I’ ll go with the double. Nail knot. What about you?

For what?

I have usually used double nail knots to piece my saltwater leaders together for fly fishing.

I can tie a reliable double uni in any weather, sea or whether it is light or dark.

Yes but it doesn’t mean it’s better.

Leader to fly line - when not using the end loopon fy line - always a 6-7 turn nail-knot.
If building a leader - if not using furled leaders - barrel-knots.
Herb
CTS

I agree Bob, but it means I'm always fishing, it always goes through the rod guides I would need a top shot on, and it reliably boats fish, so what's the negative? I can top knot a hook, snell a hook, do virtually anything needed to fish with one knot, reliably with one knot, not a bad knot to know in my book, though I use many others.

I use it for braid to leader. Other knots for hooks

Bob, braid looped over the leader then back through, right? How many times looped over leader? I would think it would unravel.

Like 6 or 7 I like to use a piece of # 10 wire coating , I pull the wire out. I use this instead of a nail Then lay the hollow piece of wire coating on the line. I go abut 6 r 7 turns and then run the mono or braid through the middle of the wire. Then pull the tube ( wire coating ) out. Then start pulling a little on both ends until tight while rolling the middle loops a little with my fingers and thumb to help keep it tight and straight . Then do the same on the other side .
I alway keep a piece of hollow wire coating 2 1/2” long in my tackle box.
They do have a tool, but I like the wire.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/26/2023 07:18PM by Bob Jordan.

I'm finally getting it, and it requires on one knot that the leader be wrapped around the braid, then the tag end stuck under the wraps. Which means 3 layers of leader. Which means it will be larger than an Alberto and smaller (in diameter) than a double uni. My personal preference is to not to have to have any tool to tie a reliable knot.

I use the FG knot to attach leader to braid. In my opinion it’s the best; the thinest and strongest knot you can use.
Norm

I agree if conditions are right that the FG is the best. However, I think it better suited to higher pound test leaders than for lighter ones. I also cannot reliably master it without setting up tension, which is a pain on the water. Since the improved Alberto goes through size 4 micros cleanly, it's my go to knot.

I double over the braid, wrap it around my little finger several times, spread the loop open between my thumb and forefinger. This applies tension to the braid. Now just weave the leader back and forth until you get about 16 to twenty wraps. Then tie off with a half hitch, pull the knot tight, and finish with half hitches. Pretty easy and it works well. Usually use 15-20 lb leader, but ultralights I use a 6 or 10 lb leader with no problems.
I’m a knot freak and I’ve tried just about every leader to braid knot there is and IMO the FG is the best.
[www.netknots.com]
Norm

How much braid are you losing with each knot? Seems like the tag end will be pretty long.

With any leader knot when re-tying you usually trim back the braided main line to get rid of any weak spots or fuzzies. When tying the FG knot I just incorporate this part of the braid into the tag end of the loop. So, in actuality you are only losing that part of the braid that you would cut off normally no matter which knot you use.
Norm

While I am uncertain which knot for which particular purpose Bob is referring to, the FG knot is by far the best braid-to-leader connection = smaller, stronger (distributes load over a larger area), but it can require more time to tie than other knots; a small price to pay for the ultimate knot!! Other knots certainly have their place for different applications, and rightfully so. All the different knots ever invented have merit and their place / application in the real world varies accordingly. It is up to each individual person to examine and learn as many examples as possible to be applied to any given task to determine the best method / alternative. That will certainly vary as much as how to build a rod!!!

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

When prepping for a fishing trip, I take all of the reels I intend to use and check my Flouro - to - braid connection and the condition of my Flouro. if I need to replace any Flouro headers, I use the back-to-back nail knot, what I call the "Staple" knot. I have never had it fail. On the other hand, when on the water I revert to other knots as I generally don't have the patience or skills to tie nail knots on the water. I then use double or triple surgeon's knots or the Uni to Uni knots.

I have said in the past that I don't like braided line very much. There are a lot of , in my mind, good reasons not to be a fan, but I use it when its' advantages far outweigh my reasons for not liking it. But that's neither here nor there. But I'm curious about something, and that is, why no mention of back to back blood knots?

When I change line on my reels, I use back to back blood knots to tie the new line on to the backing, Rarely is the time when that connection passes through my guides, but when it does, it goes through them fairly well. Why no mention of considering a back to bacl blood knot? Really easy to tie, even when out on the water, and based on how hard I pull on it when tightening it to tie new line on, more than strong enough for all but the largest freshwater fish.

Just curious ......

The blood knot is a very good knot for joining braid to a leader. I have a friend that uses it all the time with great success. There are number of different knots available for joining braid to a leader, and everyone has their favorite. It is all about which knot you trust and feel comfortable tying. I like leader knots that put the hard tag at the rear of the knot, they are much less prone to hanging (ticking) on the guide when casting. There are not that many leader knots which have no tag end on the front of the knot, the only two knots I can think of are the slim beauty and the FG, with the FG being much thinner, and probably stronger. Because of its thinness and lack of tag ends at the front of the knot, it passes smoothly through the smallest of guides with out a hint of ticking. That the reason I prefer it. Since it takes a more practice and more time to tie it properly, I can certainly understand why people are hesitant to use it.
Norm