Tying a bait band

[TF_scarf]

I’m in the process of tying up some pellet waggler hooklengths using hair rigged bait bands, ready for summer. I’m using a double overhand loop to attach the bait band. My problem is that however much I tighten the loop knot down to the band, the loop is still large enough for the knot to interfere with the knotless knot I’m tying on the hook, i.e. the loop knot is half way down the hook shank and I have to whip the hook knot over the loop knot. I use a knot picker to tighten down the loop but it still isn’t tight enough.
It’s not a problem with my method hooklengths as I don’t need so short a hair length.
Having last night tied a dozen up this way on Guru size 18 PW hooks (these are big hooks for their stated size) I have just watched Will Raison demonstrating his big waggler set up on Coarse and Match Fishing TV and his knots are perfect with a beautifully tied knotless knot holding a pellet band close to the hook bend on a short hair.with the knot tight to the band. What am I doing wrong?
Or, if you found the above indecipherable, what is the best way to tie a bait band on a short hair rig to a small hook?

[TF_JohnH]

I use a Seymo device that sets the loop size perfectly every time, its just a couple of plastic pegs about 6mm apart. I use a single overhand loop knot pulled very tight. I some times like to trap this knot under the last few loops of the knotless knot for a very short hair or sometimes not for a slightly longer hair. I am talking a couple of mm no more.

[TF_mick g]

Tie a proper tucked half blood knot and slide the knot down to the band

[TF_Hippo Hunter]

I use a stonfo loop tool similar to the seymo one but it’s adjustable. You can make loops from 2mm to 30mm.
One way to make short hairs is to tie a loop using a single overhand the size you want the hair then pull the knot up to the eye of the hook and tie your knotless knot as usual but you are whipping over the loop! This works well with up turned eyed hooks like the Guru PW and Preston PR36 – 38.

[TF_spotter1707]

Get the hooklength cut to size & tie your bait band using a 3 turn grinner knot. Trim the tag off as close to the knot as you wish. Pass the hooklength through the eye of the hook & adjust the length of the hair as required. Tie the hook with a knotless knot & that’s it.
Regards Peter.

[TF_baitchefParticipant]

The little knot that forms the loop shouldn’t really interfere and you can incorporate it the whipping of the knotless not to make it a bit neater but i agree it isn’t very neat.

there isn’t a lot you can do except tie a smaller loop or forget the loop all together and tie a grinner or a lasso.

Whichever you decide, There is one little tip to ensure that the hair comes exactly of the back of the hook every time.

Basically before you begin to whip the line up the shank of the hook, you place the hair underneath the shank as apposed to on top of the shank, then when you pull the knot tight the hair, because of the way the knot pulls on itself, will naturally pull back over onto the top of the shank.

If you don’t do this,as you pull the knot tight, the hair will come of the side of the shank and you will be forever trying to straighten it.

A bit of a time waste.

[TF_scarf]

Thanks for the advice fellers. I think I’ll give the half blood or grinner/lasso a try. That’s what the knot looks like on the Will Raison video. I don’t use the single overhand loop as I have had instances of it coming undone. The double overhand loop will probably still be OK for bigger hooks/longer hairs.

[TF_Hippo Hunter]

Youi can still use a double overhand but the single is neater and won’t slip as its trapped by the whipping.
Hope you find a way that works for you.

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