Lubricating your knot means wetting it, often with spit, before you pull it tight, on the theory that it slides and seats better with less friction. In this How 2 Tuesday I test that old advice head to head. I tied three clinch knots dry and three lubricated, same 15 pound fluorocarbon and same number of turns. Dry averaged 82.47% and lubricated averaged 84.67%, basically a dead heat with a slight edge to lubricating.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
In my test it made only a very small difference. Dry clinch knots averaged 82.47% breaking strength and lubricated ones averaged 84.67%, a near dead heat with a slight edge to lubricating. So your grandfather was right that it helps, but the effect was marginal in 15 pound fluorocarbon.
About two percentage points in my test, 82.47% dry versus 84.67% lubricated. That is a slight advantage toward lubricating, but it is small enough that it was essentially a dead heat between the two.
I tied three clinch knots with no lubrication and three clinch knots lubricated with spit, using the exact same 15 pound fluorocarbon and the exact same number of turns. Then I broke all six on the tester and compared the averages.
The idea is that wetting the knot reduces friction so it seats down smoother and tighter without heat or binding as you pull it closed. My test showed a slight benefit, 84.67% lubricated versus 82.47% dry, which lines up with that reasoning, just smaller than many anglers assume.
I used 15 pound fluorocarbon for all six clinch knots, three dry and three lubricated. Keeping the line and the number of turns identical is what made it a fair head-to-head comparison.
Based on my numbers, it does not hurt and gives a slight edge, so there is no reason to stop. Just do not expect a dramatic jump in strength. The dry knots still tested over 80%, so a clean dry knot is far from a disaster.
This is the kind of advice your grandfather gave you when you first started fishing, the kind you stick to but quietly question. I have wondered for years whether spitting on the knot really matters or whether we all just do it out of habit. So I set up a head-to-head test to finally get an answer.
Here is the head-to-head method I used to test the spit-on-your-knot advice.
I walk through every step on camera in the episode. Press play in the player above.
Just about everyone in fishing has been told to spit on the knot before you tighten it. I finally tested it, and the answer is a gentle yes, with an asterisk. The lubricated knots edged out the dry ones, 84.67% to 82.47%, but it was close enough to call a dead heat. I get into what that means for your habits in the episode, so press play in the player above.
A two-point difference is real but modest, and whether it changes your routine depends on how you fish. If you are chasing every last percent, lubricate. If you forget sometimes, do not panic. I talk through how I think about marginal gains like this in the episode. Watch the test, and press play in the player above.
A day after running this one, my takeaway is that the old advice holds up, just not as dramatically as the lore suggests. A slight edge to lubricating, and that is it.
Do you always lubricate your knots, or never? I am genuinely curious. Try the test yourself and tell me in the comments. Press play in the player above.
Clinch knot · knot lubrication · 15 pound 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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