Fishing knots

Four knots that tie on a hook, a lure or a leader and hold a good trout, and how to tie them so they do not slip.

What you need

Improved clinch knot: pass the line through the eye, wrap the tag end around the main line five to seven times, bring it back through the small loop at the eye, then through the big loop you just made. Wet it and pull tight.
Palomar knot: double about 15 centimetres of line, push the loop through the eye, tie a loose overhand knot with it, pass the hook through the loop, wet and pull tight. The strongest simple knot for braid.
Uni knot: run the line through the eye, lay the tag back along the main line, wrap it around both lines and through the loop five or six times, then cinch it down and slide it to the eye.
Surgeon's knot to join a leader: lay the two lines side by side, tie an overhand knot with both, pass them through a second time, wet and pull all four ends.
Trim the tag end close, about three millimetres, with clippers. Never burn it.

Wet every knot before you pull it tight. Dry line heats and weakens.
Pull hard on each knot once you tie it. Better it breaks in your hand than on a fish.
Retie after every fish or snag, or when the line near the knot feels rough.

Don't

Danger

Hooks in fingers and faces. Hold the hook by the bend when you tie, and wear glasses when you cast.
Old line that has sat in the sun goes brittle. Replace it every season.

If you only learn one, learn the improved clinch. It has tied on more trout flies and spinners than any other knot.

Practice at the kitchen table with a thick cord and a big ring until your fingers know it without looking.

clinchpalomarleaderline

Updated 2026-09-22