Your paracord gear is a fishing kit waiting to be deployed. Gut the inner strands out of a bracelet, belt, keychain or collar, tie them together with a bend knot, and you have a long, strong fishing line — roughly 70 feet of it from a single cobra bracelet. You never know when you’ll need fishing line, or how long you’ll need it to be, and the cord on your wrist is the one you actually have with you.
This tutorial shows how to turn paracord gear into deep water fishing line, step by step. The last thing you want is a fish on your line and a knot that snaps — so the bend knot matters as much as the cord.
What you need
- A paracord bracelet, belt, keychain or collar — any cobra-weave gear you are willing to deploy
- Scissors
- A hook (see the fishing knots page for attaching one)
The cord itself is the kit: a cobra bracelet holds roughly 10 feet of 550 cord, and its 7 inner strands are the fishing line. Our best paracord guide explains what genuine 550 cord is — and why the inner strands are the most useful part of it.
How much line
A cobra bracelet holds roughly 10 feet of cord. Gut it and you get 7 inner strands, each about 10 feet long — tie them together and you have roughly 70 feet of fishing line. A belt or collar holds more cord and gives you more line. The Paracord Length Calculator works out how much cord any weave and size holds, so you can plan before you deploy.
Steps
- Deploy your gear. Whether it’s a bracelet, belt, key chain or collar, start by deploying it — unravel the weave and lay the cord out straight.
- Gut the paracord. Since both ends are melted shut, you cannot pull the inner strands out as they are. Cut the ends to gain access to the “guts”: cut both ends as close to the end as you can — this loosens the inner strands so you can pull them out from the sheath. Starting with one end only, begin to pull the guts out; you may need to shimmy your hand down the cord to help the strands along, as they may jam up. Now you have plenty of cord to work with.
- Tie the inner strands together. Once you have gutted all the inner strands, tie them together using a bend knot — bend knots are designed to combine two cords together, which makes them the right knot for this job. A cobra bracelet’s 7 inner strands, tied end to end, give you roughly 70 feet of line. If you simply want a hefty length of cord for later use, roll it up and keep it safe for other survival needs.
Attaching a hook: To learn how to attach a hook to your line, see our Fishing Knots page.
Remember: don’t use any old knot when making fishing line. You WILL snap your line, and you WILL lose your meal. Bend knots are the most appropriate knots when it comes to tying two lines together.
Tips
- Cut the ends close. The melted ends seal the sheath shut — a cut made right at the end is what frees the inner strands. Cut too far in and you lose line length.
- Pull one end at a time. Work the strands out from one end only, shimming your hand down the cord — pulling from both ends at once jams the strands inside the sheath.
- Test the bend knots before you fish. A bend knot that looks right but was tied loosely will slip under load. Pull each joined strand hard before you trust it with a fish.
FAQ
How much fishing line can I get from a paracord bracelet?
About 70 feet. A cobra bracelet holds roughly 10 feet of cord, and it has 7 inner strands — gut them all and tie them end to end with bend knots for roughly 70 feet of line.
What knot should I use to join the strands?
A bend knot — the sheet bend is the standard. Bend knots are designed to combine two cords together; our bend knots page covers the ones worth knowing.