The story of the origin of the knotless knot

Many of you will have noticed that the Tackle Box has featured prominently within Fishing for Schools  over the last few years.  

Without the support of this magnificent and near Tardis like angling emporium, many young people in Kent – and throughout the country, actually – would never have the opportunity to delve into the world of fishing and experience what we do on a regular basis. Sheer joy in participation – immersion into the natural world…and catching fish!  

The brothers, Kevin and Gary,  remain our inspiration.  

This article about a classic way of attaching a hook to nylon demonstrates their commitment to the sport – and driving innovation…or at least, being the catalyst for it. 

Here, by Kevin Peet, is just one insight.

THE STORY OF THE ORIGINS OF THE ‘KNOTLESS KNOT’. 

Those of you who were not around, back in the day, the hair rig was originally constructed using two different materials, making it difficult and very fiddly to tie;  especially, as the hair part was made from an extremely fine piece of mono or braid attached to the bend of the hook. General thoughts were, that it would be far more convenient if the hair and the hook link could be made using just one continuous piece of line.  

This then, is the story of how that vital part of angling became reality…….     

Many years ago, the lads who fished the notoriously hard Sutton RMC Leisure Sport venue referred to themselves in one of two ways, if you had caught a fish or two that season you were regarded as one of the ‘Sutton Elite’; but if you had blanked or had a long spell without catching, you were referred to as one of the ‘Sutton Sufferers’. 

There is a point…. 

John Ashdown was one of the ‘Sutton Elite’; he was also a very keen fly fisherman and came up with a complex knot that involved whipping up the shank of a hook, producing the hair and the hook link which also formed the line-aligner effect, all from one piece of material.  This knot became known as ‘The Sutton Elite Knot’. Or the “hair-rig” 

We at the shop were regularly showing anglers how to tie this very complicated knot.  

One day about a year or so later, I was demonstrating how to tie this knot to a customer and another customer looking over our shoulder said: “That’s not how I have been tying it!”. 

After I had finished showing the ‘Elite knot’ to the customer, I then asked him to show me his version and, I would put him right where he was going wrong….  

So, the customer tied his knot.  

He tied, what we now know, as fabled and indispensable Knotless Knot, 

I looked at it with utter disbelief! How did it not come undone? 

I turned to Lee Jackson – Jacko, our  in-store carp guru - and asked what he thought: he initially laughed at its apparent stupidity – and utter simplicity…..but then, after period of studying the knot, we both realised that it would simply not come undone.  

We also showed it to Paul Forward at the same time – arguably one of the most “thinking” anglers of his generation - who died so depressingly before his time  - as he came into the shop a little while later, and with robust language proclaimed – and in no uncertain terms: That he would not use that so called knot …. as there was no knot in it….”  

Thereafter, it was not long before the knot was nick-named – rather obviously: The Knotless Knot. 

The customer who tied the knot, said: “that an angler that he met in the Medway area showed him and said it was The Sutton Elite Knot”. 

It wasn’t of course, and it became clear that, just like Chinese whispers, the knot had gone through a serendipity style of evolvement – an evolution of confused perception!  - and had been created quite by mistake.  

So, whoever you are, and the originator remains a complete (lovely) mystery: a big very large thank you from the angling community. 

To conclude the saga of the Knotless Knot... 

During this same period my brother, Gary and I visited a Shimano trade show in Cyprus. At one point fishing with the esteemed allround-fisher, Matt Hayes - another Fishing for Schools Ambassador – during which time we showed him the knot: he seemed very impressed.  

At that time Matt had a regular column in the Angling Times; a little while later he wrote about the Knotless Knot, complete with a giant illustration of how to tie it. The word was out: the Knot became an immediate success, and the rest as they say, is history. 

For the record Matt never claimed credit for the knot; insisting he had been shown it - but that is how it went from being a locally known creation to what it has most certainly become - an internationally loved and used method of tying the hair rig…... 

But we would still love to know who invented it!!!