How to tie fishing line to fishing or spinning reel? Arbor Knot

There are many ways how you can attach fishing line to fishing reel.

This fishing knot is beginner friendly and one that every fisherman should know.

It's very important to know that this knot is not super strong and unbreakable, it is opposite this knot is the one that will save your fishing equipment.

 

This video belongs to youtube fishing knot channel How to Fish

The Arbor Knot is essentially the  seatbelt  for your fishing line. While most knots are about catching the fish, this one is entirely about protecting your gear and ensuring your line actually stays attached to the reel.

Think of it as the foundational anchor. Without a proper arbor knot, your entire day on the water could end in a  ghost reel  situation where the line spins but the spool stays still.

 Why It’s a Lifesaver for Your Reel

 1. Prevents  Line Slippage

Modern fishing reels especially those using braided line are very smooth. Braided line is essentially slippery plastic. If you don't use an arbor knot (which cinches tighter as tension is applied), the entire  block  of line can spin around the spool like a loose wedding ring on a finger.

 The Result: You try to reel in, but the line doesn't move. The arbor knot creates the initial friction needed to  grip  the metal.

 2. The  Last Stand  Protection

If you hook into a massive fish that  runs  (pulls out all your line), you will eventually hit the end of your spool.

 The Save: A weak knot will snap or untie, and you’ll lose your fish and $30 worth of line.

 The Arbor Knot: It’s designed to be a  jam knot.  The more the fish pulls, the tighter the overhand knot jams against the main loop, giving you one last chance to stop the fish before everything is gone.

 3. Even Line Lay

A bulky, messy knot at the start creates a  bump  on the spool. As you wind more line over that bump, it creates an uneven surface.

 The Save: The arbor knot is low profile. It keeps the core of the spool level, which prevents tangles and  wind knots  later when you're casting.

 How to Tie Arbor Knot (The 3 Step Logic)

You don't need a PhD in seamanship for this one. It’s just two simple overhand knots:

1. The Loop: Wrap your line around the reel spool and tie a standard overhand knot around the  standing  (main) part of the line. This creates a sliding loop.

2. The Stopper: Tie a second overhand knot at the very end of the  tail  (the tag end).

3. The Cinch: Pull the main line. The loop will slide down and tighten against the spool, and the  stopper  knot will jam against the first knot, locking it in place.

 

Pro Tip: If you are using Braided Line, the arbor knot might still slip because braid is so slick. Most anglers put a small piece of electrical tape over the knot or  back  the reel with a few yards of monofilament first.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

My Favorite Fishing Knot! | How to tie a Snell knot? | Fishing Knots

A Snell Knot is a widely used fishing knot and dates from the old times when hooks didn't have the eye. Today there are less and less hooks on the market without the eye. The Snell Knot is definitely one of the best and most popular.

This knot gets more fish hooked when used with the circle hook than any other fishing knots by 20%, but I would take this information with reserve because the information that I found is not completely descriptive like which knot is compared, what was the fishing line used, what type of fishing, what fish.....



Some advantages of a Snell Knot are:

*You can Snell any hook, even the hook without an eye
*The knot is fixed to the fishing hook shank and it is impossible for the hook to move on the line
*Strength is on the highest level
*Fun for kids to learn



Disadvantages of a Snell Knot are:

*It takes about 30 seconds, depends on proficiency, but at least double the time than some other knots
*Tying small hooks can be really challenging. It is necessary to have good coordination and high precision
*Easy to fail tying, one out of ten, even for someone who did it thousands of times

Video with Snell knot tutorial:

Credits: How to Fish - YouTube channel

 

Video with Snell knot tutorial with ultra small hook:

Credits: How to Fish - YouTube channel

Ultra small hook tied with Snell knot!

Enjoy fishing, tight lines!

Clinch Knot | How to tie a Clinch Knot | Quick and easy knot tutorial with fishing tips

Instruction on How to Tie Clinch Knot

We all love fishing and fishing knots are a part of our life so it's better that we know them better for our chances to catch our dream fish. There are many different types of knots that we can use for fishing, many of them are good, but usually we use just a couple that we can remember. Lots of fishing knots have their purpose, why they exist and why someone created them, went is the right time to use them and what fishing line should be used.

It's the same as when you go fishing, and it's never the same, you never catch the same fish, but if you change to a spot just a 50 meters away, the fish species that you should target and try to catch are completely different. That means you need different bait, rod, line, hooks and even knots. That's why we here will try to assist you in finding the best fishing knot for the right occasion.

If you are using eyeless hooks, the Clinch Knot and Improved Clinch Knot are not the ones you should use.

How to tie a Clinch Knot ?

Step 1.

Get the line thru the hook for about 10cm or 5inch. Look at picture 1.

Step 2. Hold with thumb and index finger the main fishing line tag end, with the other hand hold the fishing hook then start twisting the hook 6 times if the line is less than 30pounds or around 15kg, if your line is over 15kg or 30 pounds twist only 4 times because it's more than enough. If you twist more then necessary you will damage the line with lots of friction or it will be unevenly tied and easy to untie.

Step 3. Push the Tag end inside the loop under the hook eye, look at the orange coloured line in my picture ( I know I'm not talented for drawing :) ).

Step 4. Very important step with all knots, before finishing the knot, you need to lubricate it to reduce friction and damaging the fishing line. You can lubricate with water or saliva it doesn't really make a big difference. After you finish all of these steps, you should get a knot like this one below.

Step 5. Cut the end tag close to the knot, but not too close to prevent untying.

Step 6. There is one more optional step that you can use with all knots at the end. Some old man taught me when I was a kid that I should use a lighter to burn the tag end so fish can't poke on the sharp tag end which could be negative for the fishes interest for the bait. I think there is one more good reason that you should burn the tag end and that is that the burned end becomes thicker and is much. much harder to slip over even when the fishing knot is tied properly. Why not, if you have time one more secure measure can just help in extreme situations maybe with your biggest fish.


Step 7. If you still have some hesitations on how to tie a fishing knot? I recommend the Youtube channel How to Fish - Fishing tutorials.

Clinch Knot video tutorial you can watch down here:

Enjoy fishing, tight lines!
@Ivo

Dropper Loop | How to tie Dropper Loop Fishing knot | Fishing knots

Dropper Loop

The Dropper loop is a type of loop knot which is often used on multi-hook fishing lines. It can be created in the middle of a long line and forms a loop which is off to the side of the line.

You can tie Dropper Loop fishing knot in lots of rigs ex. add hook to trout rig or add more hooks to deep sea fishing or tie your jig for bass fishing... If you are creative you will find lots of different ways to tie this loop to your fishing line.

Video with tutorial:

Credits: How to Fish - YouTube channel

Enjoy fishing, tight lines!

Tie 2 fishing lines together | Instructions and analysis of Albright Knot | Braid to Leader Knot

Albright Knot is one of top 10 fishing knots every fisherman should know.
This not is used worldwide from north freshwater salmon fisherman in Alaska to southern saltwater, open ocean fishing in Australia. Now you probably think what is the reason and why is this knot special? If you think like that you're close to answer because it it special and it is also known as Albright Special!

Advantages:
*You can join any two fishing lines together, this means tippet 10 lb to main line 50lb, mono to braided line or fluorcarbon, or any other combination.
*This knot is suitable for freshwater and saltwater fishing.
 *Time to learn 45min

Disadvantages:
*Moderate skills are necessary to tie this knot

Video with tutorial:

Credits: How to Fish - YouTube channel

Enjoy fishing, tight lines!

How to join 2 fishing lines | How to tie the Surgeon's Knot | Braid to Leader Fishing Knot

The Surgeon's Big Game Fishing Knot is a knot to join or tie a braided line to mono or braided to leader or fluorocarbon. In this tutorial you will learn how to easily tie a braid to leader fishing knot.

The first time I saw this knot, I was a kid and one old man told me this is a braid to braid knot and 15 years later I went on fishing charters and they told us that it is a braid to leader knot. This is some kind of variant of the Surgeon's knot because it has more wraps than an ordinary Surgeon's knot.

This fishing knot is strong and quick to tie. It is very reliable and I'm sure you're going to use it after watching this video.

Advantages of Surgeon's Fishing Knot are:
* You can tie it easier than other knots especially in low light or adverse conditions
* You can join 2 different fishing lines with different diameters and characteristics.
    Examples:( braid to braid, mono to braid, fluorocarbon to mono, mono to mono etc...)
* Stronger knot than any other (near 100%) - used in big game fishing 

  Credits: How to Fish - YouTube channel

Enjoy fishing, tight lines!

San Diego Jam Knot | Fishing Knot for big fishing lures | 94% breaking strain!

The San Diego Jam Knot is one of the essential fishing knots because it's very reliable and it's strength beats the Palomar knot.

This knot is often mixed with the Uni knot but they are completely different because they are wrapping 2 lines but going in different directions. We can say it's some kind of reversal of the Improved Clinch knot, but much stronger and that's the reason of it's use in big game fishing. If you want to catch Tuna this is the knot you can use for tying heavy lures.

The number of times you need to wrap your line depends on your fishing line and you will quickly find out after tying a couple of times. Usually wrap 4-8 times, 4 times for 50+lb line and 8 times for less then 10lb fishing line.

When tightening the knot don't forget to lubricate as you do with every other fishing knot and try to keep the line spiral from overlapping otherwise the knot will cut itself and you will maybe lose a once in a lifetime perfect catch.

Pros:
*Used for fishing hooks, swivels, lures...
*Lure can swing thru the knot
*Strong 94% breaking strain
*Fishing lines mono,braid and fluoro
*Medium skills required
*Fast learning

Cons
*Double time to tie than Palomar Knot with similar strength
*It needs practice, not for beginners

Video with tutorial:

Credits: How to Fish - YouTube channel

Enjoy fishing, tight lines!

What is the strongest fishing knot? Palomar, Snell or Improved Clinch knot?

Fishing knots breaking strength test 

Palomar vs Improved Clinch vs Snell knot!

What is the strongest fishing knot? A question that probably every one of us who likes fishing sometimes ask themselves.



This is the second test of fishing knots breaking strength comparison with the Snell vs Palomar knot.

If you missed the first test between the Clinch and Improved Clinch knot, you can find it here First test Clinch vs Improved Clinch knot.



We used the same rules and same equipment like in test one and you can find out in the link below.
 The results fishing knots strength chart:

As we can see in the graph and table, in the conditions and equipment that we used for testing in those two tests Palomar knot was the strongest fishing knot. Second place is Snell knot and third place is the Improved Clinch knot.

The results fishing knots strength table:

(Snell vs Palomar knot)

 If you want to see the testing video click here:

Any questions, tips and ideas are more than welcome.
Please share with your friends.

Enjoy fishing and tight lines!

What is the strongest fishing knot in the world? Improved Clinch knot vs Clinch knot breaking strain tests!

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

How many times has it happened to you guys that you snag and brake your fishing line and you want to tie a new hook to as fast as possible to continue fishing because every second that you're out fishing and you are not fishing is a huge loss! You are rushing to tie a fishing hook to a line and your hands are dirty, no luck. The weather is changing and you are trying to setup your fishing rig. You are tying your swivel and you made a Clinch knot but you don't have a long enough tag end to make one more tuck at the loop and it comes to mind that it's the same thing it's going to hold enough with or without the extra tuck. Is it worth it to untie and tie again? We are going to find out the answer very soon.

 In this article we will see fishing knots strength comparison,chart and table of two fishing knots, Clinch knot  and Improved Clinch knot.
We will compare them to see which one is better and is the Improved really more reliable than the ordinary Clinch knot.

In this testing we want to avoid any possible human influence in the test, so that means we will use standardized knots. All fishing lines are cut before tying fishing knots, every single one of them will be the same length and it will be tied the same way which means the same number of loops.

Equipment we use in this test:
*Mustad Hooks Big Red 1/0
*Monofilament 10lb 4.6kg Dia .30mm
*Portable Electronic Fishing Scale

Fishing video with our test on the Clinch and Improved clinch fishing knot.

Here are the results of the tests. The results are a little bit shocking for me and I expected much better results from both, at least 20%.
Clinch knot broke three times at 2.575 kg , 2.410 kg and 2.185 kg which gives an average breaking point of 2.390kg which is only 52% of the full line capacity!
Improved Clinch knot broke three times at 2.825 kg, 4.080 kg and 3.735 kg which gives us an average breaking point of 3.547 kg which is 77% of capacity of the fishing line.

Final word and conclusions

 3.547/2.390=1.48
The Improved Clinch knot is stronger 48% which is amazing to know. The Clinch knot has a problem with slipping when it's exposed to high tension and your tag end is gone in seconds.

So don't be lazy when you tie your swivel, hook or lure, do one more step: tuck the line through the last loop. If you don't have a long enough tag end, do it from the beginning. Remember what you read here  and maybe you will hook your dream fish and you don't want to lose it because of a knot.

Enjoy fishing, tight lines!

The Global Divide: European Prestige vs. Australian Pest

 When we talk about carp fishing, location is everything. The perspective on Cyprinus carpio changes drastically depending on which hemisphere you are standing in.

1. The Prestigious Pursuit in Europe

In the UK and across Europe, the Common and Mirror Carp are viewed as the pinnacle of freshwater angling. European anglers treat these fish with extreme care, often using "unhooking mats" and antiseptic gels to ensure the fish is returned to the water in perfect condition.

• Targeting Giants: European "carpy" culture is built on catching massive, named fish that can weigh over 30kg (66lbs).

• The Sport: It is a game of patience, high end electronics and incredibly complex baiting strategies.

2. The Invasive Pest in Australia

Flip the globe and the story changes. In Australia carp are considered a significant environmental pest. Introduced in the mid 1800s, they have dominated the Murray-Darling Basin, muddying the water and outcompeting native species like the Murray Cod.

• Environmental Impact: Their "mucking" feeding habit uproots vegetation and destroys habitats.

• Management: In many parts of Australia is actually illegal to return a carp to the water and anglers are encouraged to "bash a carp" to help restore the local ecosystem.

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Essential Carp Rigs for Every Scenario

To catch these powerful fish whether for sport or removal your carp rigs need to be tied with precision. Carp are notoriously "hook shy" and you should use small hook for big fish.

The Hair Rig (The Gold Standard)

The most famous of all carp rigs is the Hair Rig. Instead of putting the bait (like corn or a boilie) directly on the hook, you attach it to a small "hair" trailing behind the hook.

• Why it works: The carp sucks in the bait, feels the hook is "bare," and tries to spit it out. In the process, the bare hook catches the bottom lip.

The Chod Rig

Perfect for fishing over "silt" or "weed" (common in European lakes).

• The Mechanic: It uses a stiff filament that allows the bait to sit naturally just above the debris on the lake floor, ensuring the carp can see it clearly.

The Simple Running Lead (Best for Australian Rivers)

If you are targeting carp in Australia's fast moving rivers:

• Use a running sinker so the fish doesn't feel any resistance when it picks up the bait.

• This is highly effective for "pest control" sessions where you want a simple, durable setup.

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Top Bait Tips for Success

Regardless of your location, carp follow their noses. To increase your catch rate, consider these baits:

• Sweet Corn: The universal "carp candy."

• Boilies: Hard, boiled dough balls (essential for European prestige fishing).

• Bread Crust: Perfect for "surface fishing" when you can see the carp gulping air at the top.

• Feature	Europe	Australia
  Status	Highly Protected / Prestigious	Invasive Pest
  Common Method	Catch and Release (High Care)	Removal / Culling
  Primary Gear	High-tech carp rigs, Alarms	Simple bait setups, Bowfishing
  Average Size	Can exceed 35kg	Usually catch 2 to 8kg

The Trilene Knot: Small Knot, Big Confidence on the Water (Step-by-Step)

If you’ve ever lost a fish and sat there staring at your line wondering what went wrong, you already understand why knots matter. It’s usually not the rod. Not the reel. Not even the line. It’s the knot.

And that’s exactly why the Trilene Knot has earned such a loyal following among anglers. It’s simple, strong, and ridiculously reliable, especially when you’re fishing with monofilament or fluorocarbon.

Let’s break it down in a way that actually makes sense.

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What Is the Trilene Knot?

The Trilene Knot is a fishing knot designed to tie your line directly to a hook, swivel, or lure. It’s known for maintaining a very high percentage of your line’s original strength, which is exactly what you want when a big fish decides to test your setup.

It was popularized by the fishing line company Berkley, specifically for use with their Trilene monofilament line. But over time, anglers realized it works great with many types of mono and fluorocarbon lines.

In short: it’s built for strength and consistency.

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Why Anglers Love It

Here’s why so many people keep this knot in their regular rotation:

1. It’s Strong

The double pass through the eye of the hook creates extra friction and reduces slippage. That means fewer heartbreaking break-offs.

2. It’s Simple

You don’t need three hands and a YouTube tutorial to tie it. After a few tries, muscle memory takes over.

3. It’s Reliable With Mono & Fluoro

Some knots slip with slick fluorocarbon. The Trilene Knot holds tight.

4. It’s Compact

It doesn’t create a bulky mess at the eye of your hook.

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How to Tie the Trilene Knot (Step-by-Step)

Here’s the clean version without overcomplicating it:

1. Pass the line through the eye of the hook 

   
   
   

2. Pass it through the eye again, forming a small loop. 

   
   
   
   
   

3. Wrap the tag end around the standing line 4 to 6 times. 

   
   
   

4. Feed the tag end through the loop near the eye. 

   
   
   

5. Lubricate the line. (Yes, this matters.) 

6. Pull slowly and evenly to tighten.

7. Trim the excess tag end. 

   
   
   

That’s it.

The key detail people forget? That second pass through the eye. That’s what gives this knot its extra grip.

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When Should You Use It?

The Trilene Knot shines when:

• You’re bass fishing with monofilament

• You’re using fluorocarbon leaders

• You need maximum line strength

• You’re tying directly to hooks, swivels, or hard baits

It’s especially popular among freshwater anglers chasing species like bass, walleye and trout.

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When Not to Use It

No knot is perfect for everything.

The Trilene Knot isn’t ideal for:

• Braided line (there are better options)

• Very small hook eyes where doubling the line won’t fit

• Quick retying in freezing conditions (it takes a few extra seconds)

For braid, many anglers prefer knots designed specifically to prevent slipping.

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A Quick Personal Note

There’s something comforting about a knot you trust. When you’re standing on a dock at sunrise or knee deep in a river, the last thing you want is doubt.

The Trilene Knot isn’t flashy. It won’t impress your fishing buddies with complicated twists and loops. But it works. And when a fish hits hard and your drag starts singing, that quiet confidence matters.

Because in fishing, the smallest details often make the biggest difference.

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