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| How to tie strong
knots The knots and instructions on this page are from Bill Herzog's great book, Tying Strong Fishing Knots, published by Frank Amato Publications. Bill's book is essential reading for the successful angler, and has illustrations and instructions for nearly 50 fish-tested knots. Pick up a copy today! |
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| Improved clinch knot Undoubtedly the most familiar and most often used knot by anglers. Being quick and easy to tie are the main reasons behind its popularity. When tied perfectly the clinch retains 85 to 90 percent of line strength. It can be used with lines testing from 2 to 60 pounds. When using monos heavier than 15 pound test, you only need 3 or 4 turns rather than the standard 6 to 7. |
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Step 1: Insert 4 to 6 inches of line end through the hook eye, making 6 to 7 wraps around the standing part of the leader/line. Insert the line end through the small loop near the eye, then bring it back through larger loop. |
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Step 2: Pull on both the swivel/hook/lure and standing line in even opposite directions until knot draws tightly against hook eye. Trim tag end. |
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| Double loop clinch knot
(Trilene knot) Called Trilene knot because it was developed by the staff of Berkley Company for specific use with their Trilene brand of monofilament. The double loop clinch works just as well with other brands. It takes a bit longer to tie that the original clinch. When properly tied it retains 95 percent of line strength. |
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Step 1: Insert line end through hook/lure eye twice, leaving 4 to 5 inches of tag end to work with. |
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Step 2: Repeat steps for clinch knot. |
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Step 3: Pull evenly on standing line and hook/lure/swivel, being careful not to allow double line to cross over itself. Overlapping lines are self-cutting and severely weaken knots. Trim tag end. |
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| Double improved clinch
(Rivers Inlet knot) I was first exposed to this knot during a trip to British Columbia's famed Rivers Inlet, home each summer to some of the largest, most powerful Chinook salmon. Guides explained that they needed a knot to turn 70 pound fish without fear of line failure. The Rivers Inlet knot is one of the strongest and is fairly easy to tie. When tied properly it retains 100 percent of original line strength and may be a hair stronger than the standing line itself. It is an excellent light line knot, but may be used with lines testing up to 40 pounds. |
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Step 1: Take 8 to 10 inches of leader/standing line and double it back, creating a double line. Pass the loop through the hook eye/swivel/lure 4 to 5 inches. |
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Step 2: Make 4 wraps back up the leader/standing line. Three wraps is plenty when using over 20 pound test, however, making less than 4 wraps will not securely hold the knot and more than 4 wraps causes the wraps to bunch up and overlap themselves. |
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Step 3: Pull evenly and firmly on the loop, tag end and standing line simultaneously, being careful not to let wraps or the double line bunch up or cross over themselves. |
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Step 4: Trim all three ends. |
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| Palomar knot Almost as simple to tie as the clinch knot, the Palomar is one of the basics. When tied well it retains 95 percent of line strength. While not popular for parger lures with multiple trebles (due to having to pass the lure through a loop when tying), the Palomar is easily tied with small lures, flies, and swivels. |
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Step 1: Double 6 to 8 inches of standing line and run it through the hook eye/swivel/lure. |
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Step 2: Bring the loop back and make one overhand knot around the standing line and the tag end. Make sure you leave a large enough loop for the lure/swivel and hook to pass through. |
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Step 3: After hook/lure/swivel has cleared loop, hold onto the tag end and standing line in one hand and pull slowly until loop passes. Continue steady pulling until loop closes tightly and trim. The Palomar is one of the most versatile monofilament knots. |
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| Dropper loop Easy to tie and strong, the dropper loop is popular with fly fishermen who want to add a second fly and also to bait/lure anglers who desire a second leader/lure. (ed. note - this is also the knot Tom Nelson uses to tie his famous "Tom Nelson Pretty Damn Good Halibut Lure") |
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Step 1: Make a circular loop in the standing line. Where the two lines meet at the bottom of the loop, make 4 or 5 twists as shown. |
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Step 2: Without allowing the twists to unravel, gently pull apart the center of the wraps and insert the loop between the lines. While holding the dropper loop in place (do not pull, just keep it from backing out) pull evenly on both sides of the standing line to cinch up the wraps. |
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Step 3: Add lure, leader, or fly. |