How do you tie an arbor knot?
Short answer
Pass the backing around the reel arbor, tie a simple overhand knot around the standing line, then tie a second overhand in the tag end itself as a stopper. Pull the standing line and the first knot slides down and jams against the second. Trim the tag close.
How do you tie an arbor knot?
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Around the arbor
Pass the end of the backing around the centre of the reel spool and bring it back out.
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First overhand
Tie a simple overhand knot with the tag end around the standing line. Do not tighten it fully.
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Second overhand
Tie a second overhand knot in the tag end alone, an inch or so from the first. This is the stopper.
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Wet both
Lubricate, then pull the standing line so the first knot slides down the backing and jams hard against the stopper knot.
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Snug against the spool
Pull until the whole assembly draws tight around the arbor.
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Trim
Cut the tag close to the stopper knot.
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Wind on under tension
Keep firm pressure on the backing as you wind. Backing wound on loose will bed into itself under a running fish and jam the reel.
Why it barely matters, and why to do it properly anyway
This is the least important knot in fly fishing by one measure and a nuisance by another. No trout is going to test it — if a fish has run a hundred yards of backing off a reel, the arbor knot is not what decides the outcome.
What it does decide is whether the whole line creeps round the spool while you are loading the reel, which is irritating at home and genuinely awkward on the water. Tie it once, tape the arbor, wind on tight, and you will not think about it again for the life of the reel.
Frequently asked questions
Does the arbor knot need to be strong?
Not really. If a fish has taken all your backing, the knot at the spool is not the problem you have. What it must do is not slip around a bare spool while you are winding line on under tension.
Why does my backing slip around the spool?
Because the arbor is slick and the first few turns have nothing to grip. A strip of backing tape, or a few turns of masking tape around the arbor, solves it permanently and costs nothing.
How much backing should I put on?
Enough that the fly line fills the spool close to the rim without rubbing the frame. For most trout reels that is 50 to 100 yards of 20lb backing, and the simplest method is to wind the line on first, then the backing, then reverse the whole lot onto the reel.
Sources
Flies mentioned in this guide
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