Knot to join two fishing lines

On the Unit's fishing trip, the line snags on a submerged branch and breaks two meters (about six feet) from the end. You can fix it right there on the shore of the reservoir with the right knot to join two fishing lines. The choice starts with one question: which two lines are you holding? Mono to mono, thin to thick and braid to a fluorocarbon leader each call for a different knot. This guide sorts 13 knots from the catalog by pair of lines and shows when the connection has to run through the rod guides. The step-by-step video is on each knot's page.

🧭What is the best knot to join two fishing lines?

No single connection works for every pair of lines. The Blood Knot (also called the barrel knot) was made for two mono lines of similar diameter; when one is much thicker than the other, the Albright Knot or the Surgeon's Knot does the job better. The FG Knot is slim enough to run through the guides, but it takes a lot of practice.

The decision starts with the two ends: the material, the difference in diameter and where the connection will sit. A connection that goes onto the spool and comes off on every cast has to pass through the guides (the rings along the rod) without catching.

The table sums up the 13 knots in this guide. Knots that tie on hooks, swivels and lures are in the guide to knots for tying on a hook, and connections for heavy rope are in the guide to the knot to join two ropes.

Difficulty from the knots and lashings catalog; uses checked against Animated Knots.

🔬Why do mono, braid and fluorocarbon need different knots?

Monofilament is single-strand nylon line, the most common kind on club outings. According to the line guide from the manufacturer Berkley, it stretches under pressure and is usually the best line for tying knots.

Braid, or multifilament line, is made of synthetic polyethylene fibers such as Dyneema. Berkley says it has almost no stretch, which makes it very sensitive to a fish's bite, and it is the most visible of the three lines underwater. It needs extra care at the knot: the Japanese manufacturer Sunline describes the surface of PE line (polyethylene, the material braid is made of) as very slippery and asks for firm, even tension when you cinch the knot.

Fluorocarbon, made of PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride), is nearly invisible in water and sinks, Berkley reports. That is why many anglers use a length of it as a leader at the end of the braid: the strong line stays on the spool, and the low-visibility section stays near the lure.

🔗What is the best knot to join mono to mono?

For two nylon lines of similar diameter, the classic connection is the Blood Knot, a fly fishing favorite for building leaders. According to Animated Knots, an international reference site with animated knot instructions, its strength depends on five to seven turns on each side. When you pull it tight, the knot changes shape, and that is normal.

The Surgeon's Knot is the quickest connection to learn: the two lines, side by side, go through the same loop twice. It handles slightly different diameters, but it is bulkier than the blood knot, and the whole line on one side has to pass through the loop. That is why it works when one of the pieces is short, such as the leader.

The Double Fisherman's Knot is the reinforced sibling of the fisherman's knot that Pathfinders in the South American Division learn in the Friend class, alongside the surgeon's knot (see the Pathfinder knots by class). For fishing line, Animated Knots notes that anglers use the version with three or even four turns on each end. The same site recommends the triple version for Dyneema and Spectra rope, fibers that also make up braided line. Pulled tight, the knot can jam so hard that it never comes undone; in fishing, the old connection comes off with line clippers.

⚖️Which knot joins two lines of different diameters?

When one line is much thicker than the other, the Albright Knot comes in. The thin line makes about ten neat wraps over a loop folded in the thick line. Animated Knots recommends it for monofilament lines of very different diameters, for mono to braid, braid to wire and for joining fly line to backing, the reserve line at the bottom of the spool. It runs smoothly through the guides.

The Nail Knot does a similar job in fly fishing, with a smooth finish. The name comes from the nail once used to guide the end of the line; today people use a small straw or a thin tube. It stays compact and passes through the guides.

The Slim Beauty Knot joins different diameters and materials, such as a heavy leader to the main line, with a straight finish. According to Animated Knots, it is credited in part to guide Tom Pierce, who began developing it in Key West, Florida, in the 1970s; Simon Becker refined it in the early 1990s. Many writers say it keeps close to 100% of the line's strength, but the site points out that these comparisons usually rely on the strength printed on the package, without a controlled test.

🧵What is the best knot to join braid to fluorocarbon?

To join braid to fluorocarbon, the FG Knot is a favorite of many anglers: Animated Knots says it has received more requests for this knot than for any other and describes it as valued for its strength and for running freely through the guides. There is no knot in the braid itself: the leader crosses around the tight braided line, alternating sides, in 12 to 15 pairs of wraps, finished with half hitches.

The secret is the final pull. The wraps work like a Chinese finger trap, the woven straw toy that grips your finger harder the more you pull, and Animated Knots explains that the FG's strength depends on the last hard pull, which stretches the final wraps and locks the grip. The knot is also called the Sebile and the GT, and what the letters FG stand for is still debated. It is somewhat complicated to learn: practice at home before you rely on it on the water.

For beginners, the simplest connection is the double uni: each end ties a Uni Knot around the other line. It works with braid and with mono and, with practice, you can tie it in the dark. As for strength, Animated Knots cites a test organized by Mack Martin in which the uni knot kept 82% of the line's strength, but it estimates that a uni joining two lines is more likely to break at around 75%. The Albright also joins braid to a leader and is a good step before the FG.

➰When should you use loop to loop, a Bimini Twist or an Australian braid?

In a loop to loop connection, each line gets a loop at the end, and the two interlock like two rubber bands, which makes it easy to change the leader. The Perfection Loop is, according to Animated Knots, the easiest way to tie a small loop that sits in line with the line; Clifford Ashley recorded it as the Angler's Loop, number 1017 in The Ashley Book of Knots. The Surgeon's Loop Knot is the quick loop, made with the surgeon's two passes in the doubled line.

When you fish for big fish, the end of the line sometimes gets a double line before the connection. The Bimini Twist twists a long loop at least 20 times; some anglers recommend about 30 twists in mono and more in braid. The Australian Braid Knot does the same by braiding the loop, and its fans say it is quicker to tie and ends up with a smaller diameter.

Both have a reputation for keeping 100% of the line's strength, but Animated Knots adds a caveat: those results show up under ideal conditions, with the line cool, wet and free of hard jolts. Jolts on a dry knot heat the line, and a 70-turn Bimini in 80-pound mono (about 36 kg) failed at about 20 pounds (about 9 kg) in a hard shock test. On a club outing to a lake or river, a double line is rarely needed.

🎣What knot do you use to tie fishing line to a reel?

Every line starts out tied to the spool, and the Arbor Knot does that with two overhand knots: one around the line itself, which slides down and seats against the spool, and another at the tag end, which acts as a stopper.

The knot is the same on a spinning reel and a baitcasting reel. The difference is braid: it is slick, so it spins on the spool when a fish pulls. To prevent that, Berkley's guide to spooling a spinning reel recommends first winding on a layer of mono or fluorocarbon as a base and tying the braid to it with a uni knot. When filling the spool, the same guide says to stop about 1/8 to 3/16 inch (3 to 5 millimeters) from the rim, because too much or too little line hurts the reel. Rigging the rod and Brazil's closed fishing season are covered in the guide to sport fishing in the club.

✅How do you test a fishing knot without cutting your hand?

Wet the connection before you tighten it: Animated Knots' fishing knot instructions repeat the same step, lubricate and then pull tight. For the surgeon's knot, the same site says to seat the connection by pulling on all four ends.

Test before you cast. Wrap each side of the line around a piece of wood, or wear a glove, and pull with increasing force, keeping the connection away from your face. If the knot slips, tie it again. Take the scraps home: Sunline reminds anglers that line left in the environment threatens wildlife.

Check the law as well. In Brazil, according to the guide from the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (MPA), only people fishing with a handline or a simple pole, for noncommercial purposes, are exempt from the recreational fishing license; with a rod and a spinning or baitcasting reel, the license is required. The fees for that Brazilian license are in the safety part of the guide to knots for hooks. Outside Brazil, each country's own law applies. On a boat, everyone wears a life jacket, as the guide to water safety explains.

At the Unit meeting, the Counselor can set up a station with different pairs of line and ask each Pathfinder to choose, tie and explain the connection. The practice helps with the Knots and Lashings Honor requirements and with the Fishing Honor, which asks you to demonstrate fishing methods to the instructor.