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Diagram

Egg Loop Knot

Egg loop · Bait loop

Makes a loop on the hook shank to hold eggs, a roe sack or soft bait, most often when fishing for salmon or steelhead.

Terminal · Intermediate · Monofilament / Fluorocarbon · 5 steps

ApplicationsHow to tie it
Egg Loop Knot, finishedEgg Loop Knot, finished

Finished structure

Drawn from a rope model of this knot: which strand passes over which comes from where the rope actually lies.

  1. Push one end of the leader through the eye and lay it along the shank to the bendThe tag end passes through the hook eye and lies along the underside of the shank past the bend end, while the long part of the leader leaves the front of the eye.
    1Tag along the shank
    2Long part of the leader
    Move 1 of 1Push one end of the leader through the eye and lay it along the shank to the bendYou should now see: The end of the leader flat along the shank to the bend, with the long part of the leader coming out of the other side of the eye.

    Step 01

    Take about 1.2 m (4 ft) of leader, push one end through the hook eye and lay it along the shank to the bend. Pinch it against the shank with thumb and forefinger.

    You should now see

    The end of the leader lies flat along the shank to the bend, with the long part of the leader coming out of the eye on the other side.

    If it goes wrong

    Stopping the tag short of the bend or letting it drift to the side of the shank. The first wraps then miss it and the knot pulls loose.

    Fix: Lay the tag straight down the shank again and keep it pinched there until several wraps are on.

    Why: The wraps in the next step grip the hook by trapping this end against the shank, so it needs to reach as far as the wraps will go.

  2. From the eye, wrap the long part round shank and tag toward the bend, 10 to 20 timesTen tight wraps of the leader wind round the shank and the tag, from just behind the eye toward the bend, with the long part hanging from the last wrap.
    1First wraps, toward the bend
    2Tag under the wraps
    Move 1 of 1From the eye, wrap the long part round shank and tag toward the bend, 10 to 20 timesYou should now see: A tight column of wraps side by side from the eye toward the bend, covering the tag, with no shank showing between them (ten drawn).

    Step 02

    Starting at the eye, wrap the long part of the leader tightly around the shank and the tag, working toward the bend. Make 10 to 20 wraps.

    You should now see

    A tight column of wraps lying side by side from the eye toward the bend, covering the tag, with no shank showing between turns.

    If it goes wrong

    Wraps climbing over each other or spreading apart with gaps. A crossed wrap bites into the line beneath it and the column loosens when loaded.

    Fix: Unwind back to the last neat wrap and lay the rest side by side, keeping tension on the leader between turns.

    Why: This first column does most of the gripping, as in a snell. Even, adjacent turns share the load along the shank.

  3. Hold the wraps and push the leader's free end back through the eye the opposite wayThe far end of the leader comes up behind the hook and passes through the eye in the opposite direction to the tag, leaving a large loop hanging below the wraps.
    1Leader end through the eye
    2Loop beside the hook
    Move 1 of 1Hold the wraps and push the leader's free end back through the eye the opposite wayYou should now see: The leader end poking about an inch out of the eye on the other side, a large loop of leader hanging beside the hook, and the first wraps still tight.

    Step 03

    Hold the wraps firmly and push the free end of the long leader back through the eye from the bottom, the opposite way to the first pass, until about 2.5 cm (1 in) sticks out.

    You should now see

    The leader end pokes out of the eye on the opposite side from where it first went in, a large loop of leader hangs beside the hook, and the first wraps are still tight.

    If it goes wrong

    Letting go of the wraps to thread the eye, so the column unwinds, or feeding the end through the same way as the first pass, which leaves no loop to wrap with.

    Fix: Keep your pinch on the wraps while you thread. If the column has loosened or the end went the wrong way, pull it back out and rewrap from the eye.

    Why: The large loop hanging beside the hook makes the second set of wraps, and part of it later becomes the bait loop.

  4. With the hanging loop, make 5 more wraps round the shank, over the tag and the leader endFive looser wraps continue down the shank from the first set, round the shank, the tag and the leader end lying along the top, with the rest of the loop past them.
    1Five loop wraps
    2Leader end under the wraps
    Move 1 of 1With the hanging loop, make 5 more wraps round the shank, over the tag and the leader endYou should now see: A short second set of five wraps beside the first, loose enough that the leader end running under them still slides when tugged.

    Step 04

    Using the loop of leader hanging beside the hook, make 5 more wraps around the shank, over both the tag and the leader end, just tight enough to stay in place.

    You should now see

    A short second set of wraps beside the first, loose enough that the leader end running under them still slides when tugged.

    If it goes wrong

    Pulling these wraps tight by hand. They pinch the leader underneath so it cannot be drawn through, and the bait loop cannot form.

    Fix: Loosen the second wraps until the leader end slides under them, then carry on.

    Why: These wraps are closed in the next step by pulling the leader end through the eye, which draws them down evenly.

  5. Pinch hook and wraps, and slowly pull the leader end until the whole leader is throughPulling the leader through the eye draws the rest of the loop in, and the second set of wraps closes down tight beside the first.
    1Second wraps closed
    2Leader pulled through
    Move 1 of 2Pinch hook and wraps, and slowly pull the leader end until the whole leader is through
    Push a little leader back through the eye to open a loop on top of the shankThe finished egg loop: ten wraps and five wraps on the shank, with the leader making a small loop above the first wraps before it leaves the eye.
    1Egg loop
    Move 2 of 2Push a little leader back through the eye to open a loop on top of the shankYou should now see: Two tight sets of wraps on the shank and a small loop of line standing up along the top of the hook, ready to hold eggs or a spawn sack.

    Step 05

    Pinch the hook and wraps, then slowly pull the leader end until the whole leader has come through the eye. Push a little leader back through the eye to open a loop on top of the shank.

    You should now see

    Two tight sets of wraps on the shank and a small loop of line standing up along the top of the hook, ready to hold eggs or a spawn sack.

    If it goes wrong

    Pulling the leader through without pinching the wraps. The second set slides or unwinds, and there is no loop left to open.

    Fix: If the wraps have spread, cut the leader off and tie again. If they held but the loop is too small, push a little more leader back through the eye.

    Why: The loop is adjustable. Pushing line back through the eye opens it for the bait, and pulling the leader closes it down on the bait.

HTH · Reference layout

Egg Loop Knot — finished-state checks, on the shared reference layout

Egg Loop Knot — finished-state checks, on the shared reference layout
Hook the Horizon reference plate
Failure modes

When this family fails, it fails as these. The recovered end still outranks the name.

Snell family

Wraps on the shank that capture the eye; the hook is the hardware.

  • !Wraps walked off the shank
  • !Eye never captured — the snell is a clinch in disguise
  • !Bait loop closed, or the hair not trapped
Fails when
  • !Leader end short of the bend, so the wraps do not trap it and the knot pulls loose
  • !First wraps crossed or gapped, so the column loosens under load
  • !Wraps not pinched while the leader is threaded or pulled through, so they unwind
  • !Second wraps pulled tight by hand, which jams the leader and no bait loop forms
Geometry

  • Shank wraps stacked on each other

    Column cuts the line or walks onto the bend

    Even shank wraps to the eye carry the bait loop · step 02

  • Seat closed the bait loop

    A closed egg loop cannot hold bait

    The open bait loop is the job — dress wraps without shrinking it · step 03

  • Loop size set after the wraps

    Bait sits wrong and the loop will not hold

    Set hair/loop length before the shank column · step 01

If you saw this

  • Loop collapses or slides

    Check

    • ?Parallel wrap inspection
    • ?Loop size under light tension

    Then

    • →Retie with even wraps

  • Finished check failed — Loop collapses under light tension

    Check

    • ?Loop sized for bait holds after seating
    • ?Shank wraps ordered
    • ?Loop does not collapse

    Then

    • →Retie. A collapsed egg loop dumps bait on the first cast.

  • Shank wraps stacked on each other

    Check

    • ?Column cuts the line or walks onto the bend
    • ?Inspect step 02

    Then

    • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.

  • Seat closed the bait loop

    Check

    • ?A closed egg loop cannot hold bait
    • ?Inspect step 03

    Then

    • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.

  • Loop size set after the wraps

    Check

    • ?Bait sits wrong and the loop will not hold
    • ?Inspect step 01

    Then

    • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.
Same family

Same failure class, different geometry. Open the plates — Diagnose still starts from the symptom.

This failed — start Diagnose

Why this knot

What it earns its place with, what it costs, and what to reach for instead.

Best for
Snelling a hookHook to line
Not ideal for
  • Lure-only terminals
  • Quick lure changes
Common mistakes
  • Stopping the leader end short of the bend, so the first wraps miss it
  • Wraps climbing over each other or leaving gaps on the shank
  • Feeding the leader back through the eye the same way as the first pass
  • Pulling the second set of wraps tight by hand, so the leader cannot slide
Alternatives
  • Snell KnotIntermediate

    Tying a leader or tippet directly to a baited hook, so the line runs straight along the hook shank

  • Uni Snell KnotIntermediate

    Snelling a hook with uni knot turns taken around both the shank and the line, for an even, straight-line pull to the fish

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