The clinch knot is the basic fisherman's knot most anglers learn first, tied by running the line through the hook eye, wrapping the tag end five times around the standing line, and passing it back through the loop above the eye. In this How 2 Tuesday I tie it on camera and then break it on the tester. Three clinch knots in 12 pound Daiwa fluorocarbon averaged 10.68 pounds, or 89% of the line's rated strength.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
You tie a clinch knot by putting the line through the hook eye, taking the tag end and wrapping it five times around the standing line, then passing the tag end back through the hole right above the hook eye and pulling it tight. It is one of the simplest knots in fishing and one of the fastest to learn.
In my test the clinch averaged 89% breaking strength. I tied and broke three identical knots in 12 pound Daiwa fluorocarbon. They failed at 10.58, 11.02, and 10.46 pounds, for an average of 10.68 pounds out of a 12 pound rating.
For a knot most people dismiss as a beginner knot, 89% is a respectable number. I would not call it the strongest knot in my arsenal, but it is fast, simple, and reliable enough that it keeps earning its place. The test gives you real data to decide for yourself.
I wrap the tag end five times around the standing line. Five is the standard I use and the count I tied for this test. Too few wraps and the knot can slip; the five-wrap version is what produced the 89% average.
The improved clinch adds one extra step: after you pass the tag end back through the first hole, you run it through the new loop you just created. In my testing that small change did not always help. The plain clinch averaged 89% here, which is worth keeping in mind.
I used 12 pound Daiwa fluorocarbon, the same line I run through these knot tests so the results stay comparable. Holding the line constant lets me compare the clinch fairly against the other knots in the series.
The clinch knot is where almost everyone starts, including me. Because it is the first knot so many of us learn, it is easy to assume it is a beginner knot and nothing more. I wanted to test it and find out whether the knot we all cut our teeth on actually earns a spot in a serious tackle bag.
Here is the simple sequence I use to tie a clinch knot.
I walk through every step on camera in the episode. Press play in the player above.
The clinch is usually the first knot a parent or a buddy teaches you, and there is a good reason for that. It is short, it is forgiving, and you can tie it before you understand anything else about fishing. What surprised me was how well a knot that simple held up on the tester. I get into why it has stayed in rotation for generations in the episode, so press play in the player above.
With the clinch, the failure mode matters as much as the number. A knot that slips behaves differently under a hard run than one that breaks clean. I watched closely as I tested all three, and what I saw shapes how I think about when to trust this knot. I break down what happened on the tester in the episode, so press play in the player above.
A day after testing it, my takeaway is that the clinch knot earns more respect than it gets. Eighty-nine percent from the knot beginners learn first is nothing to apologize for.
If the clinch is the only knot you know right now, you are not as undergunned as you might think. Practice it clean, keep your five wraps consistent, and it will hold. Press play in the player above.
Clinch knot · improved clinch knot · 12 pound Daiwa fluorocarbon · breaking strength testing · knot tester · How 2 Tuesday
How 2 Tuesday is my weekly series where I break down one fishing skill at a time, from knots and casting to gear, tactics, and the habits that make you a better angler. Watch and listen to every How 2 Tuesday episode from Tom Rowland.
I’m Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. On the podcast’s How 2 Tuesday series I break down one practical skill or lesson at a time, from fishing technique and gear to the habits that make you a better angler, in short, focused episodes you can put to use right away.
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