The clinch knot and the improved clinch knot are nearly identical in strength: tied with 20-pound Daiwa J Fluoro off the same spool, the clinch broke at 16.85 pounds (84.25 percent) and the improved clinch edged it out at 17.03 pounds (85.15 percent). In this How 2 Tuesday I test the most basic fisherman's knot against its one-extra-step upgrade to settle whether that extra tuck actually buys you anything.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
Yes, but only barely. I tied both with 20-pound Daiwa J Fluoro off the same spool. The clinch knot broke at 16.85 pounds, which is 84.25 percent of the line's rated strength. The improved clinch, with that one extra step of passing the tag end back through, broke at 17.03 pounds, or 85.15 percent. So the improvement is real but it is less than one percent.
The clinch knot is the basic fisherman's knot most of us learned first. The improved clinch adds a single step: after you wrap and pass the tag end through the loop by the eye, you pass it back through the big loop you just created before cinching it down. That one extra tuck is the entire difference between the two knots.
That is the real question, and at less than one percent more strength it is close to a wash on breaking strength alone. The extra step does help lock the knot so it is less likely to slip on slick fluorocarbon, which is why a lot of anglers still tie it. I would say tie whichever one you can tie cleanly and consistently every time.
I tied and tested both knots with 20-pound Daiwa J Fluoro, pulling line from the same spool for each so the test was as uniform as possible. Using the same line off the same spool is the only way to make a fair head-to-head comparison, because line and spool variation can swing knot numbers more than the knot itself.
Absolutely. The clinch knot is the knot somebody's grandfather or father taught them the first time they ever went fishing. At 84 percent it is plenty strong for most everyday fishing, it is fast, and it is easy to tie. If you want to squeeze out a tiny bit more and lock it down, add the one extra step and tie the improved version.
It is how much of the line's rated breaking strength the knot holds before it fails. A clinch knot at 84.25 percent on 20-pound line breaks at about 16.85 pounds, meaning the knot gives up about 16 percent of the line's strength. The closer to 100 percent, the more of your line's strength the knot preserves.
The clinch knot is the knot most people's grandfather or father taught them the very first time they went fishing. It is the basic fisherman's knot. The whole question of this episode is simple: can it be made stronger by one extra step? I wanted hard numbers instead of opinions, so I put both on the tester. I break it all down in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Here are the steps I walk through in this How 2 Tuesday, with the full demonstration in the episode.
I unpack each of these in the episode. Press play in the player above.
The improved clinch came in at 85.15 percent against the clinch knot's 84.25 percent. That is less than a single percent of difference. The extra tuck does help lock the knot on slick fluorocarbon, which matters more than the raw number. I give you my honest take on whether to bother in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Both of these are strong, fast, beginner-friendly knots, and you will not go wrong with either one. If you can tie the extra step cleanly every time, it does not hurt to lock the knot down.
What matters most is tying it the same way every time and lubricating before you cinch. You can see how the clinch and improved clinch compare to every other knot I have tested in the free knot guide. Press play in the player above.
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.
clinch knot · improved clinch knot · Daiwa J Fluoro · fluorocarbon · 20-pound test · knot strength test · How 2 Tuesday · Saltwater Experience
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.
Subscribe to get the latest episodes, show notes, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.