How to tie the Arbor Knot knot
A simple knot that ties your line or backing to the reel spool. It is not meant to hold big fish, just to anchor the line so it does not spin freely on the arbor.
Best for
Attaching mono, braid backing, or line directly to a reel spool when respooling any reel for any type of saltwater fishing.
Strength
Adequate for its purpose, not a strength-critical knot since it only secures line to the spool
Difficulty
easy
Tying the Arbor Knot, step by step
- 1Wrap the line around the reel arbor and bring the tag end back over the standing line.
- 2Tie an overhand knot around the standing line with the tag end.
- 3Tie a second overhand knot in the tag end itself, a bit further down.
- 4Wet both knots and pull the standing line so the first knot slides down to the spool.
- 5Let the second knot jam against the first to lock it, then trim the tag close.
Tips
- • Lay a strip of tape or use braid backing under slick braid so it grips the spool and does not spin.
- • Snug the knot firmly to the arbor before winding on line under tension.
Strengths
- + Very simple and fast to tie
- + Reliably anchors line to the spool
Watch out for
- - Not a load-bearing knot for fighting fish
- - Slick braid can slip on a bare spool