Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

ttsedKNOTS, HITCHES, LASHINGS 275by fishermen in bending a line on the loop ofa gut leader.Carrick Bend (Fig. 107).—Used for joiningcow ropes together. Holds well, but is easily undoneby pushing the loops inward toward each other.Lay the end of one rope a over the standing part b;put the end of another rope under the bight, overthe other behind a, under the other at bj over at c,under its own part, out over the bight, and haultaut. Best of all knots for joining stiff ropes.Lapped Overhand Knot (Fig. 108) or OpenhandKnot.—A quick way of joining two lines orstrands of gut together, and so used by fishermento mend a broken cast when in a hurry, althoughit is not absolutely secure. Lay the two ends togetherand past each other about three inches; givethese a turn over the right forefinger to form aloop ; slip this off, and pass the two ends to theleft through the loop and draw tight, snipping offthe short end close to the knot. Rather clumsy,and more likely to break at the knot than elsewhere.By passing the ends twice through the loop,as in Fig. 100, a very strong but bulky knot isformed.Water Knot (Fig. 109) or Fisherman'sKnot.—A favorite knot for uniting strands of gut,in making leaders. (The strands should first besoaked several hours in tepid, soft water to makethem soft and pliable.) Make a small overhand knotclose to the end of one strand^ a. Through thisthrust the butt of another strand, and, close to theend of it, tie a similar knot around the first strand,b. Draw both of these knots pretty tight, andthen pull them together by drawing on the twolong ends. Tighten the two knots as much aspossible, draw them together until they bed themselvesin one knot, and snip off the protruding ends.The water knot mav be drawn apart by pullmg onthe ends c and d. This is an easy way to insert adropper fly at any joint, as in Fig. 171,