The Clinch knot

The improved Clinch knot is a classic and a safe choice for tying on a hook, swivel or lure on monofilament and fluorocarbon. One thing is worth locking down at once: always tie the improved variant, because that little extra step makes the knot noticeably safer.

How you tie the improved Clinch

1. Pass the line through the hook eye.
2. Wrap the tag around the standing line, five to seven turns.
3. Bring the tag back and pass it through the small loop nearest the eye.
4. The improvement: then pass the tag back through the large loop you just formed.
5. Wet the knot and tighten evenly by pulling on the standing line.
6. Trim the tag short.

Number of turns

Five to seven turns is about right for the lines used in put and take. Take fewer turns on thick line and more on thin, otherwise the knot becomes either bulky or too small to seat properly. Get used to laying the turns evenly beside each other, not in a jumble, so it tightens neatly and holds better.

Common mistakes

Three things drop most Clinch knots. The first is dry tightening, which burns the line by friction, so always wet. The second is forgetting the improvement step, the last pass-through, which lets the knot slide more easily under load. The third is uneven tightening, so pull calmly and firmly and let the turns settle neatly as you draw. If the knot comes undone again and again it is almost always one of these three faults.

When Palomar is better

The Clinch likes mono and fluorocarbon, but on slippery braid it can slide. For braid the Palomar knot is a simpler and safer choice. Many fish just like that: Palomar on the braid out to the swivel, and an improved Clinch on the fluorocarbon leader down to the lure. An overview of which knot you use for what sits under tying on hook and lure, and more knots under knots.