Blood knot
Also called: barrel knot
Joins two lines of similar diameter.
- Use
- Line to line and leaders
- Lines
- Monofilament, Fluorocarbon
- Difficulty
- Takes practice
White: one line. Grey: the other line. Orange: the tag end being tied. Mirror flips the drawing for tying left-handed.
Steps
Overlap the ends of the two lines by a few centimetres, pointing in opposite directions.
Wrap one tag end around the other line 5 to 7 times, then bring it back and push it between the two lines where they cross.
Wrap the other tag end around the first line the same number of times, the other way, and push it through the same gap from the opposite side.
Wet the knot and pull the two standing lines apart, holding the tag ends, until the turns close. Trim both tag ends.
Tips
- Wet the knot before you pull it tight.
Sources
Each step was checked against these written guides:
- Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, Knotes on Knots (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension)
- Orvis UK, Fly fishing knots: mastering the essentials
Drawings and animation by Fishwake. We give no breaking-strength figures: published numbers differ with the line and the test.
