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FG leader knot variation


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While practicing my knots for the new year I was making some Australian Braid doubles which got me thinking of the similarities to the FG knot with the braiding distributing the tension across the whole knot.
 
So I decided to test out a variation on finishing the FG knot in the same style the Australian Braid is locked off. It seems to be a bit simpler, neater and hold up better than the usual method of multiple half hitches I've seen on all the instructions and demo videos I've watched.
 
Video showing my technique here:

 

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I've been tying mine with half hitches without any problems, infact I think I would prefer it that way as the half hitches continues onto the main  line to give the main line to leader a added protection & smoother transition through the guides.

 

Plus I'm set my ways of tying this knot & would be hard to break a habit.  :P

 

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I've been using this version on the tuna this season. It hasn't let me down but it seems if you don't get those first few wraps correct and tight it won't work.  It's then finished off with the half hitches.

 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk7uWUa4z6Y

 

 

 

I've also been making my own wind on leaders with hollow braid but the FG knot for braid to mono leader is by far a lot easier.

 

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b222/Fishnut1/windon_zpsd7a376c9.jpg

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I found this way was easy for me...

 

 

and I agree Moggy half hitches taper the knot at the end that goes through the guides when casting

all tag ends are covered 

I finish off the last hitch with 5 or 6 loop throughs so the tag end is trimmed off up the knot and held by the wraps if that makes sense.

But good on ya sbarnden for trying different ways 

 

Learning Learning always learning

 

Cheers

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Yeah, I've been watching those videos before and been trying it both ways with the "fast" way that can be a bit painful on the hand with low-diameter braid such as the 8lb I've got running on my light rod and the longer more methodical way of working the wraps down like in my video but finishing with half-hitches like the others do.

 

But I have had a couple of issues with it. The knot was holding up fine for tension and fighting fish but after many hours casting with the shock and tension going on and off some of the half hitches were getting tiny amounts of slack developing in them and with repeated casting, and I'm talking around 15-20 hours of casting with things like 3.5 size squid jigs, worked the slack into the knot before sending my rig flying off into the distance. Up to that point it was a solid 100% knot but once it started working that tiny bit of slack loosening those coils it would suddenly slip and rig off. And checking the knot wasn't much help either as I couldn't see any real issue other than some half hitches at the end coming off and I still had plenty others on there.

 

Might be something wrong with how I was keeping tension on it while tying but after having it happen twice with a previously solid knot suddenly going I wanted a better way so was looking at how I could improve the finishing of the knot.

 

I might still have the problem with how I've finished it with this method, going to need to put a lot of casting hours in to find out. Not having a taper over the tag hasn't seemed to be a problem so far with the casting I've been doing in the light line classes I use but if I was really going to finish it off clean I would probably just use a bobbin and thread to wind over and make a taper and cover with a flexible sealer like aqua-sure for a clean finish.

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G'day

I recently set about tying leaders on with this knot after watching the various videos but when it came down to it I thought of an easier way (for me anyway).  On my tackle table I have a small vice and wrapped and clamped the braid from the rod in the vice, tightened the line with the reel to put a bend in the rod and then used the method where you wrap the mono around the braid, pulling on it as you go forms the knot and keeps it all really tight.  Very quick as well and very easy on the fingers

Cheers

Rod

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Iv'e ordered the eazy knotter 2.0 from Plat a few days ago, hoping this will help with the odd inconsistency in the lighter line classes and also speed up the knot tying, just have to re learn the new method now :) 

 

I always use a lighter to burn the mono/fluro and sometimes the braid tag end to make a small nub, still goes through micro guides no problem and gives a little extra insurance.

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Had to change the leader as the braid had some frayed areas near the leader.

 

Heres a pic of one of my FG knots with half hitches after a year & half of fishin for snapper

 

30lb braid to 70 leader, the 70 lb leader is used for fishin around razorfish beds. B)

 

 

 

attachicon.gifFG knot.JPG

 

Do you put a half hitch on your braid tail moggy? I thought about it... I've been finishing with a tripple, so forms figure 8. Hard to pull tight without slack loops, unless you pull bit by bit and keep the figure 8 formation by pinching it and pulling it away from knot as you go.

Or a clove hitch with two turns on final hitch. I'm starting to love this knot more and more! I'm definitely converted now!!

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Had to change the leader as the braid had some frayed areas near the leader.

 

Heres a pic of one of my FG knots with half hitches after a year & half of fishin for snapper

 

30lb braid to 70 leader, the 70 lb leader is used for fishin around razorfish beds. B)

 

 

 

attachicon.gifFG knot.JPG

 

Do you put a half hitch on your braid tail moggy? I thought about it... I've been finishing with a tripple, so forms figure 8. Hard to pull tight without slack loops, unless you pull bit by bit and keep the figure 8 formation by pinching it and pulling it away from knot as you go.

Or a clove hitch with two turns on final hitch. I'm starting to love this knot more and more! I'm definitely converted now!!

 

I'm not 100% sure what you mean, but I tie mine the same as the youtube that I put up earlier with half hitches over the braid & leader, then on to the braid to finish of. B)

 

Theres a guy on here Brenton, he's a wiz with FG knots with light gear, like to hear what he's got to say on the subject.  :P

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Following up on this and doing some more research and some crude self testing it looks like the single strand FG knot actually has a pretty major flaw regardless of how you tie it. It only retains about 70-80% or so of the main braided line strength failing at the point where the line starts the wraps under the cinches. Beside my own anecdotal experience with testing my knots to destruction read quite a few reports and discussions around it.


 


Of course it is only a major 'academic' flaw because braided lines usually have an actual break strength higher then their listed strength so even with the reduction in strength you are still getting around the listed test.


 


The PR knot looks like it retains a higher break strength, maybe close to 100% because it has much more gradual wraps that ease the tension in while the FG knot has a much sharper angle where it goes from straight mainline to nearly 90 degree wrap. But I don't have a bobbin available to tie those and not sure how easy it would be in light line classes.


 


The solution to this is to tie a bimini double or such first that is 100% and tie the FG with the double. Saw an video of Sportfishing Magazine where that technique, plus tapering the leader with a razor and performing some other tricks was used to take out their strongest knot competition, although I didn't see any PR knots submitted. http://www.sportfishingmag.com/techniques/tying-improved-fg-knot#ooid=NlaGVhYjrEPkbPHXkAWd2x-yJZ_7RyGt


Looks very fiddly and don't know how easy it would be to do with light leaders, especially cutting a taper to them. 


 


But I saw a video for what was recommended by Paulus knots (http://www.paulusjustfishing.com/4knotreview.htm) for the GT knot:



 

Needs a double like a binimi to tie but I can knock those out pretty quick.

 

Tied a couple of these and a couple of single strand FG knots and tested them to destruction with 10lb braid and 20lb mono leader. From my experience the GT knot was the hands down winner with the leader actually failing before the braid a couple times! Now you might say that's impossible with a 10lb braid and 20lb leader but with the pulls I was doing I was pulling up near the double and the braid is probably much higher than 10lb in actual test. Need to try some double FG knots and test them as well.

 

Has a larger profile than the FG knot (what doesn't other than the PR?) but with the leader tag being inline with the braid and the braid wrapping being before the leader knot giving it a taper I think it will still cast pretty well. I'm going to set one of my rods up with this since I need to re-tie a leader from a bust off on Sunday from a ray down Marino Rocks, only one way that was going to end with 8lb braid and a rocky bottom.

 

Should be faster to tie in the field for me than a FG for re-rigging because I can knock out a bimini faster than a FG and the rest of the knot is pretty simple.

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Strength is good, but having 2 knots for the ripe of fishing I do, will definitely reduce my casting distance!! Bimini is a very strong knot! Almost, or apparently the closest knot to a 100% knot that you can tie, but it's all dependant on how accurate you are a centering you're leader... And if it doesn't have a good twist rate, on longer doubles, you get unevenness from the way it lays on the spool, and you're double strength is lost... Also the end of that gradually comes undone with three wrap hitch on the finish in my experience.

Imo. Bimini is a tournament/ igfa record seekers knot. Not very practical for day to day fishing.

But there is no question, when tied correctly, and joined to leader correctly, it's one of the strongest doubles and leader joins going (in perfect conditions) ie perfect line lay, and tight twist rate with the two strands.

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I used the fg in sydney, joining 40lb mono and 30 lb to 10lb braid, got stuck a couple times and had to strait stick it and it didn't bust anywhere near the knot. Also casted beautiful! To me, it's a perfect knot for what I used it for! But to be honest, I don't know, and have never tied the pr knot. Have seen the gt knot, but it looks too bulky for any of my applications.

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It looked like a half hitch in the tail, to stop it slipping any further. Obviously not...

It's a thing we do in net mending to finish and start.

 

Fine by me, caught plenty of fish, didn't break, still casted well, bent a couple hooks after being snagged on the bottom, yep must be OK.  B)

 

Next time I'll give it a wax job for ya  :P

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