Snelling A Hook

One small problem is the variety of names that mey be applied to the one knot, for examle, a Granny is a False Knot, a Clove Hitch is a Waterman's Knot, an Overhand Knot is a Thumb Knot. But when we come to snelling a hook, the length of nylon attached to the hook may be a snell or a snood.

I now find that the actual job of tying the snood may be called snoozing, while snelling is often jealously thought of as an art restricted to the fly fisherman. I have fished with bottom-fisherman on the Great Barrier Reef who routinely snell their hooks.

Restricted to lines of breaking strength less than about 20kg, the process is a simple one.

1. Pass the end of the line, trace or tippet through the eye twice, leaving a loop hanging below the hook.
2. Hold both lines along the shank of the hook.
3. Use the loop to wind tight coils around the shank and both lines, from the eye upwards. Use from 5 to 10 turns.
4. Use the fingers to hold these tight coils in place. Pull the line (extending from the eye) until the whole loop has passed under these tight coils.
5. With coils drawn up, use pliers to pull up the end of the line.