How do you tie a Bimini Twist Knot?

Whilst in Devon recently I bought a few oldish angling books in Dartmouth Market. One of them - an Angler's Mail annual refers to a Bimini Twist Knot and suggests that this is used to connect main line to a shock leader. The author claims that it is a very strong knot, but rather less than helpfully fails to provide a line drawing or instructions!! Any ideas anybody?

The bimini twist is 100% reliable if prepared properly. It is not a knot in the true sense, it's a hitch, which is its other name (bimini hitch). It gets it's strength by wrapping the line around itself under tension, hence it is not a true knot and since the line does not cut into itself at any point it retains 100% breaking strain. It is usually only found on big game rigs largely because it works best on heavy mono and fits in with the requirements of the International Game Fishing Association. Purpose is simple, it provides a long loop which is used as a double line connected to the wire or heavy mono trace on IGFA rated outfits and at the same time retains the full strength of the running line. As the fish is brought the back of the boat the top end of the loop is wound onto the reel and you now have a double line which is twice the breaking strain of the running line and can be handled by the deckies. It is not easy to tie without practise and soft heavy mono of 50lb plus is the best to start with. It is a bit like a noose with about twenty wraps which are over wrapped with another twenty, the loose end being tucked into the wrap. Everyone has a favourite way of tying one. My way involves holding a giant loop open with my legs whilst seated, and twisting the coils in with both hand, not a pretty sight.If you go to www.edersfishing.com and go to their freshwater section then somewhere under 'knots' you'll find an illustration of a bimini hitch

There's a diag in Mega Pike by Eddie Turner.

Buy the july issue of total sea fishing,Total instructions on how to tie it is in there.

Thank Gerry, Chris and Ross. I went on to the Eders website as Geoff suggested and it provides a good illustration and instructions. I'll probably make a complete balls of it, but I'll have a go at tying one later!

if you mess it up will it be called a blimming twist knot ??

Who was Bimini anyway? Bimini Twist sounds like a dance craze from the 60s!

It's an island in the Bahamas. Now where did I leave my anorak ?

Hmmm... there's also an island called Bikini and that would have made a far more interesting twist knot!!

Anyway I've had a couple of goes at tying the Bimini. The first was a complete failure as the coils kept slipping undone whilst I was trying to do the overwrap bit. For the second attempt I kept more tension in the loop after twisting by slipping the hook of a coat hanger into the loop and trapping that under a foot. If I may say so myself it didn't look too bad, but under test it proved to be a Bimini Slip Knot!

I once watched one on 130lb bs line unravel off the back of the boat in Kenya in 1996 with a large tiger shark on the end. The
17 year old Kenyan deck hand who tied it looked suicidal until I offered to do it for him. It does take a little practice. Tying bimini knots I mean, not throttling Kenyans !

Seeing a fish escape because of a badly tied knot (particularly if you tied it!)is a bad experience. Perhaps even worse is finding that the knots are OK but the mono is dodgy; - around 4 years ago a friend of mine and I had a bad couple of sessions on the Kennet we lost more barbel than we landed and it was always a knot that failed. It took a remarkably long time before we realised that we had both bought a certain brand of high tech mono and that it must have come from the same bad batch.

From what I've read, it's been suggested as an efficient leader knot as well. It appears to be generally accepted though not to be an easy knot even for the 'experts' to do in the field, i.e. one to do at home. Therefore as a working knot, it's not????
Some of the suggestions I've seen for tying involve the use of a coke bottle.
I'll just stick to the double grinner?

It's easier to tie if you can get somebody to hold the loop open under tension. Trying to do it on your own is difficult.
If you're tying a loop then the plait knot is as good as the bimini twist and although a bit fiddly can be done without assistance and like the bimini does not cause a signficant reduction in line strength.
For tying a leader direct to mainline then you could try either an albright or a surgeons knot. Again these are fiddly but of high strength and are used extensively by game fisherman for marlin, tarpon and other big fish.