Trouble With Improved Clinch Knot With Flurocarbon

[Green Trout]

I always have tied improved clinch knots with Monofilament and have had no problems. I tried it with my flurocarbon (Berkly Vanish 14lb) and it does not work. The knot almost burns and just ties terrible. It's not nice, even coils of line it's more just a mess. I do 5 turns, and wet the line very well before a cinch the knot. What could be going wrong?

[F14A-B]

Heat, friction..

[J Francho]

Changing the knot isn't going to fix it. You have to slow down, and only cinch from the tag end.

[scaleface]

I use the trilene knot , which is very similar to the improved cinch. I could nit tie a satisfactory knot with the one spool of fluorocarbon that I tried. I just stick with mono .

[Jig Man]

You might try the pitzen.  It works for me.

[Catch and Grease]

and only cinch from the tag end.

This is one of those "duh!" Things but it is pretty important, I started doing it when I made a thread complaining about Palomars making FC coil and JFrancho gave me the same advice.

[EmersonFish]

Hard to say what is going on. Maybe you are cinching it a little before you moisten it and burning it that way? Perhaps 'Vanish' is more prone to burning than another line might be so you need to be extra careful? I couldn't tell you without watching you tie it. The main point you should take from the responses is that there is no reason you shouldn't be able to tie an improved clinch with fluorocarbon, so don't bail on it. Just take whatever extra line you have, and tie some knots while you are sitting around with time to kill. You'll figure it out.

[cottny27]

Vanish was one fluoro I had this same issue with.  I was snapping a lot on the hookset at the knot with 12# line using the improved cinch.  Since I went with AbrazX I have had no issues with that same knot.  I start the knot then make sure I dunk it in the water before I cinch it down..and make sure I take my time doing it.  In fact, Pline CX Premium & Seaguar Senshi I had the same problem...knots slipping & breaking.  Just my experience.

[cottny27]

"Clinch" not cinch..whoops

[cottny27]

Or is it "cinch"?? Oh who cares!

[J Francho]

Clinch is a type of knot, cinch is what you do to a knot.

For what it's worth, wnybassman catches smallmouth that are lot bigger than what we all catch using Vanish and a clinch knot.

[tomustang]

I always have tied improved clinch knots with Monofilament and have had no problems. I tried it with my flurocarbon (Berkly Vanish 14lb) and it does not work. The knot almost burns and just ties terrible. It's not nice, even coils of line it's more just a mess. I do 5 turns, and wet the line very well before a cinch the knot. What could be going wrong?

Try it on a different line

[Dwight Hottle]

Clinch is a type of knot, cinch is what you do to a knot.

For what it's worth, wnybassman catches smallmouth that are lot bigger than what we all catch using Vanish and a clinch knot.

I'm switching to Vanish and a clinch knot then.  

[J Francho]

I'm not.  Noel does double decker hooksets too.  Lol.

[Kevin22]

I used to tie imp clinch as well, i have since switched to the palomar for everything but topwater and long jerks. Maybe try that. Remember to really wet the line, it is needed.

[ChrisWi]

Dont use vanish! I've had nothing but problems with it.

[LunkerFisher]

Haven't used a clinch not since I learned about the Palomar and SDJ

[Bigchunk]

Gotta lick it before you clinch it

[MickD]

My son's best fishing buddy used to kid that Vanish is called Vanish because it causes all your fish to vanish.  Seriously, though, I will not use it.

 

With all other flouros I've tried the improved clinch knot works fine if you 1. lick it, 2. carefully help the knot slide tight by "sliding" it with your fingernail while tightening the line, and 3. when it's all tightened up, really give it a strong, but slow pull to "set" the flouro (make sure it's still wet).  Flouro tends to take a "set", which I mean it will not recover from being tightly bent, so if you pull the knot very tightly it will set and not slip.  If you're still having trouble with it, put a couple more wraps on it.  I think I use about 6 turns.

[frogflogger]

it's a better knot for fluoro than the palomar just do what the guys are saying - moisten and tighten SLOWLY

[J Francho]

The "better" knot is the one you can tie that will hold.

[Crestliner2008]

I've said this before; I've been using Vanish for over 20 years now. No problems, no worries. I use the lighter pound tests for my drop shot and even on my crappie rigs. I use the heavier Vanish for the power rigs, jigs and worms. I use the Trilene knot for all direct ties, except for the drop shot, which is a Palomar knot.

 

I use Vanish leaders on my braided set-ups, using the Alberto knot for the joint. It is critical in tying any knot that you cinch it down slowly and while it is moist. Saliva works well. Can't remember the last time I had a knot failure. But as long as you confident in your knot tying, then use any fluorocarbon you have confidence in. I would never propose that someone "must" use this, that or the other thing. Fishing suppose to be fun, remember.

[rawjuice]

improved clinch is my go to knot for almost everything except for braid and flippin hooks. Never had a problem with fluoro, yo zuri or mono. 

[Al Wolbach]

The folks from Berkley(Pure Fishing now) told me to always tie a palomar knot with Vanish when I complained about knot breakage using the Improved Clinch knot. Solved my problem and I use Vanish a lot, primarily because of cost........Al

[SirSnookalot]

I've used Vanish for kingfish, on occasion I did have to tie my knot a few times to get it right.  Once tied correctly with just an ordinary clinch knot, both the knot and line held up just fine.

I went back to mono leaders as I saw no advantage to FC leaders.