Fishing Knots and Rigs
By Alex Clayton · Updated 24 October 2026
A knot joins your line to a hook, swivel, lead or another line. A rig is the whole assembly at the business end (hook, hooklength, weight or feeder, float and swivel) set up for one method. Search for fishing knots and rigs and you will find hundreds of patterns, with every forum backing a different one.
You need far fewer. A handful of reliable knots and three or four rigs cover most coarse, carp and predator fishing in the UK. Below is the starter set, the knot for each job, how to stop knots failing, rigs by species and the tackle rules you must follow. Step-by-step detail sits in the knots guides and the rigs guides.
Where to Start: Three Knots and Three Rigs
Learn these six and you can fish a canal, a commercial and a river this season. Most other knots and rigs are variations on them.
Knots, in learning order:
- A hook knot: the grinner or the Palomar. Angling Direct calls the grinner probably the most used knot for hooks and swivels. The Palomar knot does the same job, so learn whichever you find easier to tie cleanly.
- A loop knot, such as the figure-of-eight or the perfection loop. It lets you join hooklengths loop to loop and builds most pole and float rigs.
- A line-to-line knot, the blood knot or the double grinner, for joining two lines of similar diameter.
If you plan to fish for carp with a hair rig, add the knotless knot early.
Rigs, three to start with:
- A float rig, usually a waggler on stillwaters.
- A feeder rig, or a method feeder for bream, tench and carp.
- A running ledger for rivers, where chub and barbel feed on the bottom.
I fish for bream on Windermere with the feeder, and a simple running feeder with a short hooklength does the job.
If you only practise one knot at home, make it your hook knot.
Which Knot for Which Job
The “best fishing knot” has no answer until you say what the knot is joining. Choose by the connection, not the name.
| Job | Knots to use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hook or swivel | Grinner, Palomar, improved clinch | The everyday knot. Learn one and tie it the same way every time. |
| Hair rigs | Knotless knot | Ties the hook and forms the hair in one length of hooklink. |
| Line to line (similar diameters) | Blood knot, double grinner | For repairs, or adding a lighter section of line. |
| Braid to mono or fluorocarbon leader | FG knot, Albright | FG is slimmer through the rod rings but slower to tie. |
| Loops | Figure-of-eight, perfection, overhand loop | For loop-to-loop hooklengths and pole rigs. |
| Paternosters and droppers | Four-turn water knot, dropper loop | Puts a side link off the main line. |
Each knot has its own guide with step-by-step diagrams. Go to the knot guides for the connection you need today rather than working through them alphabetically.
One pairing confuses people. The grinner and the improved clinch both tie a hook or swivel to the line. The grinner is the usual UK choice, and the improved clinch turns up more in American advice. Either works, so pick one and tie it consistently.
Match the Knot to the Line, Then Test It
In Field & Stream’s tests, the Palomar, often called the strongest knot, kept between 63% and 96% of the line’s unknotted strength depending on the line and the connection. No knot keeps 100%. A well-tied knot suited to the line matters more than any “strongest knot” list.
Match the knot to the line:
- Monofilament is forgiving. The grinner, Palomar and blood knot all bed down well on it.
- Fluorocarbon is stiffer and slicker. Angling Direct advises a blood knot rather than a grinner with fluorocarbon. Moisten it and pull it down slowly so the turns seat properly.
- Braid is slippery and has no stretch. Join it to a mono or fluorocarbon leader with an FG or Albright knot, both covered in the knot guides.
Tie, wet, test:
- Moisten the knot before you tighten it.
- Tighten slowly so the turns bed down evenly.
- Trim the tag end.
- Give it a firm pull before you cast.
If the knot slips, or the tag end comes back curled like a pig’s tail, cut it off and retie. Make retying a habit after a big fish, a snag or any sign of a kink.
Rigs by Method and Species
A perfect knot on the wrong rig still ends in a blank. A rig’s job is to present the bait where and how a particular fish feeds, so choose by method first and let the species set the details.
| Method | Typical rig | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Float, stillwater | Waggler | Roach, bream, tench |
| Float, close to features | Float paternoster | Perch, tench, pike |
| Feeder | Method feeder | Carp, bream, tench |
| Ledger, river | Running ledger | Barbel, chub |
| Carp bolt rigs | Hair rig on a lead clip or inline lead | Carp |
| Lure | Drop shot | Perch |
| Deadbait | Deadbait rig on a wire trace | Pike |
Hook sizes and breaking strains depend on the venue and the fish, so check the guide for the rig you choose rather than relying on one set of numbers.
For carp, start with the hair rig and the method feeder rig, two common carp rigs that suit commercial waters. Bait shapes the choice too: a hard boilie suits a hair rig, while groundbait and pellets suit a method feeder. Read the bait guides alongside the rig you pick.
On Windermere I drop-shot for perch around structure and fish deadbaits for pike, always on a wire trace. Neither rig is complicated.
The method feeder is best on commercials and stillwaters for carp and bream. Skip it on fast rivers, where a heavier ledger or feeder holds bottom better. Every rig has its own page in the rig guides.
Rules and Fish Safety Your Rig Has to Meet
In England, a lead weight between 0.06g and 28.35g is illegal. Many drop-shot and ledger weights fall inside that band. Some rig choices are legal requirements or firm welfare guidance, not personal preference.
| Rule or guidance | Where it applies | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Lead weights only if 0.06g or less, or more than 28.35g | England | GOV.UK |
| Never leave a rod and line unattended or without sufficient control | England | GOV.UK |
| No gaffs or tailers | England and Wales | GOV.UK |
| Wire trace of at least 30lb and 18in or longer for pike bait fishing | Pike Anglers’ Club welfare guidance | Pike Anglers’ Club |
In plain terms, tiny split shot (sizes 14 to 8) and weights over 1oz can be lead. Anything in between must be a non-lead alternative.
The Pike Anglers’ Club does not endorse mono or fluorocarbon traces. It accepts shorter traces for lure fishing and for livebaiting with an uptrace. It also advises a wire trace for lures, an unhooking mat or cradle, and never a gag.
The lead rule above is for England. For Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, check the current rules before you fish with Natural Resources Wales, the Scottish Government, or DAERA or the Loughs Agency, depending on the water.
If you are building any pike rig, start with the wire trace and work outwards.
Frequently asked questions
What is the strongest fishing knot?
No single knot is strongest, because strength depends on the line and how well the knot is tied. Field & Stream measured the Palomar at 63% to 96% of unknotted line strength across different lines and connections. Tie it wet, tighten slowly and test it before you cast. Our Palomar knot guide shows each step.
Which knot should a beginner learn first?
Learn a hook knot first, either the grinner or the Palomar, because every rig ends in one. Practise at home with an old spool of line until you can tie it without looking. Then add a loop knot and a line-to-line knot, and you have the knots most beginner rigs need.
Can I use lead weights in England?
Only lead weights of 0.06g or less, or more than 28.35g, according to GOV.UK. Anything in between, which includes many drop-shot and ledger weights, must be non-lead. Rules in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland may differ, so check with the relevant authority before you fish there.