How to Tie an Arbor Knot

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This is a great line for tying fluorocarbon and monofilament to fishing reels or to tying off filler spools for storage without rubber bands or other line holding things like tape or notches in the spool. It’s a simple jam but it won’t secure the line to a reel spool if the line doesn’t stretch. It has to stretch to lock the knot.

When to Use an Arbor Knot in Fishing

Arbor Knot is one of the best ways to tie line to the spool of a reel. You basically can do this with mono or fluoro to get a snug connection around your spool so that as you wind it on to the spool of your reel, it doesn’t slip and makes taking up line on a new spool easier. It’s also a great way to tie off tag ends on loose filler spools of fishing line that you keep in your fishing gear so the line doesn’t get loose all over the place.

Let’s take a quick look at how to tie both ways.

How To Tie Arbor Knot on a Reel

Step 1 – Wrap the line around the spool and then tie a half hitch around the main line.
Step 2 – You are tying a half hitch with the tag end itself, the mainline just happens to be through it. So the mainline is not included in the half hitch per se.
Step 3 – Tie another half hitch to the very end of the line.
Step 4 – Pull the half hitch around the main line tight and slide it down on the spool.
Step 5 – Pull the main line until the half hitch at the end of the line jams up against the other half hitch.
Step 6 – Pull it just enough where the line starts to stretch, then release and it should be locked on the spool.

How to Tie an Arbor Knot on a filler spool

Grab the tag end of line on the spool. With your other hand run a finger under the line still on the spool and follow it around until you’re back around to the tag end. Now pass the tag end under and tie a half hitch with just the tag end around the main line. Pull the knot tight. Now grab the tag end and pull it tight as you rotate the spool. If you are rotating it the right way it will walk down the spool and the line will snug up.

Check out Aaron Martens sharing how he does this with his filler spools of line in this video.