How to Tie an Arbor Knot

Whether you are spooling new fishing line onto a spinning reel, a baitcasting reel, or a fly fishing reel, the best knot to use in all cases is an arbor knot. This is great, because the arbor knot is really easy to tie and you only have to learn one type of knot to spool your lines to all of your types of reels.

How do you tie an Arbor Knot?

How to Tie an Arbor Knot

1. Loop the arbor and tie an overhand knot around the main line
   1. Take the tag end of the line and make a loop around the arbor of the reel
   2. Tie an overhand knot around the main line, leaving enough line to tie another knot
   3. Pull the first knot tight
2. Tie a second overhand knot
   1. Tie another overhand knot with the tag end
   2. Pull the second knot tight
3. Cinch the 2 knots
   1. Wet the first knot
   2. Pull the line between the first knot and the reel, cinching the two knots together
4. Trim the tag end
   1. The tag end knot should cinch up against the first overhand knot, preventing the knots from slipping or untying
   2. Trim the tag end
5. Cinch the knots against the arbor
   1. Pull the main line to cinch the knots against the arbor
   2. You are now ready to spool your reel

What is the best knot for tying fishing line to a reel?

An Arbor Knot is the best knot to tie your fishing line to your reel– any type of reel.

Why is it called an Arbor Knot?

The center of a fishing reel that has the line spooled around it is called the arbor. The arbor knot is used to tie a fishing line around that arbor.

Do I need to wet the line when cinching an Arbor Knot?

It’s not necessary, but it is recommended to wet all fishing line knots with saliva before cinching down. This will prevent friction which can lead to weakening the line.

Can I use an Arbor Knot on all types of reels?

Yes. The Arbor Knot is really versatile when it comes to tying it to many different reels. It works on baitcaster reels, spinning reels, fly fishing reels, and others.

Can I use an Arbor Knot on all types of line?

Yes. The Arbor Knot is effective when tying on monofilament, fluorocarbon, braided, or even fly fishing line.

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