> the clove hitch is not the greatest though, so I'm never sure what to do
The rolling hitch [1] is a slight variation that works great as a drop-in replacement. For attaching a rope to a pole, I go as far down this list as is feasible and/or necessary:
- two half hitches [2] (this is actually just a clove-hitch around the standing end)
- round turn and two half hitches [3] (like the above, but a little more secure and it takes the load while you tie it)
- anchor hitch [4] (even more secure, but harder to tie under load)
For some reason the idea of using an friction hitch as just a regular hitch when you don't specifically need adjustability never occurred to me.... I might just start doing this although I don't know the Midshipman's, just the Tautline.
I like how it doesn't wrap tightly around the thing, giving you some slack when you need to untie it, and a sudden load while tying won't make it constrict around an object, making it less likely to take an errant finger with it.
The rolling hitch [1] is a slight variation that works great as a drop-in replacement. For attaching a rope to a pole, I go as far down this list as is feasible and/or necessary:
- two half hitches [2] (this is actually just a clove-hitch around the standing end)
- round turn and two half hitches [3] (like the above, but a little more secure and it takes the load while you tie it)
- anchor hitch [4] (even more secure, but harder to tie under load)
[1]: https://www.animatedknots.com/rolling-hitch-knot
[2]: https://www.animatedknots.com/two-half-hitches-knot
[3]: https://www.animatedknots.com/round-turn-two-half-hitches-kn...
[4]: https://www.animatedknots.com/anchor-hitch-knot