A Hundred and One Ways

Tying a hook to the line is a problem that occupies quite a few beginner anglers. Back when I was a kid, my father showed me the very simplest method,
suitable for both eyed and spade-end hooks. This knot has never once
let me down. Even when I had to attach
a huge treble hook to a line one millimetre in diameter, I didn't overthink it —
I used the knot I knew well. An hour later it was tested
by a ten-kilogram catfish that got hooked. The knot is, by and large, a classic; it's
drawn in any beginner's guide. Any
boy can tie it after five minutes of practice.
Many anglers tie
the hook their own way, claiming their method is much simpler and more reliable.
That's why there are no fewer than a hundred different ways of attaching
hooks to line. But to simplify this rather painstaking operation,
which demands good eyesight and nimble fingers, inventors
offer hooks with a special head that allows only one
possible way of connecting it to the line.
For example, a hook invented
in
the USA is held on the line by a single ball at its tip.
To do this, the line is passed through a hole in the flattened and bent
upper part of the shank and tied with a simple knot. Essentially, you can
tie an ordinary eyed hook the same way. However, in that case
the hook's shank won't be a continuation of the line; it will sit at
an angle, which will most likely cause inconvenience when fishing.
Another
hook (UK application No. 2100103) is tied with a simple
knot around the shank. The hook has a head in the form of a spiral open on one
side, through which the line is threaded.
Undoubtedly,
elaborate or, conversely, simplified ways of attaching a hook to the line
are justified when using original tackle in particular fishing
conditions. Some of them are indispensable for people with physical
disabilities.