are some, why reinvent the wheel?

 

Deeky

[Steeldrifter 0]

Not directly what you asked about, but something like this would probably make things a lot easier for them http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s...5003000_175-3-2

[Fred H. 0]

Kudos Bob an admirable endevour. A piece of block size closed cell foam sewn in their clothing(preferably at the knee of the pants) will give them a solid placement for the fly while they tie or remove it from the fly line. There is a company that makes a knotless conection for flies . It is a small bent piece of very rigid metal that holds the fly without knots and will not add too much extra weight. Except for fishing very small drys it should work well on most other types. Sorry I'm not much help.

Fred

[Joe Hard 0]

The first thing I thought of was one of these,

https://littleriveroutfitters.com/store/pro...1024&page=2

 

holding the tag end in between the teeth would help in tying a clinch knot for sure, as for other knots like surgeon loops it may also help.

[ibian 0]

Try the Palomar knot. I haven't tried it yet one handed but it's very basic yet effective.

 

 

 

http://www.fishingknots.com.ar/fishingknots6.htm