This post was last updated on August 4th, 2021 at 07:35 pm
How to Tie a Cinch Knot (Clinch Knot/Fishermens Knot)
AKA Fisherman’s Knot and Clinch Knot among other names. This is such a great simple knot, that I am not sure why anyone would ever tie any other type in most situations. I am going to show you a way to tie the cinch knot in under 5 seconds and remove it from the hook without cutting it. If you ever wanted to take your fly off fast, this trick is for you!
Check out this video about how to tie a cinch knot
Cinch Knot vs Improved Cinch Knot
This is a very simple knot to tie. You will simply need to wrap the line around itself 5-6 times and insert it back through the loop created near the eye of the hook. You should have no trouble tying this knot in just a few seconds. The cinch knot is superior to the improved clinch knot, because of how easy it is to get off your fly without cutting it. It is also just as strong as the improved clinch. There is no good reason that I have found to use the improved cinch or clinch knot. Its not an improvement it is an inconvenience and is not necessary in my opinion.
How to Remove the Clinch Knot without Cutting Line
So Easy, all you need to do is have fingernails! Even the little stubs that most people have will work. If you can grasp the knot at the very base and give it a tug away from the hook, your knot should be eliminated.( I usually use my thumbnail on one side of the knot and the tip of my index finger on the other side.)You will have a little curly bit at the end that might need to be trimmed off, but your fly will be removed from the line.
How to Tie The Clinch Knot Quickly (even with bad vision)
To quickly tie the clinch knot there is an easy method that will help you tie it even if you can barely see!
Once you have the line through the eye of the hook the most difficult part of the knot is done. As you begin wrapping the line around itself you will need to pinch the opening near the eye of the hook that your line will need to be fed back through. By giving this loop a pinch and continually holding it as you proceed with your wraps you will ensure that you have a really big loop to easily place your line through to finish the knot. You can even place your whole thumb in there if you like, this will leave you a huge opening to finish your knot. This
is what I usually do if I am tying on a fly in the dark without any light.
Summary – How to Tie a Cinch Knot
Cinch knots are great for fishing because they are very easy to tie and can be used in many ways. You can use cinch knots to keep bait on your hook, you can use them to keep lures attached to their fishing line by using a loop from the lure’s eye as the second knot loop instead of making one from your own fishing line, or you can even use cinch knots to tie bait onto the fishing line without damaging your fishing line.
Hopefully these tricks will help you to tie the clinch knot a little easier and faster. The removal trick using your fingernail will come in handy more often than you might think, you just never know when you are not going to have any nippers handy. Whether you call this the clinch knot, fisherman’s knot or the cinch knot, this is one of the most simple and effective knots you could ever learn to tie.