OK I’ll admit it …I haven’t caught a fish yet using a Castwell Knot but I’ll be giving it a shot next spring. I do have it on a couple of rods… no problem practice casting…gee imagine that
I use a lot of other knots and do a lot of fussing to keep the bulk down and also have them smooth [pliobond, etc] Obviously if I need to change on the water the knot used can’t be “fussy”…usually I do a nail knot then… but I’m going to give the Castwell a shot.
What has always concerned me about it is the darn short tag…if you want to keep the possibility of guide hang up low that tag should be cut flush but then there is just the smallest of small amount of tag holding the knot it seems to me…it just looks fragile to me…I know no one has seemed to report a failure with it…
So how long do you leave your tags?
Have you ever had it fail?
Talking big strong fish here…I’m pretty sure JC has used it on Saltwaater
I know your fear! I had the same fear when I started using it. I leave maybe 1/32 tag, but, I am thinking about going shorter. When I hold the fly line in one hand and the furled leader in the other, I can pull really hard on the knot and it does not give at all. I think the harder you pull the more the fly line coating grips the leader. I do not feel it will fail. When you think about it, the rod flexing and the line stretch, there is not that much pressure being put on that connection. Since the tippet has the smallest breaking point, it will break before any other connection. The knot is so easy to tie that anyone who changes leaders often, will find the Castwell knot easier and faster than a nail knot and cutting it off and retying uses less fly line each time. I am sold on the Castwell knot and that is the only one I am using to attach my furled leaders to my fly line on all my rods.
Ok, I am going to write something blasphemous. What if the knot slips? You lose one fish you were probably going to release anyway. Ok, you will also lose a $3 leader. It’s not like you are losing your car, house, wife, etc. Try the @#$% knot! Its only fishing
The “Castwell knot” is so commonly used in commercial fishing that it doesn’t have a name. Kinda like a double over hand knot is just called a knot.
Most often in commercial fishing situations the standing end of the main line is doubled back and the running end of the line is ran through the loop, crossed against he main line line, ran under the tag end, and pulled tight. Difficult to explain but this is a knot that I’ve never seen pulled out. A good knot to learn.
Lunker when you fist log on the site you will see a menu on the left side of your screen. Click on Features then scroll down to Knots, click on it the go to the Castwell Knot. John
When I was a kid in the early 60’s I was taught to use the “Castwell” knot for my line/leader connection.
Maybe because I was a young dufuss and didn’t tie it right or maybe it was because I’d never heard of Castwell…I don’t know. For what ever reason …it failed.
I moved on to different knots and never had a reason to look back.
…Your mileage may vary…
Well, you’re not going to talk me out of using it ,JC :twisted: …just got my furled leader factory going…actually it’s syndicated…[you don’t want to mes with my backers]…anyway I need a good line to looped leader knot 8) 8) 8)
Hey, dudly says it failed when he was a child and mosca says it is so common it does not even have a name. Find something that does not fail and at least has some class.
JC I always have a tough time reading you… I can’t always tell when you’re messing with our heads-- seems like you should be the advocate of a knot with your name on it.
Unless you’re not messing with our heads. Personally I had no problem with the Castwell for a year, but then lost 3 leaders in month. I found the knot was fine under tension, but if you pushed against it in compression it had a tendency to unseat and slip. I don’t know why one would do that to a knot, other than to test it, which is probably why I lost those leader. But I suppose it could happen.
I chalked it up to user error, its quite possible I wasn’t tying it correctly. Non the less, I bought a nail knot tool, and have knot been happier. Performance-wise its the best knot I’ve tried… just takes a little longer.
And yes, it is a problem to lose a leader beyond the $3. Loose line in the water is an animal killer.
yes, stick with the nail-knot. It won’t release when you push it backwards and will only fail on a really big fish as it either cuts thru the coating, or just slips off the line. Either way, classy looking knot, nice sounding name and often requires a ‘special’ tool to tie instead of using the NAIL WHICH IT WAS NAMED AFTER! Has anyone in the last 50 years ever tried to tie one actually using a nial?
