15 knots

Knots you can tie from the page

A knot is the weakest part of any line, so it is worth learning a few properly. Each guide here is numbered steps, the line types it suits, and an honest note on where it lets you down.

Last reviewed 26 September 2026 · Editorial policy

Why it matters

A good knot is a decision, not a habit

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Most anglers use two or three knots for everything, which works until a line type changes — a braid where a monofilament knot slips, a leader too thick for the eye you are threading, a dropper you need to tie in the dark. Learning what each knot is actually doing lets you pick the right one for the join in front of you, and every guide below says plainly which line types it suits and which it does not. Moisten before tightening, pull steadily rather than snatch, and cut the tag end where the guide says.

At a glance

Every knot in one table

15 knots
Knot	Joins	Best with
Improved Clinch Knot	Line to hook, swivel or lure eye	Monofilament and fluorocarbon. Not recommended for braid, which can slip through the wraps.
Palomar Knot	Line to hook, swivel or lure eye	Braid, monofilament and fluorocarbon alike. One of the few knots that works reliably across all three.
Uni Knot	Line to hook, swivel or lure eye	Mono, fluorocarbon and braid.
Double Uni Knot	Line to line of similar or slightly different diameter, main line to leader	Any combination of mono, fluorocarbon and braid, provided the diameters are not too far apart.
Blood Knot	Two lines of similar diameter	Monofilament and fluorocarbon of similar diameter. Not suited to braid or to joining lines of very different thickness.
Surgeon's Knot	Two lines of similar or different diameter	Monofilament and fluorocarbon. Works reasonably with braid to mono but is not the slimmest option for that job.
Surgeon's Loop	A fixed loop in the end of a line	Monofilament and fluorocarbon. Usable with braid but a non-slip loop is generally cleaner for braid.
Figure-of-Eight Loop	A fixed loop in the end of a line	Monofilament and fluorocarbon, particularly fly lines and leaders. Rarely used with braid.
Perfection Loop	A fixed loop in the end of a line, usually a fly leader butt	Monofilament and fluorocarbon leader material. Not used with braid.
FG Knot	Braid main line to a mono or fluorocarbon leader	Braid to mono or fluorocarbon leader. Not a knot for joining two mono lines.
Alberto Knot	Braid main line to a mono or fluorocarbon leader	Braid to mono or fluorocarbon leader, particularly heavier leaders.
Arbor Knot	Line to the reel spool arbor	Mono, fluorocarbon and braid alike — this is a utility knot, not a terminal or leader knot.
Snell Knot	Hook to line, tied through the eye and down the shank	Monofilament and fluorocarbon leader material. Rarely used with braid.
Dropper Loop	A loop standing out from the middle of a length of line	Monofilament and fluorocarbon. Not a braid knot.
Blood Knot for Mono-to-Fluorocarbon Leaders	Monofilament main line or leader to a fluorocarbon leader section of similar diameter	Monofilament to fluorocarbon, matched or close in diameter. A poor choice where diameters differ by more than a size or two, or for either line to braid.