Initially, you may think, why do I need to learn a specific knot to tie to the spool of my reel? If I have a big, mean fish that takes me all the way down to the final wraps of backing, will this knot really keep the fish on? The odds of this knot holding a fish that’s strong enough to run that far are slim to none — however, it does have its place. The arbor knot consists of a slipknot tied to the end of the backing and an overhand knot tied in the tag end of the slipknot. The slipknot allows for a snug foundation for the backing, and when you pull the main line, the overhand knot will jam against the spool. Maybe it won’t hold under the pressure of a trophy fish, but it will certainly hold if your rod goes overboard and you need to retrieve it by hand-lining all of the backing.