Joining braid to monofilament leaders

[ronaultmtd]

Braid is slick...thin, very strong for its diameter...and not all knots that work well with monofilament work with braid. I used to tie my leaders on braid using double uni to uni knots...every now and then that connection would fail under heavy pressure...so I tried the FG knot..discovered that adding two more turns was the ticket for me...22...after two years and numerous CNR encounters I have not had a single FG knot failure. One advantage of this knot is the smaller diameter of the knot passes easily through line guides. If you have not tried this knot I recommend you practice tying the knot at home with good lighting...

[Mark]

Ron,

I just looked online to see how to tie this knot. Indeed it presents a guide-friendly low profile and makes a strong connection.

I think it would be very difficult to tie while seated in your kayak unless conditions were dead calm. But its strength should negate the need for that happening.

I'm going to tie a few at home on select rods and give them a test.

OK...here's my first attempt at an FG knot:

IMG_3918 (2).jpg

The FG is the lower knot in the photo (red line). The one above is a well worn surgeons knot that I typically use for the leader to braid connection. The braid tag is frayed on the surgeons knot which makes it look bigger than it is. But the FG definitely provides a smoother lower profile connection.

I should also add that I the upper knot leader is 20# mono and the lower is 40#. I tested the FG knot with 40# mono on a rod that I use for toothy fish catches. Additionally, the surgeons knot has never failed me. But I don't tangle often with rays.

[Slobber Bob]

The Alberto knot is rock solid too. 5 wraps up, 5 wraps back down, and pass the line back through the leader bend 3 times instead of 1 for added peace of mind. It hasn't failed me yet on any of the big stuff including bull reds, cobia, sharks, rays, and some pretty solid snags. It may not be quite as slim as the FG though, but it will still pass through your guides.

[J.A. Veil]

Here is the knot I have been using for the past two years for attaching 20-lb mono or fluorocarbon to 10-lb braid in most situations. It is simple to tie, even on the kayak with wet gloved hands and without putting on my reading glasses. It is similar to the surgeon's knot that Mark mentioned, but I think my way of tying it is different from the videos I have seen showing the two lines to be laid in opposite directions.

I start my knot by taking the tag ends of the line and leader and placing them side by side in the same direction.

simple knot-001.jpg

Then I make an overhand knot with both lines.

simple knot-002.jpg

I do three wraps (more wraps will work too, but will give a larger diameter to the knot).

simple knot-003.jpg

Pull it tight and snip off the tag ends (the tag ends are not snipped in this photo -- use your imagination).

simple knot-004.jpg


The positive aspect of this knot is its ease of tying, even while on a kayak. For nearly all the situations in which I fish, this works well.

The negative aspects are:
1) it may not be as strong as a double uni or some other knot. I have not lost any fish because of this knot failing, other than an intentional breakoff of a cow nosed ray. Also if I snag a lure on some underwater obstruction and pull hard, the line often breaks at this knot and not at the lure. If I were intentionally targeting large and/or strong fish, I would probably use a double uni.

2) it has a thicker diameter than some of the other knots like the FG. If you use a long leader, the knot may catch on your rod tip guide during a cast. I tend to use shorter leaders than most, so this is not a problem. I used to have one rod with a tiny guide on the rod tip. My knots did catch on that rod. I no longer own that rod.

[Mark]

Yes. The surgeon's knot is just a simple overhand knot with at least one added passthrough. I usually do only one extra passthrough or two total. I lay the mono and the braid opposite of each other as opposed to John's method above. My method allows the knot to lay inline with the tag ends going in opposite directions. The softer braid tag end will hit the rod guides during your casts should you use a long leader. The stiffer mono tag will glide backwards through the guide on the cast without getting stuck.

Either way you tie it creates a larger bump than the FG knot. On the other hand it's a quick and easy knot to tie in your boat if need be. And if you use a short leader, all the better because the knot may not come into contact with a rod guide at all.

I've used the same knot for years to tie tippets to fly leaders. It's good for connecting lines of different diameters. More recently I've been constructing entire tapered fly leaders 7.5 to 9 feet in length with the surgeon's knot using multiple segments of mono in different weights.

That's a real money saver because as some here know, tapered fly leaders are not inexpensive.

I've experienced no knot breaks. But maybe I need to catch bigger fish!

[nhunter344]

I think it would be very difficult to tie while seated in your kayak unless conditions were dead calm.

I've come up with a way to tie it in a bobbing kayak. I've seen others come up with the same technique so I cant claim full ownership. Ill see if I cant find a video, and if all else fails, make my own. I will add the disclaimer that it shouldn't be attempted in conditions where you arent absolutely comfortable or in areas where a nice size boat wake may sneak up on you.

[Oldbayrunner]

FG is one of my favorite knots but like others have said it can be a bit difficult to tie while on a kayak. With that said a few years ago I came across a video of a product called Hook-Eze tying an FG knot so I figured I would give it a try and that made it much easier for me while on the water.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk2kNTDEhGo&t=10s

[Mark]

Nice device and video.

[belairfishing]

A lot of the videos I see on the FG knot use a much heavier braid, most likely so it will show sufficiently in the video. When I try to do it with my 15 lb braid, I just can't seem to get through it. I'll have to keep trying though...I used to not be able to tie a nail knot, a blood knot, or a double-uni either, so there's always time to acquire new skills.

[baynovice]

Braid is slick...thin, very strong for its diameter...and not all knots that work well with monofilament work with braid. I used to tie my leaders on braid using double uni to uni knots...every now and then that connection would fail under heavy pressure...so I tried the FG knot..discovered that adding two more turns was the ticket for me...22...after two years and numerous CNR encounters I have not had a single FG knot failure. One advantage of this knot is the smaller diameter of the knot passes easily through line guides. If you have not tried this knot I recommend you practice tying the knot at home with good lighting...

Thanks for the tip. I’ve been using double uni knots and have been happy with their strength but the knot kept getting caught in the guides.


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[mike o]

I use the fg also.

[Mark]

By the way, I used the FG knot for the first time on the water last week. I was amazed at how smoothly it slipped through guides. I believe I'm a convert!

[PigPen]

Awesome video, I need to do that when setting up the rods for the year after cleaning. I also use the surgeon loop but with 3 pass through for braid. I ve also tied knots on the tag end of the braid like an arbor knot if I felt unsure.

[Big Mike]

By the way, I used the FG knot for the first time on the water last week. I was amazed at how smoothly it slipped through guides. I believe I'm a convert!

Old dogs can learn new tricks, some dogs just harder to train.

[Mark]

Old dogs can learn new tricks, some dogs just harder to train.