How to tie an FG knot
The strongest braid-to-leader connection in saltwater fishing. Slim enough to pass through rod guides under load. Worth the practice — once learned, it ties in 2 minutes.
Step by step
-
1
Set up tension.
Lay the leader flat across one knee. Hold the braid taut with your dominant hand. The braid should sit perpendicular across the leader, leaving 20 cm of leader free.
-
2
Wrap braid over the leader, alternating sides.
Pass the braid tag over the leader, then under. Then under, then over. Each pass is a "X". Make 20 alternating wraps. Keep tension — the wraps must seat tight against the leader, not float on it.
-
3
Lock with half-hitches.
After the 20 wraps, secure with five half-hitches using the braid tag. Each hitch goes around BOTH the leader and the braid main. Tighten each hitch before starting the next.
-
4
Finish with five more half-hitches around the braid only.
Continue with five more half-hitches but now wrap around the braid main only — the leader is no longer included. This is what makes the knot slim. Tighten each hitch firmly.
-
5
Cap the leader.
Trim the leader tag to 2 mm. Burn the cut end carefully with a lighter to form a small ball — this stops the leader slipping back through the wraps.
-
6
Test.
Pull the knot hard with both hands. A correctly tied FG knot will hold 95% of the braid breaking strain. If it slips, the wraps were not tight enough — cut it off and start again.
Why the FG knot beats the alternatives
The FG knot was developed in Japanese tournament jigging and is now the standard braid-to-leader connection across every serious saltwater discipline. Three things make it win:
- It is slim. The leader passes inside the braid wraps, not alongside them. A well-tied FG knot is barely thicker than the braid itself — it casts cleanly and passes through guides at speed.
- It holds at 95% of line strength. Tested above the bimini-twist and the Albright. Under tournament drag (8–12 kg on a stand-up rod) the line breaks before the knot fails.
- It self-locks under load. Tighten under pressure and the FG actually grips harder. The Albright loosens under similar load — anglers who have lost fish to a slipped Albright switch to FG and do not look back.
What it costs you: time. Five to ten minutes the first time. Two minutes once practised. Tie it before you leave the house — the boat is not the place to practise.
If you are joining braid to a heavier leader (over 30 lb), add a second locking set of half-hitches in step 4. The FG handles heavy leader well but the locks need to scale with the load.
