Fishing knots that hold

Almost every fish that gets away after a good hookset gets away at the knot. A knot is the weakest point in a fishing line, because bending a line sharply around itself squeezes and pinches the fibers. The good news is that a well-tied knot of the right kind costs you only a little strength, and a badly tied one costs you a lot, so the skill is cheap to learn and pays off on the first big fish.

Three jobs, and one rule

You can fish for years with just a handful of knots, because they do three jobs. One ties the line to a hook, lure or swivel. One joins two lines, which is how a leader gets attached to the main line. One makes a loop, either at the end of the line or in the middle of it, so a lure can swing freely or a second hook can hang off the line. The rule is the same for all of them: pick the knot for the job and for the kind of line.

The kind of line matters because each one behaves differently in a knot. Monofilament is forgiving and grips itself. Fluorocarbon is stiff and slick and needs a wet knot and a slow pull. Braid is slick and thin and can slip in a knot that holds mono well, so it needs knots that grip it. Pick a job and a line below, and the drawing steps through the knot.

An interactive drawing goes here in the app.

The five to learn first

Palomar knot. A doubled line through the eye and an overhand knot, simple and common for tying on lures and hooks with any line, including braid.
Improved clinch knot. The classic wrap-and-tuck for tying to a hook or lure with light monofilament.
Uni-knot. A versatile knot that ties to a hook or lure, and a version of it joins a leader to the main line.
Blood knot. Joins two separate lines of about the same thickness.
Dropper loop. Forms a loop in the middle of a line, to hang a hook or a weight.

There are more than two dozen knots in the Knots section of Tackle & Lures, including the Albright special for heavy leaders and wire, the non-slip loop for free-swinging lures, and offshore knots. Start with these five and add others as the fishing asks for them.

Tying it well

Most knot failures are tying failures, not knot failures. The same knot, tied carefully, holds, and tied in a hurry it slips or breaks. The common habits that make the difference are the same for every knot: wet it before you tighten it, so friction does not heat the line; pull slowly and evenly; slide the knot snug against the eye or the other line; trim the tail short but not flush; and test it with a firm pull before you cast.

An interactive drawing goes here in the app.

Why knots fail

It was tightened dry or too fast. Friction heats the line and weakens it right at the knot.
It is the wrong knot for the line, such as a mono knot with too few wraps in braid, which slips.
It was not seated. A loose coil or a crossed wrap leaves a weak spot, and the knot slips under load.
The line was already damaged. A nick or a rough spot above the knot breaks first, which looks like a knot failure.
The tag is too short. If the end is trimmed flush, a slipping knot has nothing left to hold it.

Practice before you need it

Learn a knot at the kitchen table, not on the water in the dark. Use a thicker cord or a rope the first few times to see the shape of each wrap, then switch to real line and a hook or a ring. Tie each knot a dozen times, tighten it, and pull on it to see whether it holds. Tie it again with your eyes closed for fun, or with cold fingers, because that is how you will really tie it. After a month you will not think about it.

On the water

Retie after every big fish, every snag and any time the line near the knot feels rough.
Carry a small pair of clippers or scissors on a lanyard, and keep them sharp, especially for braid.
If you change line type, change the knot. A knot that works in mono may slip in braid.

Easy mistakes

Using a knot you only half remember. Tie a knot you know, not one you hope you remember.
Skipping the test pull because you are in a hurry.
Cutting the tail flush against the knot.
Blaming the line or the fish for a failure you did not look at. Look at the end of the broken line: a curly, pig-tailed end often means the knot slipped.

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