How To Tie Simple Knots

Knowing how to tie a solid knot is one of the most important skills in fishing — and is also one of the most overlooked. It doesn't matter how good your gear, or how perfect your cast is, if your knot fails, you lose the fish. The good news is that you only need to know a handful of knots to handle just about any situation on the water.

In this read, we break down three knots that are simple to tie, reliable to use and between the three, they will cover everything from spooling up fresh line to tying on a hook or lure. Take a few minutes to practice each one at home before your next trip and you'll head out with one less thing to worry about.

Improved Clinch Knot

This is one of the most reliable, go-to knots in fishing. It works great for tying lures and hooks to monofilament line and is easy to repeat once you've practiced it a few times.

1. Thread 5-6 inches of line through the eye of the hook
2. Wrap the tag end around the main line 5-6 times
3. Pass the tag end through the small loop nearest the eye, then back through the large loop you just created
4. Wet the knot and pull tight, then trim any excess line

Palomar Knot

The Palomar is another simple, super strong knot that works well with both braided and monofilament line. Many anglers actually consider it even easier to tie than the Clinch.

1. Double 4-6 inches of line and pass the loop through the eye of the hook
2. Tie a loose overhand knot with the doubled line
3. Pass the hook through the loop at the end of the doubled line
4. Wet the knot, pull both ends to tighten, and trim any excess line

Arbor Knot

The Arbor Knot is used for one specific but important job — attaching new line to your reel. It's the first knot you'll tie every time you spool up.

1. Loop your line around the reel's arbor (the center spool) and bring the tag end back over the main line
2. Tie an overhand knot with the tag end around the main line, then tie a second overhand knot at the very tip of the tag end
3. Pull the main line to slide the first knot down tight against the arbor — the second knot acts as a stopper so it doesn't slip through

Refer to the diagram below for a visual breakdown of each step.