FG Knot - thick leader

[BJR]

If thats possible, remember that it has to retain the tension without slipping, then it will work like a dream


Are you gonna try & let us know ?

[Bamboes-Vis]

I there is a guy called Zander who posts very nice fishing videos on Youtube (Zoo Look Fishing.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MitgmCTUc9I


Have a look at the above video, he uses his rod and reel to assist in tying the FG knot.
After watching the video, it is my preferred way of tying the fg knot.


Cheers

[BJR]

Very interesting......I like his ingenuity.
Thks for sharing

 

[Ninja]

I use my hands - glove on the left to avoid being cut and then a section of broomstick or metal bar to wrap the other end around and pull tight. Tip when wrapping the loop around your fingers - criss-cross around the fingers and it wont "bite" you as much if the wraps are directly over each other. Use cheap R15 work gloves from Builders.


 

[Visenvryheid]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjzUb5QRKuk

That way works for me..if I had to resort to a tool or do some of these real complicated maneuvers, it'd make me give up braid for good!

[fishing mike]

Try this one... no tension or tools required
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQmUN0L4F6c

[BJR]

Well, after watching & reading all the posted Youtube links, threads, other video clips, DIY methods, it made me just more determined to come up with my own R10 gadget.


Well, I scratched around the garage & with a bit of "cut & paste, spoeg & plak" the prototype gadget was born.....& cost me less than R10 to be fair.....not even close to the R500/700 gadgets as from overseas, & I am sure that it will actually & most probably cost around +-R100 to make & sell.


Anyway, I took a small piece of wooden plank, fixed 3 short pieces of teflon tubing onto it, attached 3 rubber grommets onto the top of each leg.
 I added a O-ring to each grommet to fit & snit snuggly in the middle of each in order to hold the tension of the braided main line as tied onto the 2 legs & as seen in al the video demonstrations.


The teflon is flexible thus bends inwards as the knot is tied & more tension placed on the main line.


I tested the gadget with only 10 wraps to see if the grommets & O-rings & teflon will do the job, & only made 10 wraps & was happy with the result.
 Then I tied a propper test knot with 20 wraps & it was a winner.....So tonite I will sleep peacefull.


I am sure we have the people & means just on UA, not even to say in the RSA, that could either come up with his own idea, or improve on the DIY gadget/s & sell it locally at a very affordable price to anglers.
 The idea is not to make bucks out of it, but to make our own SA product, & make it available to our SA anglers without spending an arm & a leg as always on overseas products.


Anyway, just my thought.....hoping to see the DIY fanatics in action.

[BJR]

Pics are to big ito kb.....gotto figure out how to downsize on Android

[Charles]

Would love to see your gadget. I am also having difficulties with the FG

[BJR]

My test knot 10 wraps

[BJR]

The 2nd successfull knot....

[BJR]

The tool.....

[Visenvryheid]

I dunno, but to me that FG does not look right at all, maybe some new knot hahaha.. The thin line should be wrapping around the thick line in a criss-cross pattern, making sure the thicker line does not go around the thinner line. If it does IME it messes with the integrity of the knot with either the thicker line (if mono) getting kinked and loosing strength, and/or a 90 degree bend is formed in the thinner line in the knot which dramatically weakens it and it will break there when it is tested.

That is the reason for keeping thinner line taught (or under some tension at least), but not too taught or under so much tension that you can't wrap it, it must not force the thicker line to wrap but the thicker line must force the thinner one to wrap aroud it.. Most times when I destructively test my FG's the mainline breaks just before the FG and the FG remains intact, test yours thoroughly..and maybe practice on some braid and mono first to get the jist of the knot before moving to braid - braid.. I mean the knot is a mission at the very least, but not so much as a PR or japanese GT knot, but easiest way by far for me is keep mainline under some tension with rod and teeth where the slight bend in the rod allows for the tension to have some give..just a little tension, not tight. Once knot is done, first two half hitches done, the main line and knot must be cinched down and pulled to absolute tightness, and then bobbletjie with lighter made, or not, and knot finished off how ever you like. If you tie the beginning right and tension it right, it stays vas for a more casts than your leader lasts.

[Visenvryheid]

Try this one... no tension or tools required
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQmUN0L4F6c

To be critical of this guy, and of the web in general, this is the problem, 800000 plus views, and the dude himself is not that experienced. So now you have almost a million unexperienced folks following the inexperienced. LOL the blind leading the blind. He himself says he did not explore tying it with tension (from his teeth or any) as it does not suit his situation, without understanding why guys tie it like that..he admits he has just learned the knot and only tied "like 20 of them"
..Basically his method is the same as the line in teeth method, he does use tension, just manual tension after every wrap, the reason you use rod and teeth is to free up your hands and to tie it quicker and easier, otherwise its the same, you can use either. This method is just a little slower and more tedious and I dont see it working if your leader line is limp, ie for braid-braid..Try it with braid see if it does? But I think in that situation it will end up as knots in pics above with both likes plaiting around each other which is not strong nor how it is meant to be. The thin line must chinese finger trap the thicker and stronger leader line, that is what gives these and similar knots its "as strong as mainline or as close as" strength.

The tension is used to make your life easier. Just a little tension on and off to manipulate your mainline with your leader, without having to use your hands which are busy with the thicker and easier to handle leader. Anyway..What I would do differently, is after making the wraps and before he half hitches (first two), is wet all with spit and grab mainline and tag end of it with one hand so you can pull without cutting yourself, and grab leader's tag in your teeth and leader in other hand, and slide the wraps under great tension up and down a centimeter till they really grab and the up and down on itself till it is compact as it can be and grabbed completely, and then apply great tension to the mainline and its tag till the braid goes sorta clear line and changes colour, then tie first two half hitches and tighten them down, then bobble, then mainline and pull it as hard as you can without breaking it to tension all so it will never move and a as a preliminary test, then half hitch till bobble, then half hitch and an opposing one to lock under bobble on mainline, then a couple of half hitches to make a ramp for the bobble retreving thru your rod eyes then 2 pairs of opposing halfhitches to lock it all...or a uni or rizutto or whatever its called to finish..That makes uber reliable and strong FG..if you have bust off and the bite is hot you can omit certain steps like ramp, bobble etc, but one must tension wraps till braid goes clear, one must lock that, and one must pull mainline after to test and tension all, and finish off with 2 pairs of opposing halfhitches at least to stop all unravelling. That I have found..

I have tied a thousand bloody FG's..bloody good knot but I am over braid and FG to be honest, mono and uni-uni the best for me hahahah!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6JO-Ud1aLg
Found that video, that guy goes in to all the explanations and reasoning, and does it the whole hog, but as he said he trusts the reiliability of his FG's as he has caught fish up to 500lb on his.. Thats the thing, i'd take a little longer or more care to tie a knot if it makes it more reliable or stronger, as this particular knot is going to be cast a thousand times before it gets stuck into the fish that matters..And with all these ways, the thing that is common is to test and test and test, till you are confident that the knot is as strong as or very close to almost as strong as your mainline, which when tied right it is.

[BJR]

I wont blame my phone's camera, but the image seen in the pic does not do 100% justice to the actual knot....that left there....& is not a new knot by the way.....hahaha


I am quite aware that the thinner braid should make the wraps around the thicker braid(casting leader), of which was achieved but as I say cannot clearly be seen in the pic.
A strength test was done & quite a few more knots tied & tested without fail, unraveling nor breaking.
Yes I did not use fancy equipment for the test, though can say with confidence thst these knots will not fail my casting, nor part during playing a large fish. It will most defnitely fail under undue heavy pressure.
As I said, my issue was with the tying of the FG using braid onto braid not mono leader to braided mine line.
A

[Visenvryheid]

Ja we can debate pros and cons for pages and pages, and sure its been done already..but the proof is in the pudding, the best knot is the one you can tie the best..test them until they break, its the only way, practice and test with you line tied to the house or mother earth or a tree and pull till something gives and till you are satisfied and confident.

[Kes]

Try this one... no tension or tools required
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQmUN0L4F6c

This is the best way for thicker braid leaders. Its called a Sebile knot..

[Kes]

Try this one... no tension or tools required
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQmUN0L4F6c

To be critical of this guy, and of the web in general, this is the problem, 800000 plus views, and the dude himself is not that experienced. So now you have almost a million unexperienced folks following the inexperienced. LOL the blind leading the blind. He himself says he did not explore tying it with tension (from his teeth or any) as it does not suit his situation, without understanding why guys tie it like that..he admits he has just learned the knot and only tied "like 20 of them"
..Basically his method is the same as the line in teeth method, he does use tension, just manual tension after every wrap, the reason you use rod and teeth is to free up your hands and to tie it quicker and easier, otherwise its the same, you can use either. This method is just a little slower and more tedious and I dont see it working if your leader line is limp, ie for braid-braid..Try it with braid see if it does? But I think in that situation it will end up as knots in pics above with both likes plaiting around each other which is not strong nor how it is meant to be. The thin line must chinese finger trap the thicker and stronger leader line, that is what gives these and similar knots its "as strong as mainline or as close as" strength.

The tension is used to make your life easier. Just a little tension on and off to manipulate your mainline with your leader, without having to use your hands which are busy with the thicker and easier to handle leader. Anyway..What I would do differently, is after making the wraps and before he half hitches (first two), is wet all with spit and grab mainline and tag end of it with one hand so you can pull without cutting yourself, and grab leader's tag in your teeth and leader in other hand, and slide the wraps under great tension up and down a centimeter till they really grab and the up and down on itself till it is compact as it can be and grabbed completely, and then apply great tension to the mainline and its tag till the braid goes sorta clear line and changes colour, then tie first two half hitches and tighten them down, then bobble, then mainline and pull it as hard as you can without breaking it to tension all so it will never move and a as a preliminary test, then half hitch till bobble, then half hitch and an opposing one to lock under bobble on mainline, then a couple of half hitches to make a ramp for the bobble retreving thru your rod eyes then 2 pairs of opposing halfhitches to lock it all...or a uni or rizutto or whatever its called to finish..That makes uber reliable and strong FG..if you have bust off and the bite is hot you can omit certain steps like ramp, bobble etc, but one must tension wraps till braid goes clear, one must lock that, and one must pull mainline after to test and tension all, and finish off with 2 pairs of opposing halfhitches at least to stop all unravelling. That I have found..

I have tied a thousand bloody FG's..bloody good knot but I am over braid and FG to be honest, mono and uni-uni the best for me hahahah!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6JO-Ud1aLg
Found that video, that guy goes in to all the explanations and reasoning, and does it the whole hog, but as he said he trusts the reiliability of his FG's as he has caught fish up to 500lb on his.. Thats the thing, i'd take a little longer or more care to tie a knot if it makes it more reliable or stronger, as this particular knot is going to be cast a thousand times before it gets stuck into the fish that matters..And with all these ways, the thing that is common is to test and test and test, till you are confident that the knot is as strong as or very close to almost as strong as your mainline, which when tied right it is.

The method works but you have to "pull tight" after every 5-6 wraps. I do 6 to be even and end up with 24 wraps in total over 180/200lb braid leader. 

[BJR]

Its true Kes, each oke to his own & what works for him.
My gadget is only for braid to braid & works perfectly for my use.
I have had PM's/Whatzapp's from several guys helping & is worth gold as it explain the do's & donts of which I find more valuable than a pure instructional video.