I sort of play around a bit with knots . . . like some people play crossword puzzles I guess.

I am sold on the thinness and the impressive strength of an FG knot for joining two lines together, say braid to a fluorocarbon leader. It is indeed superior to all others, but I have reverted to using my old faithful uni-to-uni knot.

The reasons are that while I found the best method of around 3 distinct styles to tie an FG, for me, it:

1) takes much more time to tie;

2) you have to hold both lines taut and the set-up to do this is a bit awkward;

3) I can often tie it and it looks done correctly . . . only to find that the two lines pull apart without biting into each other with the plaiting for some unknown reason.

And, I guess the knot is a bit overkill as either a uni-to-uni or a Alberto/Albright junction knot rarely present issues.

I got hung up the other day in my kayak, had to break my line, so I sat there and tied the uni-to-uni in a matter of less than a minute, was back fishing. If I had wanted to tie an FG in a kayak with its limited space, I'd really have to fiddle around just to set things up to make the knot . . . and even then, it wouldn't have been anywhere close to an optimal position to tie it from.

Now, one thing I could do is continue to use the FG at home prior to going out. If it lasts all day, and it usually has, stick with it, and just use a uni-to-uni for boat re-ties.

That would give me more practice with the FG and practice makes perfect. Still, I am not likely to use it sitting in a 34" wide kayak.

Brad

Been using an Allbright here with no problems, easier for me. Uni to Uni is great I admit and like it but Allbright is easier for me to tie.
Any negatives with the Allbright?
Thanks.

No, none at all and the Albright is a popular junction knot. In at least one of the Knot Wars tests of junction knots one year, it defeated the uni junction knot in terms of strength.

I generally think an Albright is a bit harder to get the wraps as perfect as on a uni junction knot because you wrap away then back over the first wraps. But, those who know it really like it.

Technically, an Albright Junction knot is one line wrapped around two, but twice, for a count of 4 if you stack them up. A uni junction knot is one line wrapped around two but only once, for a score of 3. My "take" on this is that the Albright should be a little wider in diameter, but shorter in length while a Uni junction knot is a bit narrower in diameter but longer. The latter case is because the uni junction comprises two knots slammed together.

The FG is super powerful and really slim. This is because the two lines are plaited, sort of woven together where they pinch together. This makes for an incredibly narrow knot, strong, too.

Brad

Update.

I bank fished the snaggiest of the lakes I fish: Squaw Creek. Anyone fishing out there making bottom contact is going to lose some tackle. I must have gotten snagged about 8 times where I couldn't pull loose.

Mixed results, too, as I went out with a well-tied FG Knot, you know, tied at home before the trip. It was 10 lbs. Sufix 832 braid tied to an 8 lbs. Seaguar Invizx short 6' leader. My typical finesse rig.

So, on the first several snags that I had to break off, the FG knot withstood the pull pressure and I broke off at the tackle. But, I did eventually break the FG a few snags later . . . but it held so very well for the most part. I don't want to tie an FG, at least not yet, out on a bank or leaning against the back of my car, so I tied on my "go to" knot for the actual fishing day: a Uni Junction Knot. It, too, held up to several snags, but I had to re-tie this knot about 3 times.

So, for now, I'll tie the FG at home . . . and use the Uni Junction knot out at the fishing site.

Finally, several folks on different forums have indicated an issue with the FG not holding at all, that it just pulls apart. This has actually happened to me: what appeared to be a perfect knot just slipped apart. The answer? On the first two directional line twists, it is imperative that as you wrap the fluoro around the braid that you pull hard enough to begin piling up the braid vertically down the two joined lines. If you wrap without getting the braid to start bunching up in an inline knot, it seems like it never develops the super holding power the knot is known for. After those first two twists, if you see the knot forming, sort of stacking on itself with each winds, you will have a great knot.

Practice makes perfect. If I keep tying this knot at home, I think I will likely be able to tie it out on a fishing trip in the event I break off my leader.

Brad