The Clinch Knot: A Must-Know for Your Flies

The Clinch Knot - (Clinch Knot Advanced)

If there is one knot every fly angler needs to have down cold, it is the clinch knot (called Clinch Knot in English).

Its main advantage is its reliability, even with very fine-diameter nylon, along with how easy it is to tie.

Whether you are dry fly fishing, nymphing, or throwing streamers, it is the final link between your tippet and your fly.

Step 1: Threading Through

• Pass the line through the hook eye and leave about 8 cm of tag end.

Step 2: Wraps

• Wrap the tag end around the standing line. For fly fishing, five turns are enough to keep the knot secure. But on very fine lines (10/100 or less), do not hesitate to add one or two more turns.

Step 3: Back Through

• Pass the tag end through the small loop that formed right next to the hook eye.

Step 4: Locking It

• To turn this into an "Improved Clinch Knot", run the tag end back through the large loop you just created.

Step 5: Tightening and Finishing

• This is the critical step: wet the line with a little saliva to prevent the nylon from heating up, then tighten gradually. Trim the tag end to 1-2 mm from the knot.

The clinch knot is rock-solid reliable, even with very fine nylon. Simple and quick to tie, it is a fly fishing essential.