Also known as a Surgeon’s Join, the the Surgeon’s Join knot is an excellent and easy knot for coupling lines that have the same or different diameters, or lines made of different materials. When tied correctly, this knot gets close to holding 100% percent breaking strain of a line.

This knot consists of two overhand knots, pulling the leader through each one, and then pulling on the four strands in order to tighten and seat the knot. It is especially useful in adverse conditions such as low light or cold, or when the fish are biting and you need to get back in action as fast as possible. This makes a great alternative to trickier knots like the Double Uni, J Knot, or Blood Knot.

Another variation is the Triple Surgeon’s Knot, which has more strength than the normal Surgeon’s but is also more bulky. To tie this one, you’ll need to wrap the loop three times through the overhand knot. Learn how to tie the Surgeon’s Knot following the 10 simple steps below.