Frictions knots for connecting your mainline to your leader

[Brandon Khoo]

Jay, you shouldn't be getting your hands into a mess from tying a friction knot. Invest in a knot tightening tool like the one from Kamizawa which I have attached a picture of. A heap of companies make these include Patriot Design. I know Duncan stocks the one from Patriot. With the problem you're having, the best way to deal with these is the way you deal with the half hitches down the mainline. I suggest you do the following:

1. Before you start tying the half hitches down the mainline, grab the leader and braid and pull in opposite direction to tighten the knot properly. This will tighten the FG knot. (2nd photo)
2. Tie your first half hitch while keeping that tension on the knot (by still having the leader and the mainline pulling in opposite directions) (3rd photo)
3. Tighten your half hitch - ensure the half hitch knot slip behind the burnt knob. Often, you'll have to use your fingers to push it behind. Pull it tight in a downward direction (4th photo)
4. See how I pull it downwards while keeping the tension on the knot (5th photo)
5. See how half hitches down the braid are formed tight against and underneath the knob (6th photo)

Can I suggest you always use the braid tightener when pulling on braid to protect your hands.

[Brandon Khoo]

I should also add that often after you land that first fish, you will find that the half hitches have moved about a millimetre. If you haven't tightened up the FG properly in the first place, this can move by two or three millimetres. If this happens, I always just push the half hitches back down to the base of the knot. A FG knot works fine even without the half hitches but I have found that the knot seems to be a little more resistant to shock loads with the half hitches. Don't ask me why - I don't understand this.

Finally, if ever in doubt with your knot, please cut it off and tie a new one. Losing a good fish is a hell of a price for a knot failure.

[Mark Harris]

Well Brandon has a much more sophisticated solution there than my "wear gloves and pull like hell" advice . If you like a gizmo, then that looks like a good one. Personally, I would just regard that tool as yet another thing to lose/forget/find a place for.

Brandon, out of interest do you cut your tag end with fire? That, along with a final almighty tighten before the cut, has made my tie-off half hitches really sound.

[Brandon Khoo]

Mark, I don't regard these as a gizmo any more. Rather, they a quite essential part of the kit and you only need a tiny amount or braid for it to be able to grab hold of it. Check out how short the length of braid I have is before I start my half-hitches. It saves any risk to your hands and fingers and for me, that important as I find braid cuts very, very uncomfortable. I do cut the tag and with fire. I use one of those Bouz devices (gizmos)

[Mark Harris]

  . Absolutely, we should all do what works for us.  I use a Bouz cutter as well (when I can find it - I am the past master of losing things). So I am not totally anti-gizmos  .

[Jay Burgess]

Thanks for the advice Brandon, will give it a crack 

[Chris Young]

and for me, that important as I find braid cuts very, very uncomfortable. (gizmos)

woos 

[Brandon Khoo]

oi - where did you come from?!
Pull your finger out and get me the next iteration of the prototype I want!!   

[Inigo Vivanco Amato]

[Brandon Khoo]

it can be done - it's just easier and much faster with the bobbin than try to do the loops manually.

[Inigo Vivanco Amato]

Thanks again Brandon

[andrea pellegrini]

Hi to all,
I've just recived from Gerry Sato his connection kit.
Usually I use PR Knot for popping but I'm very curious to test this system.. anyone have experience with it?

Andy

[Glenn Travis]

Thanks for the read Brandon,
I was trying to use the fg knot but always had problems in getting the braid tight enough to the leader to bite in, so i reverted back to the albright.
after doing a bit of research i found a knotting tool built by gear lab called the ez knotter, it may be a cheats way, but i get a perfect fg knot every time.

[chris coates]

hey i just wanted to say that on my last trip i used the FG knot only but forgot to bring a lighter to melt the end of the mono into the ball but i found that after doing the knot up to the first set of overhand knots putting on my jigging gloves and just giving it heaps it griped enuf to trim the mono off and not need the ball end. the knot is finished the same way as normal.

[Mark Harris]

The ball end is an extra security measure for the knot.... If you do find yourself without fire or in windy conditions when it is very risky lighting a flame close to your mainline, then I simply trim the tag end of the leader leaving about 2-3 mm beyond the last half hitch.  I don't think it is desirable to do that, but it will do if conditions do not allow for melting.