The two knots described here are among the best to use to retain the strength of nickel-titanium leaders. The four-turn clinch and modified figure-8 knots work well to secure both braided and single-strand nickel-titanium leader to hooks, according to testing on the Q-TEST tensile testing machine.
Four-Turn Clinch Knot
![](https://www.saltwatersportsman.com/uploads/2021/09/fourturn1.jpg)
1. Pass the end of the line through the eye of thehook, then wrap the tag end around the standing part of the linefour times.
![](https://www.saltwatersportsman.com/uploads/2021/09/fourturn2-1.jpg)
2. Pass the tag end through the loop formed by thefirst turn around the standing part.
![](https://www.saltwatersportsman.com/uploads/2021/09/fourturn3.jpg)
3. The completed four-turn clinch knot.
Modified Figure-8 Knot
David Justice, National Sales Manager for Sufix USA,first started tying the traditional figure-8 knot when he was12 and fishing for snook with braided, nylon-coated wire (Steelon) for the first time. He learned that knot’s weakness – it slipped- when he first tried it with 80-pound mono. Justice’s modified figure-8 knot is quick to tie, gives a nice, small knot that won’tslip – even when the tag-end is clipped close, perfect for situations calling for hard-to-see leaders – and tested very well with mono as well as nickel-titanium leader.
![](https://www.saltwatersportsman.com/uploads/2021/09/figeight_1.jpg)
1. Pass the end of the leader through the eye ofthe hook and around the standing part of the leader.
![](https://www.saltwatersportsman.com/uploads/2021/09/figeight_2.jpg)
2. Bring the tag end through the original loop (nearestthe eye of the hook) then back through the second loop (formedwhen the tag went around the standing part).
![](https://www.saltwatersportsman.com/uploads/2021/09/figeight_3.jpg)
3. The completed modified figure-8 knot.
Basic Knots & Rigs
The knots, rigs and instructions in this column are featured in Bob McNally’s Fisherman’s Knots, Fishing Rigs, and How to Use Them, a comprehensive 304-page book with 700 illustrations covering nearly 200 fishing knots and rigs. It can be ordered via the internet at Clicksmart.com. Autographed copies are available for $16.95 each from McNally Outdoor Productions, 1716 Bayside Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32259.