How to Tie the Improved Clinch Knot
By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026
The improved clinch knot is a clinch knot with one extra tuck that locks the tag end in place. Use it to tie an eyed hook, swivel, lure or fly to monofilament or fluorocarbon, and it is quick to tie even with cold, wet fingers.
It has two limits worth knowing before you start. Most knot guides say the wraps can slip on slick braid, and Netknots notes it gets hard to tie neatly in line above 25 lb. Step 6 covers what to use instead.
Its origin is unknown, but anglers have tied the clinch for more than 100 years. You need your line, the hook or swivel, nippers or scissors, and a little water or saliva. Then it is six steps.
Step 1: Thread the Eye and Leave a Long Tag End
Run out of tag halfway through the turns and you have to start again. Get the tag length right first.
- Pass the line through the eye of the hook, swivel or lure.
- Pull through a generous tag. As a guide, leave roughly 8 cm on very light line and 13 to 15 cm on heavier line.
- Pinch the eye and the point where the tag crosses the main line between finger and thumb, so nothing twists off while you wrap.
Spare tag gets trimmed off in Step 6. Too little means retying, which is no fun with cold fingers.
By now you should be holding the eye with a tag long enough for five to seven turns plus two tucks.
Step 2: Twist the Tag Around the Main Line 5 to 7 Times
Ask three knot guides how many turns an improved clinch knot needs and you get three answers. The most useful one changes the number with line strength, because stiffer, heavier line will not bed down neatly over lots of turns.
Wrap the tag around the main (standing) line, keeping each turn even and lying side by side. Don’t let the turns cross. If it is easier, hold the tag still and spin the hook to make the twists.
| Line breaking strain | Turns |
|---|---|
| Up to 10 lb | 5 to 7 |
| 20 to 40 lb | About 4 |
| Over 40 lb | 3 |
A guide from one published source (Outdoor Life). Other guides say five or more (Netknots) or at least five, with seven better (Wired2Fish).
No source gives a figure for 10 to 20 lb, so treat five turns as a starting point there, not a rule. On fine line, more turns help: Netknots notes that fly guides tying the plain clinch in light line use seven or eight.
By the end of this step you should have neat, even coils with the tag end pointing back towards the eye.
Step 3: Pass the Tag Through the Small Loop at the Eye
This tuck takes two seconds and sets up the step that matters most. Your target is the small loop just above the eye, below the first turn.
- Keep pinching the eye so the coils don’t spring open.
- Bring the tag back down towards the eye.
- Push it through that small loop.
Pull tight now and you have a plain clinch knot. It is the fastest version to tie, but slightly more prone to slipping. Keep going.
By now the tag has passed through the small loop, and a second, larger loop has formed between the coils and the tag end.
Step 4: Tuck the Tag Back Through the Big Loop
The “improved” in improved clinch knot is one extra tuck. Nothing more.
Pass the tag end through the large loop you made in Step 3, between the coils and the tag, so it lies alongside itself. Keep hold of it while you move on to Step 5.
This tuck traps the tag so it can’t work back through the coils when a fish pulls, and the knot tightens further as load comes on. The improved version is now so widely used that, as Netknots puts it, many anglers have forgotten the plain clinch altogether.
Names for this knot vary between guides and tackle shops, so go by the steps rather than the label (see the FAQ).
By now the tag has gone through both the small loop and the big loop, and the coils are still loose.
Step 5: Wet the Knot and Seat the Coils Against the Eye
A clinch that gives way on the first fish is often a tightening problem, not a knot problem.
Tighten in this order:
- Wet the knot with water or saliva. The usual reason: lubrication lets the coils slide down without the friction heat that can weaken mono and fluorocarbon.
- Pull the tag gently to snug the two tucks.
- Pull steadily on the main line while holding the hook, so the coils slide down and bed against the eye.
Seat it firmly. Outdoor Life’s Joe Cermele points out that the friction of the coils cinching down roughens the line slightly and gives the knot more bite.
Then check it. If the coils have crossed, bunched up, or the knot sits away from the eye, cut it off and retie. Retying takes seconds; a lost fish costs far more.
By now you should have tight, neat coils seated snugly against the eye.
Step 6: Trim, Test the Knot and Know When to Switch
Finish with two quick jobs, then decide whether the improved clinch knot suits this line.
Trim the tag close but not flush. Wired2Fish advises leaving about 1.5 mm or more, because a very short tag can slip back into the knot. Give it a firm test pull before you cast. On very fine line, doubling the line before tying reduces slipping.
It suits spinners and small trout lures on mono. Switch knots in two situations:
- Braid: most guides say the wraps slip on slick braid. Tie a Palomar knot instead.
- Heavy line: above about 25 lb, neat coils are hard to form. Use fewer turns, or try a grinner knot.
| Situation | Knot to use |
|---|---|
| Mono or fluoro to hook, swivel, lure or fly | Improved clinch |
| Braid | Palomar |
| Heavy or stiff line | Improved clinch with fewer turns, or a grinner |
| Joining two lines | Blood knot |
You should now have a tested, trimmed knot. For other jobs, browse more fishing knots.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a clinch knot and an improved clinch knot?
One extra tuck. In the improved clinch knot, the tag end goes back through the big loop after passing through the small loop at the eye. The plain clinch knot is slightly quicker to tie, but the improved version traps the tag more securely and is less prone to slipping.
Is the improved clinch the same as a half blood knot?
Many UK anglers and guides use "half blood knot" and "tucked half blood knot" for knots tied in a very similar way, but names are not standardised between sources. Go by the steps: if your knot has the extra tuck back through the big loop, it is tied the same way as the knot on this page.
How many turns should an improved clinch knot have?
About 5 to 7 turns on line up to 10 lb, around 4 on 20 to 40 lb, and 3 on line over 40 lb, based on one published guide. Heavier line needs fewer turns to seat neatly. See the table in Step 2.
Can you use the improved clinch knot with braid?
It is not recommended. Sources disagree, but most say the tight wraps can slip under pressure on slick braid. Use a Palomar knot on braid instead, and keep the improved clinch for monofilament and fluorocarbon, where it holds well when tied and seated properly.