With the Improved Clinch Knot in the memory bank it’s time to line up knot number two – the Trilene Knot.
This knot was developed more than 40 years ago by the Berkley Fishing Tackle Company for use with its monofilament lines. The Trilene Knot is a stronger version of the original Clinch Knot – which had a tendency to slip and fail.
The Trilene Knot can be used with lines of up to 80lb test strength and is also referred to as the Two Turn Clinch Knot. It’s very similar to the imaginatively named Improved Clinch Knot, but with a double wrap of line through the hook eyelet.
How to Tie the Trilene Knot
What does it do?
The Trilene Knot is a strong and reliable connection used for joining monofilament or fluorocarbon to swivels, snaps, hooks and artificial lures.
Why is it useful?
The knot is claimed to retain 85-90% of the strength of the original line. By passing the tag end of the line through the eye of the swivel, snap, ring or lure eye twice, the Trilene Knot eliminates slippage and the double loop also gives the knot better durability.
How do I tie it?
1. Slide your line through the hook eye and repeat, entering the line from the same direction and being sure to form a double loop at the hook eye. Because the line is passed through the hook eye twice, the eye must be large enough to accept two turns of the line. Hooks with small eyes may be limited to 20lb test line or less.
2. Wrap the tag end around the standing line four or five times, moving away from the hook. When using lines of 30lb or less, five or six wraps are required for maximum knot strength, but heavier lines need only three wraps.
3. Pass the tag end back through the double loop at the hook eye, moisten, pull the knot tight against the hook eye and trim tag, leaving about an eighth of an inch for security.
When drawing the knot tight, it’s a good idea to pinch the small loops at the hook or lure eye between your thumb and forefinger so the loop won’t slip behind the eye. This will assure that both loops are in correct alignment for the strongest potential knot strength. With lines of 40lb test or more, use pliers or a reel handle to hold the hook so you can pull hard to seat the knot.
Cautionary note
Some practice is needed to loop the line twice through the hook eye and then get the tag end back through after your wraps.
Here’s an easy-to-follow video that shows how to tie the knot.
Next time around I’ll be taking a look at the Palomar Knot.
Dave's Fish Tales 