I’ve seen this alternative method of doing a figure 8 retrieve from several people now. Peter Austin kindly demonstrates it here. The benefits are great speed and control, entire flyline in hand, without ever the chance of a tangle.
Downside is that the line will end up with little kinks rather than laying dead straight like you would have with a roly poly retrieve.
Fishing Tips – The Quick Penny Knot
by Peter Hayes and Ron Penny
Trust me, this is the only knot you ever need to know to tie a hook on. I’ve taught it at Fly Casting Schools all over the world and once you learn it you will never use another knot.
In most trout tippet strength co polymers it provides 100% strength. This means the tippet will break before the knot lets you down !
- You can learn to tie it quickly and without looking.
- You can learn to tie it with a very short tag end removing the need to trim the end.
- It is possible to use this knot as a loop knot to provide a free swinging fly presentation. Simply pull the knot down tight and lock it off with a nail or similar solid object at the hook eye. Remove the nail and you will have a loop the size of the nail. Do note that it will pull down under the load of a fighting fish.
Check out the following video for how to do it.
(A big thank you to Andrew and the team at Offshore Productions & the Fishing DVD for their generous production of it)