Book Review. Lefty Kreh's New Fishing Knots

Not all knots are created equal, as anyone who has taught knot tying can attest. First, you have to consider the variability in both the performance and characteristics of materials. Then you have think of — among other things — the wire thickness of hook eyes, the diameter of connecting lines, the affect of connections on the way the fly drifts or is pulled, the balance between strength and complexity, the sensitivity of the fish to knot size, and … well, you get the picture.
The thing that most novice knot tiers don’t get is that how a knot is tied is the most important variable of all. The highest-strength knot tied by an unskilled angler is weaker than a “60% knot” tied expertly. That’s why it’s worth learning knots from the best source possible, and why improving on knot instruction itself is a worthwhile pursuit.
This week we review Lefty Kreh’s new book Fishing Knots, which aims once again to help knot tiers stop pigtails before they happen.