Improved clinch knot
Also called clinch knot, fisherman's knot
What is the improved clinch knot?
The standard knot for tying line to a hook or lure eye. Five twists, back through the loop, then through the big loop you just made.
Improved clinch knot at a glance
- Twists
- 5
- Six or seven on very light line, four on heavy
- Knot strength
- About 90%
- On mono and fluorocarbon, tied wet
- Use it on
- Mono and fluorocarbon
- Not on
- Braid
- The fibres are too slick; use a Palomar
How do you tie an improved clinch knot?
Pass the tag end through the eye, twist it around the standing line five times, feed it back through the small loop next to the eye, then through the large loop that creates. Wet it, pull it tight from the standing line, and trim the tag close.
The word improved refers to that last pass through the big loop. A plain clinch stops at the small loop and slips far more readily; the extra tuck is what locks it.
How strong is the improved clinch knot?
Tied properly on mono or fluorocarbon it holds around 90 percent of the line's strength, which puts it near the top of the knots a beginner can tie reliably in the dark with cold hands.
It has two failure modes and both are avoidable. Dry cinching burns the line at the twists, because pulling a knot down generates real friction heat at exactly the point that will carry the load. And tying it on braid lets the slick fibres slide; braid wants a Palomar or an FG instead.
How many twists should you use?
Five is right for most freshwater line. Very light line takes six or seven, because thin line needs more wraps to grip itself. Heavy line takes four, because thick line does not want to close up against itself and extra wraps just make a bulky knot that will not seat.
Wet every knot with spit or water before you pull it tight. A dry knot generates enough friction heat to cost you a fish.
What this means when you’re choosing
- A tag end trimmed to about a sixteenth of an inch. Cut flush and the knot can creep; leave it long and it catches weed and hangs on guides.
- Coils that seat side by side rather than crossing over each other. A knot with a wrap riding over its neighbour fails well below its rating.
- A second knot for braid before you need it. The clinch is not the wrong knot in general, it is the wrong knot on braid specifically.
The common mistake
Pulling it tight dry, and fast
The knot is cinched by dragging line against line, and that friction makes heat. Done dry and quickly on fluorocarbon it can damage the line before the lure has touched water, so the knot then breaks on a decent fish and the line gets blamed. Wet it, pull steadily from the standing line rather than the tag, and stop as soon as the coils seat.
Common questions
Can you tie an improved clinch knot with braided line?
You can tie it, but it slips. Braid's fibres are too slick for a knot that holds by friction against itself. Use a Palomar for tying braid to a hook or lure, and an FG or double uni for joining braid to a leader.
How many turns should an improved clinch knot have?
Five for most freshwater line. Use six or seven on very light line, which needs more wraps to grip, and four on heavy line, which will not seat properly with more.
Where this comes up
The guides that use improved clinch knot and show it on real gear.
Last reviewed . Improved clinch knot is one of 222 terms in the fishing glossary.