Perhaps you remember a time when you saw someone put their fishing line in their mouth and thought "What in the world are they doing that for?"
A few seconds later they look at you, smile, and say "Don't forget to moisten your knot!"
This is something we often hear others say but have you ever thought as to why?
For some anglers, moistening a knot is an everyday habit but to others it's not even a thought - and it could be the difference between landing or losing a fish.
Here's two reasons why you should always moisten your fishing knots...
#1 It Allows The Knot To Be Properly Clinched
Think bigger than fishing line and tiny fishing knots for a second.
Think about a strand of rope like what you would get a hardware store.
When you simply tie a knot into a section of the rope you may notice the tendency of the knot wanting to loosen up.
You might even notice gaps or spaces in between the various loops you put in the knot.
Now take the same piece of rope, run water over it to dampen it and tie the same knot.
You should see and even feel the rope almost effortlessly just slide into place when you clinch down on the knot.
There isn't any gaps in the knot and it becomes much more difficult to get the knot out.
The same thing is happening with your fishing line.
By moistening your line you are essentially applying a lubricant that allows your line to properly seat itself into place for a nice, secure and reliable knot.
#2 Moistening Your Line Reduces Friction
Whether you use your mouth or water, another benefit of moistening your line has to do with cutting down on the friction produced when tying a knot.
First talked about in Fishing Hacks (Part 2), by reducing friction you are reducing heat.
Think about the heat created when you rub your hands together when dry vs when they are wet.
You don't feel the heat when your hands are wet because 1) the water is reducing the total amount of friction and 2) the water acts as a cooling agent by transferring heat away from the surface (i.e. your hands).
The same concept is being applied when clinching a fishing knot.
By moistening and lubricating your line before final tie-down you reduce the chance of friction and heat negatively impacting the integrity of your knot.
So what's the takeaway here?
Moisten your line when tying a knot.
Time to go catch 'em!
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