5 Essential Fishing Knots Every UK Beginner Should Know
You only need five fishing knots to cover every situation in UK coarse fishing: the Palomar for hooks, the Improved Clinch as a backup, the Uni for swivels and joining line, the Surgeon's Loop for loop-to-loop connections, and the Arbor for spooling reel line. Master these five and you will never lose a fish to a bad knot again. Each one takes under 30 seconds to tie once you know the steps.
Knot strength matters more than rod quality or bait choice when you are starting out. A Palomar knot retains roughly 95% of the line's breaking strain, while a poorly tied knot can fail at 50% or less. The difference between landing a 5lb carp and watching it swim off with your hooklength is often just the knot.
Key Takeaways
- Palomar is the strongest all-round hook knot (95% line strength) and works with mono, fluoro and braid
- Always wet monofilament before tightening any knot, friction heat weakens line by 20% to 30%
- You only need two knots on the bank: Palomar for hooks and Uni for everything else
- Practice tying knots at home with old line before you need them on the water
Suggested Reading: Coarse Fishing Rigs for Beginners ยท How to Put Line on a Fishing Rod
Knot 1: The Palomar (Strongest All-Round Hook Knot)
The Palomar is the single most important knot for a UK coarse angler. It retains about 95% of the line's breaking strain, works with monofilament, fluorocarbon and braid, and ties in under 10 seconds once you have practised. Use it whenever you tie a hook, a swivel or a clip direct to your line.
How to tie it: Double about 15cm of line and push the loop through the hook eye. Tie a simple overhand knot with the doubled line, leaving the loop hanging below. Pass the hook (or swivel) through the loop, then pull both ends of the line to tighten. Wet the knot with saliva before the final pull. Trim the tag end to about 2mm.
When to use it: Hook to mainline, hook to hooklength, swivel to line, clip to line. This is your default knot for almost everything. The only time you skip it is when joining two lines together, where the Uni or Surgeon's Loop works better.
Knot strength: 95% of rated line strength. The Coarse Fishing Knots database rates it as the strongest beginner-friendly knot available.
Knot 2: The Improved Clinch (Your Backup Hook Knot)
The Improved Clinch has been the standard hook knot for decades and most experienced anglers tie it without thinking. It is slightly weaker than the Palomar at around 90% line strength, but it ties faster on very fine hooklengths where the Palomar's double-pass can be fiddly.
How to tie it: Thread the line through the hook eye and wrap the tag end around the mainline five to seven times. Thread the tag end through the small loop just above the hook eye, then back through the larger loop you just created. Wet and pull tight. Trim the tag end.
When to use it: Fine hooklengths (0.10mm to 0.14mm) where the Palomar is awkward to tie. Also works well on braided hooklengths if you add an extra wrap (six to eight turns instead of five) to prevent the knot slipping on the slick braid surface.
Watch out for: Fewer than five wraps and the knot slips. More than eight wraps and it becomes bulky and weakens. Five to seven wraps is the sweet spot on monofilament.
Knot 3: The Uni Knot (Swivels, Loops and Joining Line)
The Uni knot is the Swiss Army knife of fishing knots. It ties a strong loop, attaches swivels, joins two lines together, and even spools line onto a reel. Once you learn the Uni, you can honestly fish an entire session with just this and the Palomar.
How to tie it: Pass the line through the hook eye or swivel eye and double it back alongside the mainline. Form a loop with the tag end and wrap it through the loop and around both lines four to six times. Pull the tag end to tighten, then slide the knot down to the eye. Wet before tightening.
When to use it: Attaching swivels, snaps and clips to your mainline. Joining mainline to hooklength (tie a Uni in each line and pull them together). Creating a loop at the end of a line for loop-to-loop connections. It works with mono, fluoro and braid equally well.
The double Uni for joining line: Overlap the two lines by about 15cm. Tie a Uni knot around one line with the first line's tag end, then tie a Uni knot around the other line with the second line's tag end. Pull the two mainlines to slide the knots together. This is how you join a hooklength to your mainline without a swivel.
Knot 4: The Surgeon's Loop (Loop-to-Loop Connections)
The Surgeon's Loop creates a fixed loop at the end of a line, which you use for loop-to-loop connections between mainline and pre-tied hooklengths. If you buy ready-made hooklengths (and most beginners should), this is the knot that connects them to your mainline.
How to tie it: Double the line back on itself to form a loop about 20cm long. Tie a simple overhand knot with the doubled line, then pass the loop through the same hole a second time. Wet and pull tight. You now have a fixed loop at the end of your line.
Loop-to-loop connection: Push the loop on your mainline through the loop on your hooklength. Then pass the hooklength through the mainline loop. Pull both lines to seat the connection. This gives a neat, strong join that passes through rod rings without catching.
When to use it: Connecting pre-tied hooklengths to mainline. Attaching a looped leader to a braided mainline. The Surgeon's Loop retains about 80% of line strength, which is lower than the Palomar, but the convenience of swapping hooklengths in seconds makes it worth the trade-off on the bank.
Knot 5: The Arbor Knot (Spooling Line Onto Your Reel)
The Arbor Knot is the first knot you tie when setting up a new reel. It secures your mainline to the spool so the line does not slip when you cast. Without a proper arbor knot, your spool spins freely and you cannot set the hook or play a fish properly.
How to tie it: Pass the line around the spool and tie a simple overhand knot around the mainline. Then tie a second overhand knot with the tag end, leaving it loose. Pull the mainline to slide the first knot down to the spool, and the second knot acts as a stopper so the first knot cannot pull free.
When to use it: When spooling fresh line onto any fixed-spool reel. Our guide to putting line on a fishing rod walks through the full process including getting even tension so you do not start with a twisted spool.
Tip: Stick a small piece of electrical tape over the arbor knot after tying it. The tape adds extra grip on the spool and means even if the knot loosens slightly, your line does not spin freely. This trick is used by match anglers who cast hundreds of times per session.
The Two-Knot Rule for the Bank
You do not need to remember all five knots every session. Once you are on the bank, two knots cover 90% of what you will tie: the Palomar for hooks and the Uni for swivels, clips and joining line. The Surgeon's Loop is useful if you swap hooklengths often, and the Arbor is a one-time setup knot. The Improved Clinch is a backup if the Palomar is fiddly on very fine line.
Practice at home first. Cut 30cm of old line off your spool and tie each knot five times while watching the telly. By the time you reach the bank, the movements are automatic and you spend the session fishing, not fumbling with line. Our beginners rigs guide shows how these knots fit into actual rig setups for waggler, feeder and margin fishing.
Common Knot Mistakes That Cost Fish
Tightening a dry knot. Friction heats monofilament and weakens it. Wet every knot with water or saliva before the final pull. A dry Palomar on 6lb mono can lose 1lb to 2lb of breaking strain.
Trimming the tag end too short. A tag end cut flush to the knot can pull through under pressure. Leave 2mm to 3mm. On braid, leave a little more because braided line is more prone to slipping through tight knot wraps.
Not seating the knot properly. Pulling both ends at once does not seat the knot correctly. Pull the mainline and tag end separately to lock each wrap in place, then pull the mainline firmly to seat the knot against the hook eye or swivel.
Using the wrong knot for braid. The Improved Clinch slips on braided line because braid is too slick for the friction-based grip. Switch to the Palomar or Uni for braided mainlines. This is one of the most common reasons beginners lose fish on braid setups.
FAQ
What is the strongest fishing knot for beginners?
The Palomar knot is the strongest beginner-friendly knot, retaining around 95% of the line's breaking strain. It works with monofilament, fluorocarbon and braid, and only takes about 10 seconds to tie once you know the steps.
How many fishing knots do I need to know as a beginner?
You need five knots to cover every situation in UK coarse fishing: the Palomar for tying hooks, the Improved Clinch as a backup hook knot, the Uni knot for swivels and joining line, the Surgeon's Loop for loop-to-loop connections, and the Arbor for spooling reel line.
Should I wet my fishing knot before tightening?
Yes, always. Wetting the knot with water or saliva before pulling it tight reduces friction heat that weakens monofilament. A dry knot can lose 20% to 30% of its rated strength compared to the same knot pulled wet.
What is the best knot for tying a hook to monofilament?
The Palomar knot is the best all-round hook knot for monofilament. It is strong, easy to tie, and works at any hook size. The Improved Clinch is a close second and many experienced anglers use it as their default on finer hooklengths.
Can I use the same knot for braid and mono?
The Palomar and Uni knots work well with both monofilament and braid. For braid specifically, the Palomar is preferred because braid is slippery and the double-pass-through of the Palomar locks better than the Improved Clinch, which can slip on braided line.
How do I stop my knots from slipping?
Three things prevent slipping: always wet the knot before tightening, pull each strand separately to seat it properly, and trim the tag end to about 2mm. If a knot slips on braid, switch from the Improved Clinch to the Palomar or Uni which grip slippery lines better.
Tom writes about fishing tackle and techniques for UK Fishing Pro. He has fished UK canals, rivers and reservoirs for over 15 years, mostly coarse fishing with occasional sea trips. He ties these five knots before every session.
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Last reviewed: August 25, 2026 ยท Evidence-based content ยท Contains affiliate links