Mastering any skill is a great achievement. When it comes to knots, practice is key. I remember learning my first one when I was four or five. My dad showed me a square knot to use when I tied my shoes. After a few tries, I nailed it and gave my dad a break from having to tie my laces all the time. It felt so good! Sometimes, I’d end up with a knot that took some kitchen utensils to untie.
Mistakes are just part of learning. My next knot was a simple overhand knot, which led to a cinch knot, then an even better cinch knot. I was happily tying things like hooks on fishing lines. Back then, fishing was a simple game with a cane pole, a piece of cord, a hook, and a worm. Some folks call the worm a lure, but I found calling them garden hackles easier to remember.
A few years later, I learned a few more knots for climbing: figure eight, bowline, bowline in a bight, taut line hitch, timber hitch, and clove hitch. All these were handy for climbing rock walls and later trees. Some were used in camping to attach tarps for shelter, in canoeing to lash packs down, and to attach painters.
I had a job interview where the boss asked me to tie five knots. I did them perfectly and got the job right away. He also wanted me to come in my work clothes so he could see I was serious about my work. He even checked my hands for callouses, which was a bit strange. That’s when my career with trees really started.
Working in trees with valuable things that can’t be moved needed a whole new set of skills and knots. I learned the hard way how much weight a rope could handle and how a knot could weaken it. Using the wrong knot could have serious and dangerous consequences for my life and well-being.
As I grew older, I realized I needed to master a few essential knots, like the half Windsor and a proper bowtie. Those schoolboy clip-on ties are a thing of the past! I should have included the half Windsor along with that square knot my dad showed me. The real skill many men are missing is tying a bowtie. With three weddings one year, I decided to purchase a tuxedo and wear a real bowtie. It took some practice, but I was happy with the result. Later, I wore a bowtie to another family wedding (without a tuxedo) and ended up tying five more that day. No, that’s not exactly the kind of fancy I was aiming for.
My last few knots were the Davy knot, the turle knot, and the perfection loop. Just so you know, the turle knot isn’t actually a turtle. I could go on but I use a whip fishing tool on my flies not a series of half hitches. Crazy glue holds together those salty ones.
That tux had went to the St. Vincent de Paul, so some lucky dude is probably still wearing it. I hated it, way too big, the tailor did a crap job and the style did last the test of time. Speaking of things, all the tree companies have one thing in common. Their logo T-shirts are a big deal south of the border. Iconic symbols migrant laborers brought back home as souvenirs of their time with the gringos. No more like something to sell at the local flea markets. These days I do own a suit and have a nice linen sport coat, but not very wearable fishing. Maybe a nice Harris tweed jacket and tie for those dry fly moments we all enjoy. Now where did I put that deer stalker hat. Watson?
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