The improved clinch knot is the basic clinch knot with one small change: after you pass the tag end back through the loop above the hook eye, you run it through the new loop you just created. In this How 2 Tuesday I tie it on camera and then break it on the tester. Three improved clinch knots in 12 pound Daiwa J fluoro averaged 9.85 pounds, or 82.1% of the line's rated strength.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
You tie it like a regular clinch: through the hook eye, around the standing line five times, and back through the hole. Then to improve it you go back through the loop you just created before pulling tight. That one extra pass is the only difference from the standard clinch.
In my test the improved clinch averaged 82.1% breaking strength. I tied and broke three identical knots in 12 pound Daiwa J fluoro. They failed at 9.40, 10.43, and 9.74 pounds, for an average of 9.85 pounds out of a 12 pound rating.
Not in my testing. The plain clinch averaged 89% in my test and the improved clinch averaged 82.1%, so the extra step did not make it stronger here. The word improved does not automatically mean a higher breaking strength, which is exactly why I put both on the tester.
After you pass the tag end back through the hole above the hook eye, like a standard clinch, you run the tag end back through the new loop you just formed. That final tuck is what separates the improved clinch from the basic clinch.
I used 12 pound Daiwa J fluoro, the same fluorocarbon I run through all of these knot tests. Keeping the line identical across knots is the only way to compare them fairly.
Based on my numbers, do not assume the improved version is automatically better. The plain clinch tested higher for me. I would let the results guide you rather than the name, and the episode walks through both so you can decide.
I always assumed the word improved meant stronger. That assumption is exactly why I wanted to run this test. The improved clinch takes one extra step over the standard clinch, and I wanted hard numbers on whether that extra tuck actually buys you anything.
Here is the sequence I use to tie an improved clinch knot.
I walk through every step on camera in the episode. Press play in the player above.
This is the question that drove the whole test. We assume an improved version of anything is the better version, but my tester does not care about names. When the improved clinch came in below the plain clinch, it was a good reminder to test instead of trust. I lay out what that means for how you should pick your knots in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Even at 82.1%, the improved clinch is not a bad knot, and plenty of great anglers swear by it. The point is knowing the real number so you can decide where it belongs. I talk through the situations where I would still reach for it in the episode. Watch the tie and the test, and press play in the player above.
A day after running this one, my big takeaway is to test your assumptions. I went in expecting the improved clinch to beat the clinch, and the numbers told a different story.
Tie the version you trust, but know what it actually delivers. That confidence on the water is worth more than any name on a knot. Press play in the player above.
Improved clinch knot · clinch knot · 12 pound Daiwa J fluoro · fluorocarbon · breaking strength testing · 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.
Subscribe to get the latest episodes, show notes, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.