Threading Fishing Line

Hi,

Do you have any tips for threading a hook and performing other general fishing related tasks?

Jennifer

Hi Jennifer,

Threading hooks isn’t that difficult.  The only tricky part is getting use to my solution. 

I use the tip of my tongue to guide the end of the fishing line through the eyes of my hooks or lures.  Grasp the line about 1 to 1/2 inches from the end between your thumb and index finger.  With your other hand, hold the lure or hook so that the thumb and index finger on that hand are gently resting against each side of the eye you want to thread.  Sometimes you can guide the line through the eye using the feeling in your thumb and index finger that you are holding the hook or lure with, and sometimes you need to refine the manoeuvre with the tip of your tongue.  You can also use your tongue when threading the line through the guides on your fishing rod. 

When working with braded line, try not to wet the tip of the line otherwise the tip of the line becomes too soft to push.  If the braid is really thin or limp, try doubling up the line and push the fold in the loop through.  Actually, doubling up the line is the best way to tie the Palomar knot. 

Carp fishing tackle dealers also sell threading wire.  This is a 2-foot long section of stiff narrow wire that has a loop at one end.  Carp fishers use the threader to pull line through tubing for extra protection to the line.  I’ve used a threading wire to facilitate the rigging of multaple rods.

You can also use needle threaders which are small thin wire loops attached to a small flat peace of metal.  The idea is to push the wire loop through the eye of the needle, open the eye up, pass the thread through the loop, and then pull the wire loop and thread back through the eye of the needle.  A handy device for threading more awkward fishing lures or hooks that have small eyes or awkwardly placed eyes.  Not a huge fan of needle threaders myself as they introduce a third element to the puzzle as we only have two hands. 

Finally, darning hooks can be used to fish line through larger eyes on lures, or the line guide on baitcast reels. 

Hope this helps,

Lawrence