Fishing Knots 101 - All the Knots You’ll Ever Need

Being able to tie a variety of knots that suit specific purposes will really help you level up your fishing game.  However, if you are a beginner, an internet search for fish knots can lead you down a real rabbit hole.

Fishing is often about efficiency. you can’t catch fish if your line isn’t in the water. To spend more time with my line in the water, here are the only 3 knots I ever use. They serve every fishing situation, are very quick and easy to tie, and are suitable for all species and applications.  They will serve you equally well, I’m sure. Links to how to videos to help you visualize how these knots are tied are below.

Palomar - for attaching a hook or other tackle to your line. It’s super-simple, quick to tie and strong. It is the only knot I use when tying a hook to braided lines as it will not slip like some other knots (e.g., clinch, etc.).

Triple Surgeon’s - for attaching 2 different pieces of line together, whether you need to connect tippet to your fly line leader or a piece of leader to your braided line, this is a great and effective knot and is my go to.  It’s super-simple, quick to tie and strong. It has served me extremely well for decades. It is equally effective for small pan fish and for 20 pound Atlantic Salmon - the only things I change in this case would be my line strengths, not my knots.

Clinch - This knot is my go to when I am attaching any tackle to my line, EXCEPT when I am attaching tackle directly to braided line. Note: use the Palomar when attaching tackle to braid as the clinch is prone to slipping and coming undone. This knot is very easy to tie and can be tied when your hands are freezing or your eyes aren’t so good (like mine). The clinch, in combination with the triple surgeons, is all I use when fly fishing. I use it to attach my hook to my leader/tippet and to attach my leader to my fly line when using a loop which is my personal preference. If you prefer not to use a loop, a nail knot is a great option.