Uni(versal) knot with minimal line wastage

[DerekD]

It is not that I can't tie a leader effectively and efficiently, it is that I don't get excited enough about it to want to have to redo it frequently. I also dislike unnecessary line wastage. Sure it is only a few cm at a time you lose each time you change a lure but over long fishing sessions it all adds up. Especially with frequent lure changes.

Getting good at something is about mastering the big and the little things. This article is about one of the little things - tying on lures and terminal tackle with a uni(versal) knot with minimal line wastage. Over the years I've worked out how to minimise line wastage to the point I very rarely need to trim my tag each time I tie something else on. This video is intended for people who trim off 3 - 5cm (or more) of tag end every time they tie on a new lure or terminal tackle. This is especially applicable to most people using a locked half blood knot. My tags are typically around 10mm long.

Two epiphanies I had when tying the uni knot are:
1) It is a sliding knot so I can tie it with the lure (and thus any related hooks, especially trebles) away from my hands and lock it down afterwards.
2) With a bit of care I can consistently end up with a tag end of plus or minus 10mm which almost never needs trimming.

The first part of the trick is to keep the loop and tag end small while tying the knot. Every time you feed the tag end through pull it forward enough so you can feed it through the loop and grab it on the other side. The second part is rather than pull the slack out by grabbing the tag end (I'm sure that pulling the loose end of any line is hardwired into the human DNA) pinch the tag end against the top part of the loop and then start pulling the slack out from the lure end. Work the bottom part of the loop with your fingers if you have to. Once it is closed up enough then slide the knot down the line and lock it into place. With practice you can get consistently small tag ends which won't need trimming (for the record this video was done in one take - that is how confident I am in getting a short tag most times I do it. Additionally, I have bugger all experience editing so I didn't want to have to redo it).

Just think about this... Every time you and I change a lure you are losing 3 to 5x the amount of leader I am which means you have to tie a leader 3 to 5x more often than I do.

For the record I feel the same about line wastage with the FG knot. For the method I use I typically finish up with about 5cm excess of the mono and about 10cm excess of braid. This is the video which introduced me to the technique I use and it doesn't require me to cut off the circulation in my fingers or face west on a Saturday afternoon at 3pm while hopping on one leg:

 

Edited March 10 by DerekD

[whiskey299]

Thanks for sharing Derek, that's very helpful.

I've been using snap swivels everywhere which is suitable for some applications but not everything. So this tip is very handy!

[big Neil]

A well demonstrated (line saving) Uni knot Derek. Logical when analysed... a simple pull from the other direction.

The FG demonstration knot without tension doesn't impress me as much.

The whole purpose of the FG knot is that it can travel through the guides with minimal impact. I use it on all of my braid-to-leader applications, namely on my baitcast setups. Because the knot runs through the eyes of the rod easily, I have about a 5ft leader attached to the braid on my 5ft 6in or 6ft rods. This allows for the knot to never enter the reel. The FG knot is somewhat rigid and doesn't sit well on the reel spool, so best to keep it off the spool altogether.

I can see the benefit of the FG knot being tied without tension is convenience... but feel much more comfortable tying it under tension. I don't think it a good practice to pull braided line wrapped around the bare hands as it can cut like a sharp knife.

I have used, and do use Fastach swivels to allow for quick exchange of lures. I do NOT believe they are detrimental to the swimming action of most hard body lures. I don't use them for soft plastics or spinnerbaits though.

Once again Derek, you have put together a very beneficial post that will prove invaluable to Fishraider members. Keep up the good work.

bn

Edited March 10 by big Neil
additional information

[XD351]

Great explanation Derek!  Could come in useful for tying the spikes half pilly rig as well because you don’t have much leader to play with at the start !

Ever noticed how every FG knot video is always using heavy lines - try doing that method with 6lb braid and 4lb leader !

This is the knot( pitzen) I was taught by my mates old man and he was taught it by his dad , never knew the name of it until I watched this video ! I remember Geoff Wilson mentioning it in one of his books years ago but even he couldn’t find the name of it , he reckoned it was one of the strongest knots he had ever tested .

 

[faker]

i get a bit scared about half hitches. i always resort to rizzuto finish and use a FG knot assist tool but i have since learned to tie it with hands but good vid for double uni when things are spicy

[DerekD]

38 minutes ago, XD351 said:

Ever noticed how every FG knot video is always using heavy lines - try doing that method with 6lb braid and 4lb leader !

Hi @XD351

Excellent observation and thanks for taking the time to put together such an informative response.

On a side note I can do the FG knot with 4lb braid and a 8lb leader easily and very consistently using the method in the video link I posted. I'll now have to try it with 4lb leader and get back to you.

Regards,

Derek

[Bennyg78]

Great post @DerekD

Its often the little things that add up to making a difference on when it matters. Your uni knot line preservation method has been one I have worked on a lot.

When you're fishing a tournament you really want to preserve as much leader length as possible when changing lures, so a technique such as the one you have taught me is really good for this otherwise you might have to tie on a new leader during the tournament time which is lost fishing time.

I have also found that the FG knot works at light leaders as well, for example on the weekend I had 4lb leader tied to 6lb braid. 

[XD351]

2 hours ago, DerekD said:

Hi @XD351

Excellent observation and thanks for taking the time to put together such an informative response.

On a side note I can do the FG knot with 4lb braid and a 8lb leader easily and very consistently using the method in the video link I posted. I'll now have to try it with 4lb leader and get back to you.

Regards,

Derek

I have to use the holder/jig  for all fg knots , the years of hanging on to grinders , jackhammers and the like damaged my hands so I don’t have very good dexterity now . When I was first trying to learn the fg I watched a lot of videos as one does but soon found out why they use such heavy lines - sure it makes it easier to see on camera but it makes it easier to tie and get a good looking result. Yet to see someone tie an fg with even 8lb leader and similar braid on any YouTube video I could find .

I know Aaron from the Windsor bait and tackle YouTube channel uses an Albright or improved Albright knot as he finds it easier to do more or less by muscle memory and can tie it in the dark if he needs to . 
I would love to see some results from a test  to see how much different they make to casting distance. There is an SG knot also .

[Little_Flatty]

Great video Derek. I think that leader and line is something us fishos see as disposable but for environmental, fishing time and cost reasons we should conserve it as best we can.

I am one who doesn’t tie FG knots with a pile of tension. I just use the weight of the leader spool hanging down (stopped with an elastic fly fishing tippet spool tender) to keep a constant tension on the leader. For the braid. I just hold it in my teeth with the weight of the rod/reel hanging towards the ground to provide the tension on the braid (taking care not to drop the reel in sand or water).

It’s a bit of an eccentric method and requires a little coordination, but I find it easier and quicker than knot assist tools or other methods (and I can do it without looking, which is good because my eyesight is not going to be 100% forever…already looking at getting my eyes checked for multifocals!). In fact I suspect I can now tie an FG with this method at least as fast as I can tie a double uni. It wasn’t always this way, I just happened on this method by coincidence and it made FGs accessible to me in a way that no other tool could.

Point is to do what works for you, and constantly look for ways to do better!

Edited March 11 by Little_Flatty