The improved clinch knot
The improved clinch is a simple, reliable knot for tying a fly or hook to a mono or fluorocarbon tippet or leader. The "improved" tuck back through the last loop is what stops it slipping. It is the everyday fly-fishing terminal knot. On braid, the Palomar is the workhorse; the improved clinch is for mono and fluorocarbon.
Pass the tag end of the line through the eye of the fly or hook, leaving yourself a good length of tag to work with, around 15 cm. A small loop forms at the eye where the line doubles back; you will use that loop later, so do not close it up.
Twist the tag end around the standing line five or six turns, working away from the eye, keeping the wraps neat and in a tidy spiral so they do not overlap. Five or six suits the fine lines here; use a turn or two more on very light tippet, fewer on heavier line.
Bring the tag end back and pass it through the small loop that sits just above the eye, the one that formed when the line first doubled back. As you do this, a larger loop opens up alongside the wraps; leave it open for the next step.
Now pass the tag end back through that larger loop you just made. This tuck is the "improved" part of the knot and is what stops it slipping, so do not skip it. Pull gently on the tag to take up the slack and keep the wraps in order.
Wet the knot. Pull the standing line slowly so the wraps draw down into a neat coil snug against the eye, easing the tag through as it closes. Pull it firm, check the coils sit evenly and have not jumped over each other, then trim the tag close.
Five steps. Each one is a panel in the diagram above. Wet it before you pull it tight.
What it ties
A fly or a hook to the end of your line. It is the knot most fly anglers tie to fix the fly to the tippet, and it does the same job for a hook on a mono or fluorocarbon leader in bait fishing. The "improved" part is one extra tuck: after you pass the tag end through the small loop at the eye, you tuck it back through the big loop you just made, and that tuck is what keeps it from slipping under load. It is at its best in mono and fluorocarbon, the lines you use for tippet and leader. On braid I reach for a Palomar instead, which grips the slippery braid better; the improved clinch is the mono and fluorocarbon knot.
When to use it
Use the improved clinch to tie a fly or a hook to a mono or fluorocarbon tippet or leader. That is the everyday job in fly fishing, fixing the fly to the end of the tippet on a dry fly, a nymph or a streamer, and it works just as well for a bait hook on a fluorocarbon leader. Keep five or six wraps for the fine lines here; lighter line takes a turn or two more, heavier line fewer. The one thing to remember is the extra tuck back through the big loop, the "improved" step, because a plain clinch without it can slip. It is not the knot for heavy line, over about 30 lb it loses its grip, but for tippet and leader it is hard to beat. On braid, tie a Palomar.
Strength and tips
Tied properly the improved clinch holds close to the full strength of the line, which is why it has been the standard fly knot for so long. Two things make it. First, the extra tuck back through the big loop, the "improved" step; a plain clinch without it can pull free, so always make that tuck. Second, keep the wraps neat and in order, five or six for the fine lines here, and let them draw down into a tidy coil rather than crossing over each other. Wet it before you tighten so the coils do not nip and weaken. It is at its best in mono and fluorocarbon; it is not the knot for heavy line over about 30 lb, and it is not the one for braid, where a Palomar grips better. For tippet and leader, it is the everyday choice.
1Wet it
Wet every knot before you pull it tight. A dry knot drags against itself as it closes and the friction heat weakens the line.
2Seat it slowly
Draw it down slowly and evenly, then trim the tag end close, leaving a stub of a millimetre or two so it cannot slip back through.
3Test it
Pull the finished knot firmly against your hand or the rod before you fish it. Better it fails now than on the take.
Rigs that use it
The improved clinch ties the fly to the tippet on the fly rigs. It fixes the dry fly on the dry-fly rig, the nymph on the nymph rig, and the streamer on the streamer rig, each on a mono or fluorocarbon tippet. It is the everyday terminal knot across all three.
Improved clinch questions
The extra tuck. After you pass the tag end through the small loop at the eye, you tuck it back through the larger loop you just made. That second tuck is what stops the knot slipping under load. A plain clinch knot without it is weaker, so always make the improved tuck.
Use the improved clinch for a fly or hook on mono or fluorocarbon tippet and leader. On braid, tie a Palomar instead, because it grips the slippery braid better. The improved clinch is the everyday fly knot; the Palomar is the braid workhorse. Both want wetting before you tighten.
Yes. Wet every knot with water or saliva before you pull it tight. A dry knot generates friction heat as it cinches, which weakens the line and can cost you the fish. Wet it, draw the wraps down into a neat coil against the eye, then trim the tag end close.