The tag end direction of a blood knot is the rule that says the two tag ends must exit the knot on opposite sides, and conventional wisdom holds that tying it any other way makes a weaker connection. On this How 2 Tuesday Knot Wars I put that to the test. I tied one blood knot the proper way with the tags going out opposite, one the way people accidentally tie it with both tags out the same side, gave both a 21-turn bimini, and pulled them on a scale to see which is really stronger.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
In my single test it did, but not the way conventional wisdom says. I tied one blood knot the proper way with the tag ends exiting on opposite sides and one the 'incorrect' way with both tag ends coming out the same side. Both had five turns per side and a 21-turn bimini on the end so everything else was even. On 12 pound Daiwa J Fluoro, the improperly tied knot broke at 9.98 pounds and the properly tied one broke at 9.14 pounds, so on this round the 'wrong' way actually won. That said, one test is not enough to overturn the rule, and I would encourage you to try it yourself.
You make a number of turns around one side, pass the line through the gap in the middle, then make the same number of turns on the other side and pass that line through the opposite way. When tied properly, the two tag ends exit the knot pointing in opposite directions and sit very even. That is the blood knot I was taught in both freshwater and saltwater, and it is the connection people consider correct. In my test I used five turns on each side.
Using 12 pound Daiwa J Fluoro leader material and a Next Tech scale that records the highest poundage at the moment of failure, the improperly tied blood knot broke at 9.98 pounds and the properly tied blood knot broke at 9.14 pounds. Both broke right at the blood knot, not at the bimini, which is exactly what I wanted to see. That means you are losing about two pounds of strength with the 'wrong' knot and about three pounds with the 'right' one on roughly 10 pound line.
The bimini twist doubles the line without losing strength, so it lets the weakest point be the blood knot itself rather than the connection to the scale. In the test both samples had a 21-turn bimini on the end, and both broke right at the blood knot, which confirms the bimini did its job. That is the whole purpose of a bimini, and it is why I trust the numbers I read off the scale for the knot under test.
Not yet. This was a single test on one line, and sometimes a knot does not pull down perfectly, so the result needs more testing before anyone rewrites the rule. I would not abandon the proper, opposite-tag blood knot on the strength of one pull. What I would do is test it yourself with your own line and your own hands, because that is the whole point of Knot Wars. Today the improperly tied knot won, but that one is going to take some more testing.
When you tie a blood knot incorrectly, people stop you. No, no, the tags cannot come out the same hole, they have to go out opposite ways. I have heard that my whole life, and I just wondered what the actual difference in strength is, because a lot of people accidentally tie it with both tags out the same side. Who knows whether it matters? That is exactly the kind of question Knot Wars exists to answer. I tell the whole setup in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Here are the steps I walk through in this How 2 Tuesday. I cover the detail behind each one in the episode.
I unpack each of these in the episode. Press play in the player above.
I tied both knots with five turns on each side and a 21-turn bimini so everything else was even. The improperly tied blood knot broke at 9.98 pounds. The properly tied one broke at 9.14. The one I was told was wrong actually held more. Maybe conventional wisdom on this is not as cut and dry as we all think, or maybe a knot just did not pull down perfectly that one time. I walk through what I saw on the scale in the episode, so press play in the player above.
I am not ready to rewrite the rule off a single pull. Sometimes when you tie a knot it does not seat exactly right, and one test does not settle anything. This one is going to take some more testing, and I would strongly encourage you to run it yourself with your own line and hands. If you have a knot you want me to put on the scale, send it my way. I explain how I think about repeating these tests in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Today the improperly tied blood knot wins, stronger at 9.98 pounds on 12 pound tippet. That is basically losing two pounds connecting the lines, versus three pounds the other way. Interesting, but one round only.
If conventional wisdom tells you to tie something a certain way, it is worth asking why, and then testing it. That is what Knot Wars is for. Press play in the player above.
How 2 Tuesday is my weekly series where I break down one fishing skill at a time, from knots and casting to gear, tactics, and the habits that make you a better angler. Watch and listen to every How 2 Tuesday episode from Tom Rowland.
blood knot · Knot Wars · bimini twist · Daiwa J Fluoro · fluorocarbon leader · Next Tech scale · tippet · How 2 Tuesday · Saltwater Experience
I'm Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. On the podcast's How 2 Tuesday series I break down one practical skill or lesson at a time, from fishing technique and gear to the habits that make you a better angler, in short, focused episodes you can put to use right away.
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