How to FishHow to Tie Fishing Knots

How to Tie a Palomar Knot

How to Tie a Palomar Knot

This knot is simple yet strong, and it is most often used for attaching a fishing line to a hook or swivel, or attaching a fly fishing leader to a fly.

Palomar Fishing Knots

When learning how to fish you will learn some basic fishing knots as the Palomar knot. Some anglers think Palomar knots are the best types of fishing knots to use for light fishing lines (such as braided line, which won't pull out of this knot like it can with other types of knots) because they retain much of their original line strength. Learn tying a fishing knot that is not only easy to tie, but cleverly designed to secure your leader to your fishing hook or a swivel.

Palomar Knot Benefits

  • The Palomar knot strength is 95 percent, which is outstanding.
  • Palomar knots are effective knots to use for fishing line up to 20-pound test.
  • This knot is easy to tie, which also means that it can be tied quickly.

Since this fishing knot is double-run through the hook eye, knotted, and then looped over the hook or lure, it may tangle easier, but is still a strong and effective knot. If you are learning how to fish, this is one of the fishing knots you may want to practice as much as possible.

Palomar Knot Instructions

Some anglers think the Palomar fishing knot is the best fishing knot for light lines. It can be good for lines up to 20-pound test because it’s double-run through the lure or hook eye, knotted, and the looped over the hook or lure.  
 

You can learn how to tie a Palomar knot by following a few simple steps.

  1. Fold about 6 inches of line over on itself.
  2. Take the folded line and pass it through the eye of the hook or lure.
  3. Make an overhand knot, just above the eye of the hook, leaving a couple inches on the tag end of the folded line.
  4. Open your folded line, which is now a loop and pass the loop over the hook or lure.
  5. Moisten the line to prevent friction, and pull both the tag and standing line to close the loop.


Once you finish tying your Palomar fishing knots, it never hurts to test them with a few tugs to make sure they are tight and secure. Learn more about lure and rigs fishing knots in our next section.