Braid Knots For Braid Fishers: 13 - Trinity Loop Knot

A knot of this quality deserves a totem fish that commands worldwide respect, and what better fish to choose than a Blue Marlin or Broadbill Swordfish - the gladiator of the high seas …

Unfortunately, the closest I have come to having such an experience is to visit the Bay of Islands in New Zealand where renowned author and fisherman, Zane Grey, had one of his fishing bases.

Let’s read an extract of his where he finds himself attached to what must have been a very big fish indeed:

When formulating new knot patterns, or modifications of existing ones, I have found it essential to equip myself with a set of round, waxed, shoelaces - the longer, the better:

Recently, I have also found a marlin spike to be very useful for unpicking the knots I have just tied - especially when using thin shoelaces and a knot pattern that really clamps down hard with the minimum of provocation:

For some reason, I have found it all too easy to take the wrong path when unpicking this knot, and have ended in a world of trouble in consequence …

Once you have released the wrap circling the neck of the loop, carefully observe the path of the loop beneath the overlying two straps. If you set about releasing the first of these binding wraps which align with the path of the loop, it should be a matter of repetition until all the binding wraps have been released.

The general rule is that the thinner a line’s diameter is, the more wraps are required. Conversely, the thicker and stronger a line is, the less wraps are needed. Fine 10lb braid will require 10 double-line wraps whereas an ocean-going monofilament line of 250lbs might manage with as little as 3 double-line wraps. Of course, you have the alternative of using the Trinity Loop Knot Single for your really heavy lines if you so wish.

Let’s get started.

Take your line and double it. Allow yourself a length of at least 16 inches. My shoelace only runs to 29 inches which, when doubled, does not allow a lot of material to work with:

Make the first of the three loops which gives this knot pattern its name, Trinity. This loop will be the first of the three loops you will pull upon, hence is referred to as the Primary Trapping Loop strap. Note how the main wrapping loop sits on the outside of this primary loop:

Now form the Secondary Trapping Loop strap with the main line and the tag. Make this smaller than the primary loop as you need to determine which is which when it comes to following the correct order of cinching. This secondary loop will also have the main line and tag on the outside, albeit heading in the opposite direction to the main wrapping loop. Look carefully, and you will notice that the main wrapping loop now sits between primary and secondary loops:

Arrange the smaller loop so that it sits adjacent to the larger primary loop, holding everything in place with the thumb and forefinger of your non-dominant hand. Now, you are ready to make the tertiary trapping loop strap. Carefully, take the wrapping loop around one of your fingers positioned under primary and secondary loops, and bring it up through the back of the secondary loop thus:

Now, remove your finger from the tertiary trapping loop and insert the wrapping loop through it:

Take the wrapping loop up under the main line and tag, and back through the secondary trapping loop to form the second binding wrap:

At this point, it is a good idea, with the heavier thicker lines, to take hold of the wrapping loop and tertiary (bottom) trapping loop, and with your thumb and forefinger of the other hand, move the binding wraps to the right to allow space for additional ones to be added, like so:

Once you have added the amount of binding wraps your line type and line strength require to meet your performance requirements, it’s time to tension the binding wraps and ensure that your lines have not become cross during wrap-binding process.

Insert the forefinger of one hand through the wrapping loop and grip with your thumb. Using the same hand, insert a finger in the bottom tertiary trapping loop to prevent premature closure. With your other hand, take the right-hand side of the larger primary trapping loop, and pull to the right. You will see the binding wraps compress into a neat order.

Additionally, gripping the rest of the knot with one hand, move the binding wraps as far to the left as possible whilst still maintaining their order.

Now, you are ready to cinch what will form the ‘collar strap’. The third (tertiary) trapping loop, which was the last to be added, now becomes the one you cinch first. To do this, place the finger of one hand through the wrapping loop, remove your finger from within the tertiary trapping loop, and, taking the right-hand side of the larger primary loop, pull on it upwards and to the right. The tertiary trapping loop forms the first double-line strap around your binding wraps.

Take each separate line of the primary loop and pull on it individually just to ensure everything is nice and tight. I like to moisten whatever line I am using, even a braid, prior to any cinching activity to avoid line burn. With fine braid, in particular, moisture helps keep the different lines together making the knot easier to handle.

Just prior to cinching this first strap, your knot should appear as follows:

10)

Place your finger through the wrapping loop, supporting the body of the knot with your other fingers. With your other hand, pull upwards and to the right on the right-hand side of the larger primary trapping loop.

This will secure the first overlying strap (collar strap) in place - make sure you cinch it nice and tight:

11)

With the tertiary strap cinched, as you can see, it’s time for the primary trapping loop to be cinched.

Take hold of the smaller, secondary trapping loop, and as before, pull on the right-hand side of it upwards and to the right. With un-lubricated waxed shoelaces, it will tend to stick, so, a pull upwards on the left side will help. With well-lubricated lines, it shouldn’t be an issue.

As before, pull on each trapping loop strap line independently and in unison:

12)

In the next photo, we see the secondary trapping loop strap being almost fully extended, and the primary trapping loop strap just about to be cinched down:

13)

Here, the secondary trapping loop strap has been fully extended and duly cinched with both loop lines being pulled on independently and in unison. The second strap so-formed by the primary trapping loop strap is clearly visible, as is a gap between the two straps you have just cinched:

14)

Time for the final cinching!

With the finger of one hand in the wrapping loop, take up the main line and tag with the other and slowly pull tight the remaining trapping loop strap. I like to position it in the gap between the two existing straps. Try to ensure that both lines of the loop sit parallel with one another when performing the final cinch. As before, pull first on one line, then the other, then both together to get maximum tightness: