Tying the FG Knot

[Peter Morris]

I know there are some variations on how to tie the FG knot but I have been playing around at home using this method.

FG knot

Any thoughts..?....Do many tie theirs up like this or different method..?

Cheers,
Pete

[Mark Harris]

That's a good video Pete and one I have pointed folks to quite a few times.

Personally, I tie the knot in similar fashion but with some changes which are the result of lots of experimentation. It goes something like:

1. 12 weaves (when using PE6-10 line, a few more for lighter). 1 weave equals two crosses, left and right.  Any more than 12 then I find the first ones do not tighten properly and will slip.

2. Tie just two half hitches and then do an almighty tighten.

3. Then four sets of four half hitches, alternating each one under or over.  I say sets of four as I like to do a significant tighten after each set of four. So thats 18 half hitches in total versus 12 weaves.

4. The knot is then basically done. Finish off by tying about 12 half hitches (tag end around mainline) and tightening very hard before using a heat cutter (eg Bouz) to trim the tag end. Then melt a little blob on the tag end of the mono leader as is normal.

Tying this way I have never had a failure.

[Fabio Ward]

I do the weaves at the beginning of my FG's tight to start with like the guy in this link.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/ueatfyziKRE
Its not in english but they show you well enough to follow.

[Jason Chiu]

I learned the FG from this video, easily my favourite knot!
I pretty much do what he does, except instead of wrapping the braid around my thumb and index finger for the wrapping, I just manually do the weaves with one hand (feels less unco).
Also found it unnecessary to do any burning if the weaves are tight enough

[Mark Harris]

Jason - the burning should not really be influenced by the tightness of the weaves. Rather, it is to stop the half-hitches slipping.

[Martin McGregor]

I've been working on this knot, improving my technique as I go, for a couple of years now.

The first problem I find with those videos, and other ones I looked at, is the knot isnt tight as you wrap. I've found the best way to do it is to wrap the braid, and leader around your hands so it's tight, and as you wrap, you grab the leader in your teeth and pull tight with each wrap.

This way you can do 20 or 30 wraps (if you so desire), and the whole way will be tight and perfectly wrapped. By the time you start your hitches, you dont need to tighten at all, so the hitches just hold what you've already done (I usually only do enough hitches to protect the braid main line from the mono tag, and create 1 full spiral - I'll explain this below). This reduces burn and keeps the tension consistent right across the knot.

Also another thing I've learned about the hitches, is to not swap back and forth. Rather, go over, over, over, and over etc. Not over, under, over, under with each hitch. If you go the same direction each time, the hitch spirals around the mono, causing an evenly balanced knot. This might seam like a small thing, but when casting this knot through guides, it makes a difference. We're talking tiny weight, sure, but thats expounded by the forces used during a cast. A weight balanced knot, as apposed to a knot with a slightly heavier side, performs better under these pressures.

I tried to find a video of what I'm talking about, but couldnt. Although, I know a couple of other guys that do it this way, and they've also found it produces the most consistent and reliable FG.

So to the point, wrap tight from the start; braid in one hand, mono in the other both under tension by wrapping around your fingers a few times.
you want to avoid tightening every few wraps or at the end, for consistency.

Once you get the knack of that, you can use it on very light line too. I use this method to join 6lb braid to 4lb and 2lb leader. Very consistant contact and tension makes it very reliable.

Wish I could explain it better, but those who've been tying this knot long enough will probably know what I mean.

Cheers
Martin

[Jamie Moir]

A weight balanced knot, as apposed to a knot with a slightly heavier side, performs better under these pressures.

I find that incredibly hard to believe.

Maybe its just better because its more aerodynamically stable because of the twist imparted by the half hitches going around the knot 

[Tim Richards]

Hi there

I have just started tying this knot so please go easy on me.  In the first video he insists that the "weaves" are pulled extremily tight and appear to be bunched right up snug.  The second video shows the weaves being "left open" and not being bunched up.  Is there one favoured method amongst all you guru's out there.  I don't fancy having bust off's whilst I am finding out the best way to tie this knot.

Cheers

Tim

[Mark Harris]

Martin, on the tiny sized braids you are using I can see how that might make a difference, and also that you can easily do 20-30 weaves without any of the initial ones slipping. But this is a GT Popping forum and the size of braids used for that type of fishing is relatively huge - eg 100 lbs.  Working with braid that size is a different ball game.   

It is the same with conventional knots - a 7 turn uni is great in 30lb leader but 200 lb leader calls for a 4 turn uni.

[Mark Harris]

Hi there

I have just started tying this knot so please go easy on me.  In the first video he insists that the "weaves" are pulled extremily tight and appear to be bunched right up snug.  The second video shows the weaves being "left open" and not being bunched up.  Is there one favoured method amongst all you guru's out there.  I don't fancy having bust off's whilst I am finding out the best way to tie this knot.

Cheers

Tim

Tim, often the tighter you pull the weaves the more spread out they can become. Don't worry about that.  What is important is that they bite into the leader and do not slip.

[Luke Wyrsta]

Hi there

I have just started tying this knot so please go easy on me.  In the first video he insists that the "weaves" are pulled extremily tight and appear to be bunched right up snug.  The second video shows the weaves being "left open" and not being bunched up.  Is there one favoured method amongst all you guru's out there.  I don't fancy having bust off's whilst I am finding out the best way to tie this knot.

Cheers

Tim

Fukui and a few others taught me that tigher/more close together is their preference.

I stick to this and the knot is hard to mess-up. Only several hitches after that, pulled as tight as possible, then onto half a dozen on the PE mainline.

There are other variations that people tie with success - so this is the only way.

[Jason Chiu]

Jason - the burning should not really be influenced by the tightness of the weaves. Rather, it is to stop the half-hitches slipping.

Oh right. Like insurance right? Because the knot doesn't really slip once it's done

[Martin McGregor]

A weight balanced knot, as apposed to a knot with a slightly heavier side, performs better under these pressures.

I find that incredibly hard to believe.

Maybe its just better because its more aerodynamically stable because of the twist imparted by the half hitches going around the knot 

I know what you mean, I would say aerodynamics may also have a minor affect. I'm only talking very minor here, anyway. What I do notice, if you keep the same knot for a long time, and do enough casts to impart wear on the knot, you notice less wear with a knot that is balanced.

Why thats important to me, isnt because its rubbing on the guides and losing energy from the cast, more so because it ends up less problematic casts.

Those minor variations, translate into a substantial affect, namely a better, less troublesome casting knot less likely to foul up.

[Mark Harris]

Jason - the burning should not really be influenced by the tightness of the weaves. Rather, it is to stop the half-hitches slipping.

Oh right. Like insurance right? Because the knot doesn't really slip once it's done

Yep. If the knot is tight, then then only way it can really fail is if the half hitches unravel.... the blob is extra insurance to stop that happening.

[Gavin Ng]

what are peoples preferences for finishing the knot of in terms of number of half hitches?

for me i do about 12 wraps, or 24 crossovers if you like, then about 3 half hitches all on the same side...i then pull the knot tight till line changes color....i then finish it off with about 6 alternative half hitches over main and leader line, then about 10 half hitches alternative over only the main line...

is my method flawed? i mean i havent had one fail, but im wondering if there an "optimum" ammount through testing over the years.

cheers