Fishermen can be an odd lot and prone to excessive behavior. Point in case: their fascination with being able to tie more knots than there are letters in the alphabet.

At some point in time, during the development of a fisherman’s brain, I believe there is a chemical released, which triggers the thought process - the more knots I know and can tie; the better fisherman I will be – this is far from the truth. Said thought process, when mixed with the satisfaction of mastering a particularly hard knot, has been known to produce euphoric episodes and a sense of significance; only later to initiate extreme episodes of depression, when the knot cannot be properly executed away from the confines of the fisherman’s home. Example: You have practiced and practiced tying a Bimini Twist in your mainline. You know how to join it to a leader using an Albright Special knot. Both knots you recently learned from your new handy knot-tying guide – along with several more. You can’t wait to impress everyone on the next fishing trip.

The day of the trip arrives and everyone is impressed with how neat your knots look – you bask in the glory. Once offshore you find yourself needing to re-tie rapidly, because you were just humbled by one of several cobia that have shown up in the chum slick off the stern. The boat is pitching, your hands are shaking and your buddies are hooking up. Time is of the essence. These fish will soon leave. All of the commotion makes tying the Bimini Twist almost impossible. Finally, you realize the futility of your attempts, execute a simple Double Uni-Knot and complete the task, as the cobias swim off into the depths below – you become deeply depressed.

Nothing is wrong with being able to effectively tie a large number of knots. Many knots have different applications and are needed for specific tasks such as; building tapered leaders – knowledge is good. But, the truth of the matter is: knowing only a few strong knots and being able to effectively execute them, regardless of circumstances, will provide you a greater benefit in the long run. Figuring out which knots work best for the type fishing you participate in, practicing them and becoming proficient in tying them will allow you to rest in the comfort of your own accomplishments. Besides, a fish doesn’t care about what type of knot you are using. They only care about trying to get away. So, there is no need to become depressed – just don’t be a Knot-head.

Knot-head: a person who willfully participates in the excessive behavior of learning to tie numerous types of knots.