Two friends fishing the lakes

The Fisherman’s Hitch

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There are some lines you only want to attach once, with a strong knot that you won’t have to worry about again. Two critical places that demand such security are your anchor line and the bow line on your boat. That’s why the Fisherman’s Hitch is the knot of choice for many small boat mariners

A “hitch” is basically used to bend a line to or around an object, such as a ring, spar, or stanchion. Clove, tautline, and timber hitches are common knots, each of which are used for special purposes around camp. The Fisherman’s Hitch is the knot of choice for many when it comes to securing a line to the eye on an anchor stem.

The following illustration shows the steps in forming this hitch. The line is passed through the eye to form a complete full-circle loop. Then the working end is wrapped over the standing end (the main body of the line/rope) and threaded back through the circle. It’s then wrapped around the standing line to form a half hitch beyond the ‘knot’. Cinched tightly or finished off by whipping the working end to the standing line and your fisherman’s hitch is ready to go to work.

Fisherman's Hitch infographic

 

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