Fishing knots for beginners: improved clinch, Palomar and uni knot step by step
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Most lost fish are not lost to the fish. They are lost to a knot that slipped or snapped under strain. The good news is that three knots cover almost everything a beginner needs: tying line to a hook, a swivel or a lure. Learn these well and you can leave the rest for later.
Before you tie any knot
- Moisten it before tightening. Friction heats the line as a knot pulls tight, which weakens it. A little water or saliva helps the turns slide down smoothly.
- Pull it tight firmly and steadily, not with a sudden jerk.
- Leave a short tag end and trim it neatly; do not burn it with a lighter close to the knot.
- Test every knot with a firm pull before you cast. Better to find a weak one now.
- Practise at home with thicker cord or old line until your fingers know the moves.
Improved clinch knot
The classic knot for tying monofilament to a hook, swivel or lure. It is quick and works well with mono, though many anglers choose something else for slippery braid.
- Pass the end of the line through the eye of the hook, leaving a tail of a few inches.
- Hold the hook and wrap the tail end around the main line five to seven times, twisting away from the hook. Fewer turns for thicker line, more for thinner.
- Bring the tail end back towards the hook and pass it through the small loop that formed just above the eye.
- Now pass the tail end through the larger loop you have just created along the side of the knot. This extra tuck is what makes it "improved".
- Moisten the knot, then pull the main line and the hook apart steadily so the coils snug down neatly against the eye.
- Trim the tag end.
If the coils cross over each other or bunch up, cut it off and tie it again.
Palomar knot
Simple, very strong and a favourite with braid as well as mono. Its only drawback is that you need to pass a loop over the whole hook or lure, which is awkward with big lures carrying several hooks.
- Double over a length of line to make a loop, and push the loop through the hook eye.
- With the doubled line, tie a loose single overhand knot, as if starting to tie a shoelace, leaving the hook hanging in the loop.
- Pass the hook or lure through the end of the loop.
- Moisten, then pull the main line and tag end together so the loop slides up and over the top of the eye.
- Tighten fully and trim the tag.
Uni knot
A versatile knot that is easy to tie in poor light or cold fingers, and the same pattern can join two lines together (a double uni).
- Pass the line through the eye and bring the tail back alongside the main line, so you have two parallel strands.
- Fold the tail end back towards the hook to form a loop lying over the two strands.
- Wrap the tail end around both strands and through the loop, working away from the hook, five or six times.
- Moisten, then pull the tail end to cinch the wraps into a neat barrel.
- Slide the knot down to the eye by pulling on the main line, tighten firmly and trim.
To join two lines, overlap the ends and tie a uni knot with each end around the other line, then pull the main lines apart so the two knots meet.
Which one should I learn first?
If you fish mainly with monofilament, start with the improved clinch. If you use braid, start with the Palomar. Learn the uni knot next, since it does both jobs and also joins lines. Knot strength depends on the line, how neatly the knot is tied and how well it is tightened, so a well-tied simple knot beats a badly tied clever one.
Which knot do you trust most, and has one ever let you down? Share your favourite or ask about a knot that keeps slipping in the comments.