Fishing Loop Knots

By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026

Tie one loop in your mainline and another in your hooklength, and you can change hooklengths in seconds without retying anything. That is the point of a loop knot: a fixed loop tied in the end of the line.

Three knots cover almost every job. The overhand loop is the easiest to tie, the figure of eight loop gives a neat mainline loop for hooklengths, and the perfection loop makes a small loop that sits in line with the standing part of the line.

Pick the right loop in Step 1, tie it in Steps 2 to 4, then test it and make the loop to loop connection in Step 5. For every other knot, see our full fishing knots guide.

Step 1: Pick the Right Loop Knot for the Job

If all three knots make a loop, why learn more than one? Because the overhand loop is quickest to tie on a cold bank, while the perfection loop is the one that sits dead in line.

Knot	Ease	How the loop sits	Typical use
Overhand loop (2+ passes)	Easiest	Fixed loop at the end of the line	Quick hooklength-to-mainline loops
Figure of eight loop	Easy	Small loop, one extra twist over the overhand	Mainline loops for loop to loop
Perfection loop (Angler’s Loop)	Fiddlier	Small loop in line with the standing part	Leaders, hooklengths, fly line loops
Surgeon’s loop	Easy	Doubled overhand with an extra pass	Heavier line (add a third pass)

The surgeon’s loop is a cousin of the surgeon’s knot, which has its own page.

All four are fixed loops for joining line. A loop that lets a lure swing freely is a different job, covered by the Rapala loop knot.

What about strength? No reliable published test ranks the overhand, figure of eight and perfection loops against each other. Choose on the job and how easily you can tie it, then test your own knot using the check in Step 5.

Some guides advise against the perfection loop in braid. If you fish braid, test it before you trust it.

New to loops? Start with the overhand loop, and move to the perfection loop when you need a small, in-line loop.

Step 2: Tie the Overhand Loop Knot

If you can tie an overhand knot in a shoelace, you can tie this. The overhand loop knot is the loop knot to learn first, and the Angling Times method comes down to five moves:

Double the end of the line to make a long loop.
Fold that loop back over itself so it forms a second loop.
Pass the end of the first loop through the second at least twice.
Moisten the knot (saliva is fine), then pull it tight steadily on the loop and both lines at once.
Trim the tag end, leaving a small stub.

Set the loop size before you tighten, because you cannot adjust it afterwards. For a mainline loop, keep it small but big enough to pass a hooklength loop through without a struggle.

The classic use is a loop at the end of the mainline, so ready-tied hooklengths go on and off loop to loop. You can use the same join on pole rigs.

Best for: quick hooklength loops. Skip if: you want a small loop that sits in line with the standing part. Go to Step 4.

Step 3: Tie the Figure of Eight Loop

Pull a figure of eight loop tight from one end only and the turns can bunch up and seat unevenly. Pull all three parts together instead.

This loop knot is an overhand loop with one extra twist. Following Angling Times:

Double the line into a loop.
Fold the loop back across the doubled line.
Take the loop round behind the doubled lines and push it through the first loop, so the knot forms an “8”.
Adjust the loop to the size you want.
Wet it, then tease it tight by pulling the loop, the mainline and the tag end evenly.
Trim the tag.

Sub-step 5 is the one beginners rush. Pull only on the loop and the turns lock up unevenly, so work it down gently, a little on each part at a time.

Compared with the overhand loop from Step 2, the extra twist costs you a few seconds. Angling Times recommends both for mainline loops, so the choice comes down to which one you tie more neatly. Neither has been shown to be stronger.

Step 4: Tie the Perfection Loop

The classic failure is a lopsided perfection loop, kinked off to one side. That usually comes from how you tighten it, not how you tie it.

The perfection loop, also called the Angler’s Loop (Animated Knots), gives a small loop that sits in line with the standing line. Here is the sequence, following Orvis:

Make a loop by passing the tag end behind the standing line.
Bring the tag round the front of the standing line to make a second loop in front of the first.
Lay the tag end between the two loops, across to the opposite side.
Pull the second (front) loop through the first.
Wet the knot, then tighten by pulling the new loop and the standing line directly away from each other, in line.
Trim the tag.

The key tip from Orvis: do not hold or pull the tag end while you tighten.

Then inspect it. The finished loop should sit in line with the standing line, and the tag should stand out at a right angle. If it does not, cut it off and retie.

Tied properly, this loop knot can be made very small (NetKnots), which suits leaders and hooklengths. On braid, the Step 1 caution applies: test it hard before you fish it.

The verdict: worth the extra minute whenever you want a small, in-line loop.

Step 5: Test the Knot and Join Loop to Loop

Every knot leaves your line weaker than an unknotted length, and the breaking strain on the spool is not a reliable baseline. Field & Stream points out that knot-strength percentages only mean something against the line’s measured breaking strength. For scale, Popular Science reported a five-turn blood knot at 83% and a four-turn surgeon’s knot at 80%. Those are not loop knot figures.

So test before you fish. Wet the knot, tighten it slowly, then give the loop a firm, steady pull by hand. If it slips, or the line looks curly or whitened at the knot, cut it off and retie.

Now make the loop to loop connection:

Pass the hooklength loop through the mainline loop.
Pass the hook end (the whole hooklength) back through the hooklength loop.
Pull the two apart slowly so the loops lock together side by side, like a reef knot.

If one loop has pinched tight round the other like a girth hitch, open it out and reseat it square.

To swap, push the joined loops towards each other to open them, then draw the hooklength out (Angling Times). You can go lighter or heavier without touching the rest of the rig.

If you change hooklengths often, tie a mainline loop at the start of the session and carry ready-tied hooklengths with loops.

Frequently asked questions

What is the strongest loop knot?

No reliable published test ranks the overhand, figure of eight and perfection loops against each other, and the few figures that circulate online come without a stated test method. Pick the loop that suits the job, wet it, tighten it slowly and test it on your own line before you fish. The steps above explain how.

Can you tie a perfection loop in braid?

Some guides advise against it, because braid is slippery and the knot may not bed down securely. No primary test settles the question either way. If you want to try it, tie it carefully, tighten it slowly and give it a hard pull by hand before you fish with it.

Should you wet a loop knot before tightening?

Yes. Angling Times and Animated Knots both say to moisten or lubricate the knot before pulling it tight. Wetting helps the turns slide and bed down smoothly instead of grabbing as they close. Saliva or a dip in the water is enough, then tighten with a slow, steady pull rather than a sharp jerk.