Fishing Knots
By Alex Clayton · Updated 24 October 2026
You don’t need to learn 30 fishing knots. Most UK anglers cover coarse, predator and sea sessions with a hook knot (the grinner or the palomar), one knot for joining line, one loop and, if you fish hair rigs, the knotless knot. Learn those few properly before you add anything else.
Choosing is only half of it. A “weaker” knot tied carefully will hold when a “stronger” one tied in a rush gives way, so this guide covers tying habits as well as which knot to use.
The page is organised by job: tying on a hook, joining two lines, braid to leader, loops and loading a spool. Each knot links to its own step-by-step guide, and the rest of our knots and rigs guides show where those knots sit in a finished setup.
The Five Knots That Cover Most UK Fishing
Search for the best fishing knots and you’ll find “top 10” lists that disagree with each other. Plenty come from US sites written with bass fishing in mind, so they push knots you’ll rarely need on a UK lake, river or beach. Start with these five instead.
1. Grinner knot. The everyday knot for tying line to a hook, swivel or lead clip. Angling Direct describes it as versatile on both light and strong lines. Learn it on our grinner knot guide.
2. Palomar knot. Simple to tie and strong, especially on mono, but it has to be seated carefully. The palomar knot guide shows how to bed it down properly.
3. Knotless knot. The standard hair rig knot for boilies, large pellets and sweetcorn. If you fish hair rigs for carp, this is the one to learn first. See the knotless knot guide.
4. A line join. The blood knot is the classic choice for joining two lines. The four turn water knot is the quicker option, and Angling Direct lists it for paternosters and fly droppers. Start with the blood knot.
5. A loop. The surgeon’s loop or the figure-of-eight loop gives you a fixed loop for loop-to-loop connections and rig building. Both are covered in our loop knots guide.
If you only learn one this week, make it the grinner. If you fish braid, you’ll also need a braid-to-leader knot, covered in the line-type section below.
Which Fishing Knot Should You Use? A Quick Chooser
Find the job in the left column, tie the first choice, and keep the alternative in reserve.
| Job | First choice | Alternative | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hook, swivel or lead clip on mono | Grinner | Palomar or improved clinch | Angling Direct rates the grinner on light and strong lines |
| Hook on fluorocarbon | Blood knot | Palomar | Angling Direct advises a blood knot over the grinner on fluoro |
| Hair rig | Knotless knot | None needed | Measure the hair against the bait before you tie |
| Spade end hook | Spade end knot | Hook-tying tool | Tie it by hand or with a hook tier |
| Straight-shank hook | Snell knot | Palomar | A snell makes the hook angle upward when pulled |
| Joining two lines | Blood knot or surgeon’s knot | Double grinner | The surgeon’s knot is easier with cold fingers |
| Braid to mono or fluoro leader | FG knot | Double grinner or Albright | The FG is slimmest through the rod guides but hardest to learn |
| Beach casting shock leader | Shock leader knot | Double grinner | The join must pass cleanly through the guides on the cast |
| Loop for a loop-to-loop or rig | Surgeon’s loop | Figure-of-eight loop | Both give a fixed loop |
| Lure that needs free movement | Rapala loop knot | Improved clinch | A loop lets the lure swing freely on the retrieve |
| Line to reel spool | Arbor knot | None needed | It only has to grip the spool, not land a fish |
A knot is only one part of a rig. Once you know which knot does which job, our fishing rigs guides show where each one sits in a complete setup, from a simple float rig to a running lead.
Hook Knots: How to Tie a Hook On
The right hook knot depends on the hook’s eye, or lack of one, more than on the fish you’re after. Pick the knot to suit the hook in your hand.
Eyed hooks. Use a grinner or a palomar. Both follow the same basic pattern:
- Pass the line through the eye (for a palomar, pass a doubled loop through it).
- Wrap the tag end around the line, or tie the overhand stage of the palomar.
- Wet the knot.
- Pull it tight slowly so the turns bed down neatly.
- Trim the tag end.
The grinner and palomar guides linked above give the exact steps.
Spade end hooks. Common on smaller coarse hooks, these have a flattened end in place of an eye. Tie the spade end knot by hand or with a hook tier.
Hair-rigged hooks. The knotless knot holds the bait on a short hair off the hook rather than on it. Measure the hair against the bait before you start, so the gap comes out right first time.
When I’m feeder fishing for bream on Windermere, I stick to a hook knot I can tie quickly and the same way every time. Consistency matters more there than chasing the “best” knot.
Use the palomar on mono and larger eyes. Skip it on very small hooks, where pushing a doubled loop through the eye gets fiddly.
How to Tie Fishing Line Together
Your mainline snaps halfway through a session, or you need to add a hooklength to finish a rig. Either way you need a join you can trust, and the right one depends on the two lines you’re tying together.
Blood knot. The classic join for two lines of similar diameter, and one of the core knots in the Fisheries Ireland knots guide.
Surgeon’s knot and four turn water knot. Both are quick because you handle the two lines together rather than wrapping each one separately. Angling Direct lists the water knot for paternoster rigs, joining two lines and tying fly droppers, so learn it if you fish a paternoster for perch or a team of flies.
Double grinner. Two grinner knots tied back to back and pulled together. Angling Direct lists it for joining two lines and for joining braid to a mono leader.
Shock leaders for beach casting. A shock leader is a length of heavier line that takes the strain of a powerful cast. Its join has to pass smoothly through the guides at speed, so read the shock leader knot page before you cast heavy leads.
For a quick choice: the blood knot gives the neatest join for like-for-like mono, and the water knot is the fastest to tie when your hands are cold.
Knots for Mono, Fluorocarbon and Braid
Tie the same knot in three different lines and it can behave three different ways. A knot that holds on mono can slip on braid, and the line often gets the blame.
Mono. The most forgiving line. The grinner, palomar and improved clinch all grip well, and the palomar is at its best on mono.
Fluorocarbon. Stiffer and less forgiving, so seat every knot slowly. Angling Direct’s knot guide suggests a blood knot rather than a grinner on fluoro.
Braid. Thin and slippery, so most anglers join it to a mono or fluorocarbon leader rather than tying it straight to the hook or lure. The FG knot makes a slim join that passes easily through the guides, but it’s the hardest of the common knots to learn. The double grinner is easier to tie but slightly less smooth through the guides, and the Albright is another option. Our braid to mono knot guide compares them side by side.
| Line | Good knots | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Mono | Grinner, palomar, improved clinch | Pulling tight dry |
| Fluorocarbon | Blood knot, palomar | Knots seated too fast |
| Braid | FG, double grinner or Albright to a leader | Knots slipping when tied straight to the hook |
When I’m lure fishing and drop-shotting for pike and perch on Windermere, I fish braid to a leader. Over a full day of casting, a neat leader knot that runs smoothly through the guides is worth the time it takes to learn.
What Is the Strongest Fishing Knot?
Every list seems to crown a different strongest fishing knot, often with a percentage to back it up. No single knot wins on every line.
A well-tied grinner or palomar on mono, or a well-seated FG on braid, is strong enough for almost all UK fishing. None of the sources we checked names one outright winner.
Published strength figures vary for good reasons:
- The brand and diameter of line used in the test
- How the test was run, including how quickly the load was applied
- Who tied the knot and how carefully
Change any one and the “strongest” knot changes too.
So ask a more useful question: does this knot suit my line and the job, and can I tie it the same way every time? If yes, give it a firm test pull and fish it.
Verdict: the strongest fishing knot is the one that suits your line and that you tie perfectly every time.
Tying Habits That Matter More Than the Knot
A good fish takes, you strike, and the line comes back curly with no hook on the end. That pigtail means the knot slipped rather than broke, which usually comes down to how it was tied. These five habits prevent most failures.
- Wet the knot before tightening. Water or saliva cuts the friction heat that weakens line as the turns pull down.
- Pull tight slowly and steadily. Give the turns time to bed down. The palomar in particular must be seated carefully.
- Trim the tag neatly. Leave a short tag rather than cutting flush against the knot.
- Test it before you cast. Give every knot a firm pull. Better to find a bad one in your hand than on a fish.
- Retie after damage. Tie a fresh knot after a snag, after a good fish, or as soon as you see abrasion or kinks near the knot.
On Windermere I retie after snagging a lure, even when the knot looks fine. A minute spent retying beats losing the next fish.
Practise your starter set at home, with the line you fish, until you can tie each knot without looking. Then you’ll tie it properly on a cold, windy bank too.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest fishing knot to learn?
The grinner and the palomar are the easiest useful knots to start with. The palomar has very few moves but gets fiddly on small hooks, because you pass a doubled loop through the eye. The grinner works on almost any hook or swivel, so it's the better first knot for most UK anglers.
What knot do carp anglers use for hair rigs?
Carp anglers use the knotless knot for hair rigs. It ties the hook and forms the hair in one go, so the bait sits just off the hook. Measure the hair against your bait before you tie, so the gap between bait and hook comes out right.
How do you attach braid to a leader?
Use an FG knot for the slimmest join through the rod guides, or a double grinner if you want something easier to tie. The FG takes practice, so learn it at home before you need it on the bank. The section on mono, fluorocarbon and braid compares the options.
Do I need a different knot for fluorocarbon?
Often, yes. Fluorocarbon is stiffer than mono, so wet every knot and seat it slowly. Angling Direct advises a blood knot rather than a grinner on fluoro, and the palomar is another option. Whichever you tie, test it with a firm pull before you cast.