Fly Fishing

2alarmfly · Posted: Thu 09/24/09 10:24 am Post subject: Bimini Twist Help

I am trying to learn to tie a Bimini Twist Knot, but I ahave a question. I think I am doing it right, but when I apply pressure to the knot to cinch it down the knot slide toward to loop making the loop smaller. Is this suppsed to happen? If not what am I doing wrong? In other words when I finish the knot if I try to slide the knot towards the loop end it will move making the loop smaller.

Thanks For the Help!
Todd

AvidDavid · Location: Long Island, NY

2alarmfly:

I believe that your suspicions (that I infer) are correct - that the bimini slip loop or bimini "hangman's noose" is not the ideal execution of the bimini twist. When the knot is tied, many turns of the tag end are wound around the TWISTED pair that forms the loop. I believe that the purported strength of the knot (equalling the strength of the line) is based on the necessity that both sides of the loop provide "pulling strength" If one side slips, the knot is reduced to only one piece of line with a knot in it. This would reduce the strength, I suspect. One major use of the bimini twist is to create a doubled leader near the hook, to provide more durabiity in connecting to the hook. (Other uses are to form a loop for performing loop connections.) During the winding of the tag end around the twisted pair, the tension on both sides of the twisted pair should be the same. I hope that this insight provides some help.

AvidDavid

kory_k · Location: New York, NY

The bimini twist gets a bad rap for being difficult. It is one of those knots that looks hard to tie, but is actually pretty easy once you have tied a few. As far as your question, yes the main loop can get smaller as you cinch it. If you want to prevent that, you have to stop it with your hand or make sure that the object you are tying it with (your knee, your foot or whatever you use is) large enough that it can't cinch beyond the size you want it. Hope that helps. This site has a good animated instruction on how to tie it.

http://www.marinews.com/Bimini-Twist-336.php

AvidDavid · Location: Long Island, NY

Kory makes an interesting point. The bimini twist loop can be executed as a loop of adjustable size.

If you view the animated bimini twist at the site he provided, you can see the "twisted pair" underlying the many wraps that spiral up toward the loop. The friction of the underlying twisted line, if secured, will prevent the loop from slipping (avoiding the slip noose). If tension is applied to the "main" line and its continuation in the loop (not the other side of the loop, returning to the twists and spiraled wraps), this can straighten the twists so that the "main" line is straight with the returning loop twists converted to spiral wraps underlying the spiral wraps that are seen in the finished knot. (Simply stated, this means that the knot can be tied in a form that slips or is adjustable!)

My question (that may be difficult to answer) is whether there is a significant difference in the strength of the knot when tied as a "slip noose" vs. as a "non-slip loop." (My suspicions are stated in my previous post.)

(In addition, the completion of the bimini twist that I have seen is quite different than what is shown in the animation, involving a wrap or two around individual strands of the loop rather than around the entire knot.)

2alarmfly · Posted: Sun 10/04/09 2:39 pm Post subject: Bimini Twist Help

Thanks for the help! Part of the problem may have been I was tying it on ten pound mono. I would like to use it for my loop to loop connections. I will keep practicing!