Tie an improved clinch knot
The knot most anglers learn second. Quick to tie with cold hands and reliable on monofilament.
Step by step
Pass the line through the eye
Leave yourself about 15 cm of tag end to work with.
Twist five turns
Wrap the tag end around the main line five times. Fewer on heavy line, more on very light line.
Back through the first loop
Pass the tag end back through the small loop formed just above the hook eye.
Then through the big loop
Pass it through the large loop you have just created. This is the 'improved' part, and it is what stops the knot slipping.
Wet and draw down
Wet the knot, then pull the main line steadily so the coils gather neatly against the eye.
Trim
Trim the tag to 2 mm. If the coils crossed over each other, cut it off and tie it again.
When to use it
The improved clinch is the standard monofilament knot for hooks, swivels and lures. It is faster than a Palomar once you know it, and it works when the lure is too big to pass a loop over.
When not to use it
On braid it can slip, because braid is slicker and thinner than mono of the same strength. Use a Palomar for braid. On very heavy line the coils will not seat properly — drop to fewer turns or use a different knot entirely.
The one thing that ruins it
Coils that cross over each other. A well-tied clinch has five neat parallel wraps sitting against the eye. If yours look tangled, the knot will fail well below the line’s rated strength. Cut it off and start again — it takes fifteen seconds.
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